The Hidden Cameras Play Typically Exuberant Homecoming

Longtime fans of The Hidden Cameras will fondly remember a time when the band played non-traditional venues like churches and porn theatres, incorporating overhead transparencies, go go boys and fun costumes. Now that the band can pack a concert theatre, the production values are a little less homespun, leaving the audience to make the most of the Phoenix's jocular decor.

At last Friday's one-off gig, the city's favourite gayish pop ensemble were flanked by a decidedly hetero advertisement hanging from the DJ booth for Triumph bras. Pictured was a brunette, leaning her ample cleavage seductively toward audience with the tagline "tri(umph)."

"When I first saw that ad, I was like, 'Is that an ass?'" said one female fan in the 19-plus area toward the back of the theatre. "That's how good that bra is — it turns your tits into an ass."

The boobular banner seemed even more ironically placed when frontman Joel Gibb told the audience, "Feel free to levitate!"

Although the band may find themselves playing more traditional venues, the Cameras live show is as exuberant and engaging as ever. After their third record, Awoo, was released to mixed reviews last summer, the group embarked on exhaustive European and North American tours. Since then, Gibb has been spending a lot of time in Berlin, so the vibe at the Phoenix felt like a bit of a homecoming, attracting a mix of new and old fans, as well as band members' moms.

Spiral Beach, a barely-legal foursome who seem to channel '70s rock operas and new wave cabaret, had a mini-mosh pit going by 6:45 p.m. Fronted by curly-afroed twins Daniel and Airick Woodhead and keyboardist Maddy Wilde, their over-the-top showmanship and affinity for power chords wouldn't be out of place at a Robert Palmer gig (if he was still alive).

The Cameras emerged, 13 members strong, at 7:30. Brandishing a cello, frontman Gibb launched into a new song called "In The Na." "Na" can now be added to the Cameras' repertoire of singalong pop sounds, which also includes "awoo," "doot" and "ma" (as in ene-ma). They followed that up with another unfamiliar track, "The Big Blue," and then "Awoo," at which point the familiar rag-tag indie choir emerged with black choir dicks draped over their heads.

The band raced through another new tune, during which the choir crowd surfed (or "levitated"), and then "Hump For Bending" and "Death Of A Tune." Although a lot of the Cameras' music is fast and festive, the newer songs take a lot less time to get where they're going, giving the array of players gathered on stage less time to shine individually.

The graceful "Boys Of Melody" took the pace down and made the most of the harp and string-section before becoming a foot-stompin' singalong. The rest of the set included cuts from all three albums, including "Doot Doot Plot," "Day Is Dawning," "B Boy" and the ballad-y "Mississauga Goddamn," the best damn song ever written about Mississauga.

To encourage mass jumping during "Lollipop," the group tossed candy into the crowd and rode the ensuing sugar rush through to anarchist anthem "Ban Marriage," which served as a nostalgic trip for the older fans and a rare treat for the new ones.

Although Toronto rarely gets to see The Hidden Cameras live, not a whole lot has changed. The ever-rotating cast of players usually means there is a new face or two on stage, but the harmonies, hooks and melodies are still the same. And even though the venue was bigger, the stage still somehow felt cramped.

What has changed is the crowd. Watching a band famous locally for bringing the queer and indie rock communities together play to a more anonymous audience in a sterile club setting was a little weird. Going forward, it'll be interesting to see if Gibb and co. can take their charisma and cramped energy and extend it for bigger and better venues.