Sled Island: Day Two

06/27/08 5:30pm

by Trevor Morelli (CHARTattack)

CALGARY — I headed downtown to the Central United Church for the second night in a row, this time to check out Okkervil River. Groups of hipsters were gathered outside the venue, a sure sign that this show would sell out.

I got inside in time to catch Vancouver's Mother Mother rock out with their last few songs. The Last Gang Records artists showed us why they deserve their recent buzz, beginning with the soft delay of singer Ryan Guldemond's guitar and ending with a mountain of pulsing drums, keyboards and vocals.

Unlike Wednesday night's Grizzly Bear show, very few people left their seats during the changeover. Okkervil River took the stage to deafening applause and immediately played "The President's Dead" and "A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene," a pair of rockers that got the crowd going.

Decked out in a black and white suit and glasses, singer/guitarist Will Sheff paused briefly after the third tune to address the audience.

"I didn't know we were playing in a church and I thought this might go against my Catholic upbringing," he joked. "But then I saw the flat screen TV and thought this might turn out alright."

The middle of the show was much more ambient as the group played beautifully stripped-down versions of "A Girl In Port" and "Plus Ones."

"This is the quieter, more church-y part of the set," Sheff cracked before launching into "A Stone."

After four or five soft numbers, the Austin, Texas six-piece cranked up the reverb on their Fender Twins and busted out some fan favourites. Everyone stood up and clapped along to "John Allyn Smith Sails." I didn't know people in Calgary were even familiar with the band, but set closers "For Real" and "Unless It's Kicks" got more than a few indie enthusiasts singing along.

The band left the stage to a lengthy standing ovation and some people were even banging on the pews. Not surprisingly, Okkervil River quickly returned to the stage. Sheff once again stood alone with an acoustic guitar for "Title Track," and the group ended the night with the super-catchy "Westfall."

Okkervil River looked and sounded like they were born on stage. Their passion for creativity was obvious throughout the set, and Sheff comes off as a natural entertainer. Calgarians need to see and hear more bands like this more than once a year. Overall, the group put on an incredibly fun and awe-inspiring show. Although the middle dragged a tiny bit, I'd see this band again in a heartbeat.

Next, I headed down the street to take in some alt.country at The Royal Canadian Legion. After watching most of The Uncas' set, I decided the honky-tonk rock theme wasn't quite my thing.

Elliott Brood were hitting the stage downstairs in 90 minutes, but I didn't have the patience to sit through everything else and split.

The Sled Island Festival's main site at Mewata Field will feature Of Montreal, Jose Gonzales, Mogwai, Broken Social Scene and others over the next two days, so that's where I'll be heading. Check back on Monday for reviews.