Great Lake Swimmers @ CMW 2006

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario

Background/Composition: Four-piece plays mellow, melancholy folk with a touch of twang.

Grade: 82

Comment: Tony Dekker's voice is an arresting instrument and it quickly grabbed the crowd's attention once it began wafting out of the speakers. His band doesn't do anything flashy, but the songs are strong enough that they don't need any fancy embellishment.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

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

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: G
Pronounciation: E
Stage Presence: G
Stage Banter: S
Image: G
Appearance: G
Use Of Stage: G
Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep:  Dekker and his band didn't chat much with the crowd, moving from song to song with little filler. As good as the music is, he might want to think about engaging fans a bit more, especially since they clearly appreciate him.

Musical Analysis
Level Of Participation: E
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: E
Work Habits: G
Organization:E
Audience Participation: E
Sound: E
Composition: E
Songs: E
Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep:  Great Lake Swimmers have been playing these songs for a while now, and it shows in their tight playing. When you add to that Dekker's hypnotic vocals, you end up with the kind of music that's perfect to fall asleep to — and that's a compliment.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: G
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: E
Sexiness: G
Haircut: G
Indie Rock Footwear: S
Nods To Disposible Fashion: G
Cool Equipment: S
Level Of Inebriation: G
Actual Ability: E
Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: The Reverb fans were into the show, an achievement considering all the competing noise. But it's easy to see that the best environment for a Great Lake Swimmers performance would be a smaller, more intimate venue. That might be tough to arrange if Dekker keeps writing such quality songs.