Glasvegas Show Is Beautiful

White Lies and Glasvegas played separate sold-out shows in Toronto last week. I was blown away by White Lies a few days earlier and was eager to see what Glasvegas could bring, especially considering White Lies wrapped up a tour supporting the Glasgow quartet last year.

The Mod Club filled quickly with a sausagefest of an audience. This looked promising for openers Von Iva, the vivacious San Francisco female trio featured in Jim Carrey's Yes Man as fictional band Munchausen By Proxy.

Instead, the crowd seemingly misinterpreted Von Iva's drum and (artificial) bass-heavy dance music about empowerment and independence as shallow feminism, so they awkwardly applauded when they should have been having a blast.

It was a shame, too, because Von Iva hit the stage like a steamroller prepared to run over anyone who stood in their way. Vocalist Jillian Iva jumped around and tried to coax the crowd into getting into it by dancing with them and having fun. Her soulful vocals lent an almost gospel feel to techno-based tracks like "Guise" and "Lala." Iva wittily apologized for leaving their "guitars and penises at home," helping them win the Mod Club over (even if only a little) in the end.

Glasvegas took the stage to a deafening roar from the audience, whose singalongs to "Geraldine" and "Daddy's Gone" made hearing vocalist/guitarist James Allan a daunting task at times.

The band came with the same kind of solemnity as White Lies, but brought a much more evolved show. Their tight performance brought magic to the stage. They played interludes and transitions not found on the records, which left room for elegance and play.

It was perhaps most beautiful when they played "Please Come Back Home." Allan's rugged Scottish accent virtually disappeared with the soothing way the instruments rolled in and out like the tide. This was a song to get lost in, and the intensity built before it settled back down again.

Glasvegas brought sophistication and wisdom that White Lies are still too young to provide. The guitars were big and beautiful, with songs able to touch both the working man and the dancing man.

While Glasvegas are undoubtedly powerful on album, the band bring an amplified enchantment to the stage. They're simply made for live performances and, while I thoroughly enjoyed seeing White Lies earlier in the week, there's a reason Glasvegas headlined their previous tour. I won't be surprised to see their next Toronto show sell out a much larger venue.