LIVE: Kevin Drew Leads Broken Social Jamboree
Monday December 10, 2007 @ 02:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew at the Kool Haus on December 8, 2007. Photo by Carrie Musgave

December 8, 2007
Kool Haus
Toronto, ON
by Matt Littlefair

Saturday marked Kevin Drew's second Toronto show in three months, which may have been part of the reason the Kool Haus was the less than sold out. But, what the crowd lacked in numbers, it made up for in ear-shattering volume. Besides, Drew and the latest version of Broken Social Scene weren't about to let anything put a damper on a homecoming show.

My efforts to catch former Deadly Snakes co-frontman Andre Ethier's set were thwarted by three separate lines and a venue staff who seemed to have trouble handling them all. So instead of hearing live treatments of songs from Ethier's excellent 2007 record, On Blue Fog, we were stuck in the will-call line.

The cast of characters in a Toronto Broken Social Scene show is always a bit of a wildcard, but, like BSS' September show, this was a mostly male affair. Saturday saw mainstays Brendan Canning and Justin Peroff joined by James Shaw of Metric, Evan Cranley of Stars, Andrew Kenny of American Analog Set, Bill Priddle and, at various points, Jason Collett, Julie Penner, Charles Spearin and a host of other familiar faces.

After opening with a searing version of "Ibi Dreams Of Pavement (A Better Day)," Drew delved into some of his Spirit If... material. "TBTF," "Safety Bricks" and the mesmerizing melody of "Fucked Up Kid" showcased Drew's exponential growth in both musicianship and songwriting. Yet it was "Backed Out On The..." that garnered one of the more explosive crowd responses. And though Andrew Whiteman wasn't in attendance (his Apostle Of Hustle outfit is also currently touring), I can't personally imagine anyone better to step in for him on "Cause=Time" than the preternaturally gifted Shaw.

Drew went to great lengths to focus attention on Broken Social Scene and not himself with frequent references to the band and a healthy smattering of BSS cuts such as "Superconnected" and "It's All Gonna Break." Drew also ceded the spotlight to Canning, who previewed slow-burner "Hit A Wall" from his forthcoming BSS Presents record.

Surrounded by everyone who'd been backstage, including local singer/songwriter Gentleman Reg and K-OS, along with friends and family members, Drew closed the two-hour set with a booze-soaked singalong of "When It Begins." It embodied the good-natured vibe of the evening and took the edge off of the frigid night air. It's hard to feel the cold after something so heartwarming.