Sean Brown @ NXNE 2008

BACKGROUND/COMPOSITION: Sean Brown hails from Winnipeg and delivers indie rock with a dash of punk. He was joined by another guitarist, bass player and drummer who had apparently flown in from Winnipeg that day and touched down in Toronto only an hour or two before the gig.

Grade: 73

Comment: Brown is a solid songwriter and a great singer, and I'd love to see what he could do with a better prepared and more dynamic rhythm section (giving them the benefit of the doubt, maybe they were just jet-lagged). As it stands, it was one of those performances that was perfectly OK but didn't blow anyone's socks off, either.

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 
Pronunciation: E
Stage Presence: G
Stage Banter: G
Image: G
Appearance: G
Use Of Stage: G

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep:
Brown didn't move around much on stage, except for breaking into a little spasmodic marching-dance when he got really into it — but his intensity was palpable nonetheless. The same couldn't be said for his band, though. If anonymous, shoe-gazing session musicians were the vibe they were going for, they achieved it.

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

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep:
Brown has one heck of a voice and used it to full effect while pounding out a series of driving, catchy tunes that channel a bit of the Pixies. He could have benefitted from a less shaky rhythm section, though. Maybe they were just flustered from flying in from Winnipeg hours before the show, but the rest of the boys just didn't seem to be on their A-game. Curiously, the bass player's instrument only had three strings.

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

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep:
When Brown was explaining to the audience that he had flown his band in from Winnipeg earlier that day, he muttered "and worth every fucking penny." Whether this was a back-handed compliment or a genuine one is debatable, but in any case he's the kind of performer I'd love to see with stronger musical support (or maybe just on a day when they're better rehearsed). Brown gave away free copies of his CD, Ready Fire Aim, which was a doubly generous thing to do when you consider that none of the NXNE bands get paid for their performance.