The Dears @ CMW 2001

Hometown: Montreal QC

Background/Composition:
A seven-piece psychedelic jam out orchestral pop band.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Band exceeds skill and knowledge expectations. Rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Band achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Band demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
Below 50: Band has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Grade: 95

Comment:
O.K., so it's official — the secret is out of the bag. If you didn't know who The Dears were before this weekend, then you do now. With a two-hour line-up to get into the show, the legend of The Dears just keeps on getting bigger. If there's any justice in the world, global domination would be a no-brainer for these indie darlings. Pulp who? Blur who? Who needs those candy-asses when The Dears take that silly Brit-pop shit, drop kick it to the canvas, and then throws down some Who-like jams and psychedelic bombast that leaves you breathless.

Learning Skills:
E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: G
Pronounciation: G
Stage Presence: E
Stage Banter: G
Image: E
Appearance: G
Use Of Stage: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
If there's any knock on these guys, it's that there's very little stage banter going on. They have a minor pretentious streak to them, mostly due to lead vocalist Murray Lightburn's ultra-hip, too-cool-for-school swagger. We can let them get away with this because they're so damn good. Same deal goes for the mannequin-like Natalia Yanchak on keyboards. Smile! Some people might object to her apparent aloofness, but take a step back and check out the dynamic going onstage. Amidst the chaos that has Jonathan Cohen (guitar) and Martin Pelland (bass) frenetically flailing away, Lightburn jumping around and letting the veins in his head pop and George Donoso (drums) acting like a whirling dervish of moppy hair and sweat, Yanchak stands stoically still — an almost anchor point to the tornado that is the rest of the band. Presence? Oh heavens, yes.

Musical Analysis
Cooperation With Others: E
Level Of Participation: E
Problem Solving:E
Teamwork:E
Work Habits: E
Organization: E
Audience Participation: E
Sound: E
Composition: E
Songs: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
One complaint: Don't play all new material! Lightburn declared early in the set that they would be playing new songs save for one ("This Is A Broadcast"), which can be a killer for the growing legion of fans that wanted to hear classics like "C'etait Pour La Passion" or "Heartless Romantic." Nonetheless, the set was fabulous. Loud. Loud. Loud. Yeah, and it was loud, too. With so many members jammed onto the stage, there's little margin for error, but each member was able to do their thing without knocking into each other. Great teamwork and communication between the band, especially during psyche-out jams where Lightburn would turn to his cohorts and scream out a countdown for an all-out, heart-pounding stoppage of the song.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: E
Sexiness: E
Haircut: E
Indie Rock Footwear: E
Nods To Disposible Fashion: E
Cool Equipment: E
Level Of Inebriation: G
Actual Ability: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Step:
Sexiness? Yes. Charm? Yes. With so many members, there's something for everyone to get their jollies off of beyond the slinky Yanchak and charismatic Lightburn. Donoso could be any indie rock chick's dream guy — the same for the moppy-haired Cohen. Cleancut Pelland has a steely cool that exudes confidence and Brigitte Mayes (cello) looks coy enough to break a heart in a matter of seconds. This band will rock your ass.