Joel Plaskett Emergency Close Canadian Tour On High Note

Joel Plaskett has gone from Ashtray Rock and travelled across Canada in support of his new album of the same name, and his tour ended in grand style with people "getting wasted on a Saturday night" at the Opera House. While he isn't necessarily selling as many records or getting as much radio play as he deserves, the fact that he could sell out two nights at the 850-person venue is gratifying to those of us who've followed him since Thrush Hermit helped bring attention to the Halifax music scene in the early '90s.

After Peter Elkas opened the show, he joined Plaskett and his Emergency bandmates (drummer Dave Marsh and bassist Chris Pennell), filling out their sound on keyboards, guitar and harmonica. The set started with lots of Ashtray Rock material, including "Soundtrack For The Night," "Snowed In," "Face Of The Earth" and "Nothing More To Say."

While the band were locked in a solid groove, and folks were singing along to most tunes, there was no noticeable loss of momentum or enthusiasm when the Emergency left the stage and Plaskett played three songs from 2005's La De Da alone on his acoustic guitar. He wrenched emotion from "Natural Disaster," had heads bobbing for "Happen Now" and invited Miniature Tim, a character from "Love This Town," on to the stage during that song.

The band returned for "Nowhere With You," which had special meaning to a couple of friends I was with since they used it as their wedding song last month. "Work Out Fine" and "Down At The Khyber" followed and, while that last number is about Plaskett being sick, he was obviously in good health and a positive frame of mind as he joked in between songs and kept the mood light throughout the night. "Maybe We Should Just Go Home" kept the energy up, along with "Fashionable People," which, considering Plaskett's down to earth fans, was enjoyed with a degree of irony.

Hitting the home stretch, the group kicked into overdrive with should-have-been past hits "True Patriot Love" and "Extraordinary." "Drunk Teenagers" took me back to my youth and inspired me to get another beer, and "Come On Teacher" was a perfectly suitable song to drink it with.

Judging by the crowd reaction, and paraphrasing an advertising slogan for another Halifax hero, Alexander Keith, it's safe to say that when it comes to Plaskett, "Those who like him, like him a lot."