On the Road Again
Live Reviews:

NORTH BY NORTHEAST 1999
Featuring: Roach Motel
June 11, 1999
Lee's Palace, Toronto, Ontario

Roach Motel infested Lee's palace Friday night, closing out the evening with their blend of hip hop, funk 'n' soul. These guys have been local live favourites of mine for a few years now, but they fell victim to two mistakes this night.

One was the unfortunate fact that they came on after an awesome, energetic set by the Pocket Dwellers. Not much they could do about that, but it's very difficult to follow that kind of energy, especially with stuff that's a little more groovier and laid back.

The other mistake was one of pacing: Though they started out in fine funky form and finished strong, the middle section brought the energy level way down, and they started to lose some of the crowd that had stuck around. However, they did rock those remaining with a hot take on the funk classic "Spill The Wine," and a new song called "Grace" was very well-received.

Indicative of the way the night was going for the Motel, though, their special guest musician's trombone got lost in the mix somehow, although her backup vocals came through sweet and pure. A set of mixed results for Julian and Jen and the gang, but try to catch them on their own, and you'll likely spend an enjoyable evening at the Roach Motel.