Ladyhawk Showered With Beer In Hamilton

The Casbah

Hamilton, ON

on Apr 21 2009

Ciara McCann (CHARTattack)

04/24/2009 1:47pm

Ladyhawk's Tuesday night gig at the Casbah showed how a live performance separates the good from the truly great. The Vancouver indie rockers got an immediate and lively response from their audience and sustained it until the sweat-dripping, beer-soaked end of their set.

Fast Reactor and Huron warmed up the crowd before Ladyhawk hit the stage. Although Fast Reactor displayed some promise with their virtuosic, power-chord guitar-playing and aggressive vocals, Hamilton's Huron set the table for Ladyhawk.

Lead singer Aaron Goldstein introduced the band's set by saying, "I know that half of you are stoned right now, so I think you will enjoy this."

When Huron's dreamy, blues-rock sound came pouring from the stage during the opening song, the stoners in front were indeed smitten. A singalong ensued from the band's small following, and the cheerful vibe grew as group members smiled assuredly to one another while unabashedly swaying their bodies to and fro, and used the intimate space of the Casbah's stage to its fullest. What was most alluring about the quartet was their ability to incorporate various influences ranging from early '60s rock to a more current Can-rock vibe while still managing to keep an identifiable blues-rock sound.

Ladyhawk promptly followed, and The Casbah was suddenly packed full with rambunctious fans. There was no gradual lead-up to a pinnacle moment in their hour-long set. The group were instantly magnetic and consistently remained that way throughout the night.

Lead singer/guitarist Duffy Driediger had a commanding presence that played a major role in keeping things together. The mischievous, thick-bearded man sported the rolled-out-of-bed look and wore a stretched-out T-shirt that displayed some psychedelic fantasy landscape.

Although Driediger confessed he ate some bad Mexican food before the show, he persevered and masterfully displayed his feverish guitar-playing and intensely emotional vocals. The rest of the band seemed to feed off their leader's ambition and played their hearts out with their eyes closed, lost in the music.

Ladyhawk played songs from albums new and old, but "S.T.H.D." from their most recent album Shots that sparked the crowd to dance wildly and sing along especially loudly. A well-known face that partook in the exuberant reception was George Pettit from Alexisonfire, who flailed his arms and legs in the centre of the throng.

The excitement was so strong that at one point a man decided to spit beer on stage in a fountain-like manner, a talent that presumably demonstrated his love for the band. The beer shower didn't phase Ladyhawk, perhaps indicating such things must occur regularly at their shows. Driediger, in fact, at one point characterized the Hamilton crowd as being "gentle."

Ladyhawk played one last number after they bargained with the audience for sex or hugs in exchange for an encore. By the end, it was hard to believe that the set was over. But these west coast rockers proved they're among the most engaging live bands in the country.