The Dears Learn How To Smile

When End of A Hollywood Bedtime Story was released in 2000, few would have ever suspected that there would come a day when The Dears would actually warm hearts instead of break them.

Between devastating songs like "Heartless Romantic" and gut-wrenching live shows that seemed to leave both the audience and the band drained and emotionally overwhelmed, the band developed a reputation for being dark and hopelessly melancholy. There was nothing heartbroken or melancholy about the band that took the stage at The Phoenix early on Friday evening, though.

In fact, they were downright happy. From the second The Dears launched into a new song at the start of the show, it was clear that something had changed. As the mooney-eyed crowd, comprised mostly of couples, hung on every word, the band treated them to a fresh take on some old favourites that definitely focused on the latter part of their "orchestral pop noir romantique" equation.

Even before frontman Murray Lightburn announced that Toronto was their second home and thanked everyone in attendance most genuinely for their support, it was clear that the concert was a love-in. Although the happy Dears might sound daunting to the uninitiated, the result is far from the artistically-bankrupt stereotype that is usually expected from musicians who gain any sense of peace or joy.

As the dizzying new material proved, the real power behind the band's music has never been their darkness, but their passion. Listening to Lightburn throw himself headfirst into a love song has just as much chill-inducing impact as early performances of songs like "Pinned Together, Falling Apart" did. This new approach is also effective on dark romantic material like "Twenty-Two," "Lost In The Plot" and "Never Destroy Us" as well as the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel mini opus "Who Are You, Defender Of The Universe."

The only problem with this new outlook is when it comes to the more depressing songs. It was clear that the band, while sonically there, just weren't emotionally invested in old material like "End Of A Hollywood Bedtime Story" or an abridged "Pinned Together, Falling Apart," making them feel a little empty. And while it's nice that fans are so overwhelmed by The Dears that they feel the need to constantly shout out their praises, the "You rock, Murray!" that caused Lightburn to laugh at the end of "The Second Part" did ruin the mood.

The most glaring example of this disparity, however, came with the final song of the night, "Heartless Romantic." Once too painful for the band to play, it has now become a triumphant end to their set, complete with a clap-along led by the band.

In the end, it also illustrated a certain problem for Dears fans. While it's truly amazing and wonderful to see the band gain the happiness and success that they deserve, it's also sad to see some of the guts ripped out of the older songs and replaced with a swaggering rock star approach. Whether or not this older material will survive the new spirit of The Dears remains to be seen, but if the fresh material showcased at The Phoenix is any indication, it will be replaced by something just as powerful and brilliant.