On the Road Again
Live Reviews:

Elliot Smith
August 19, 1998
The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON

Last Wednesday Night, I was experiencing a familiar sense of deja vu, as I attempted (along with 90% of the audience) to watch the new indie-wunderkind-on-the-block, Elliot Smith perform. Whether it was his dramatic hurting ballads or the opportunity to see in person someone who had performed to an estimated 1 billion people via this year's Academy Awards, the tiny 150 person capacity Horseshoe was packed to the rafters. Like other performers (Ben Harper, Vic Chesnutt, and Sparklehorse) who perform to a packed Horseshoe in a chair, Smith was hidden to all except a few lucky early souls near stage. With nothing to see but the occasional sighting of a set of wrap-around shades tucked into his dark mop of hair, there was little to Smith's on-stage persona. Due to the introverted nature of his songs, 'seeing' Smith perform alone on acoustic guitar is ultimately not only a letdown but it defeats the purpose of watching a live band. Smith's music works better in a more intimate setting where the alcoholic drinks are one-quarter the price (as in your apartment)! His set consisted of an equal split of songs from his new album XO and favourites from his two previous records on Kill Rock Stars. Many in the crowd were charmed by his quiet prose and detached delivery, singing along word-for-word with Smith. The set was extremely short, playing only for 35 minutes before a quick 'planned' two-song encore.