On the Road Again
Live Reviews:

The Spinanes, with 4 Star Movie and Closed Caption Radio
November 1, 1998
The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON

Sub Pop's The Spinanes rolled into The Horseshoe on Sunday in support of their latest album Arches and Aisles. The former two piece (now four piece), from Portland (now Chicago) delivered a heartbreaking hour-long set to just over one hundred enthralled fans. Performing tracks mainly from their spectacular 1993 debut Manos and the new album, the band steered away from the sombre sounds of 1996's Strand. Singer Rebecca Gates possesses one the best voices (live and recorded) in music, as proven last night by the perfect rendition of "Greetings From the Sugar Lick".

I was anticipating this show greatly, not only for the music but also because they thank the city of Toronto in the liner notes of their new record (it's rare this city gets props for live shows, being the reserved bunch we are). I was not disappointed in the least; the show was interactive, they handed out percussion instruments to the crowd, took many requests including a solo performance of "Manos" to close the evening.

The opening act Closed Caption Radio from Vancouver put on a stellar yet underappreciated half-hour set of their Fugazi-inspired punk. They were followed by an incredibly average set by 4 Star Movie. For those of you who missed The Spinanes this time around, do yourself a favour: go buy their record and check them out next time around. They will be back in March, according to Rebecca.