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Melanie
3/31/01

Sarah in Vancouver, March 30th

Richard's on Richards, Vancouver, March 30- Show #1

Looooooooong Review

I didn't set out to write down the set list...I just happened to have a pen and paper so I could record some notes on her guitar playing. Which makes me geekier, I realize. Anyways, here's a synopsis of the evening, as we saw it, using my scribble notes about chords and song order as a guide...

Firstly, Royal City---not a fan. And they played too long. The venue opens to regular bar patrons on Friday and Saturday nights, therefore the bands must be finished playing by 9:45. This doesn't allow for much flexibility at all, and when Sarah came out for a second encore she jokingly made reference to the possibility she would get in trouble for playing longer. LOL My point is, Royal City took up Sarah's time, imho. Now, I'm very tolerant of opening acts, and hey, I discovered Sarah that way...but these guys just didn't do it for anyone around me, or me. And last time Sarah was here, it was a Tuesday, free show, and she played forever. Yes, I've been spoiled.

On to the show...

Sarah: She came out wearing those adorable pigtails, a grey checkered dress with a sweater overtop. The cutest thing had to be how the collar of the dress peaked out over the cardigan-style sweater she was wearing, and the cardigan had little flowers on the front. Only Sarah could pull this off. She was wearing knee highs, and these funky, chunky brown mary-jane style shoes. I love this woman's shoes.

Kevin: Can you guess what he was wearing? LOL Earlier I spied him standing downstairs in a grey jacket and his usual black attire. Then he was getting his gear on stage, wearing a black turtleneck and black jeans. Then he came out on stage wearing a white T-shirt...I figured by the end of the evening, Foxxxy was gonna show why exactly he's called Foxxxy. There's only so many layers to that layered look.

Joe: (It is Joe right? Or Joel?) Black black and more black. He's hard to see back there, and no offense to anyone, he doesn't engage me nearly as much as Gavin did.

The Songs:

Hideout:
She launched into this right away. No hellos or anything. I love that. Just get right to the music. Nothing really stood out about this for me, but it was strong and it got people on their feet right away. (They'd all been sitting on the dusty, yet somehow sticky floor of Dick's on Dicks. Ew.)

Don't Get Your Back Up:
We'd read earlier she had had a bad cold and had to cancel the San Diego show. Her voice was definitely lower (intentional, I'm sure) but she still sounded strong. Kevin was totally on as well, and I don't remember what song it was (so I'll stick it here!) the guy was easily three feet from his mic and he was almost overpowering her. Amazing. The way they sing together sends chills down my spine at times. There'll be times when I listen to the cds and I hear Kevin even though he's not on there. Now there's an impression

Oleander:
Sarah talked a bit about how they flew in yesterday and when she arrived she was again in awe of all our shrubbery and green. LOL She said something like "You people really have green thumbs" and she wished she did too. I'm sure all this bloody rain has something to do with the greenery.

I really really really love this song. Here's hoping she puts out a new album ASAP!!!! I think I've heard this one three times now and it's just so catchy and simple. For the guitarists out there, it's all G C D. (Part of the reason I want it on record!) Oleander, to me, is such an awkward word. She makes it just roll of your tongue.

Open Window:
Some of the songs I was really just paying close attention to her guitar so I don't have a lot of memory about anything else. LOL She introduced this as "another song with an O"... gosh darn it, isn't she the cutest???? I'm throwing side notes in here all over the place, but I just have to point out how relaxed and happy she was. She was flirty with the audience, but not pandering, in her usual self-depricating manner. Kevin's vocals really stood out here. Head cocked back, to the side, singing from the left of his mouth...*sigh*.

Uniform Grey:
Again, I'm a geek. I was watching her guitar. LOL She played this one without a capo, using C D G C. OK, maybe that's only interesting to me? I have a much lower (crappy) voice, so I'll be trying these chords (we guessed she did it because she had a cold), but I'm also thinking, in my beginning-guitar-player way that she just changed the tuning and I'm a big fool and I'll realize this when I pick up my guitar later and try it.

What I love so much about this song is the boppy feel. Ya know? It got everyone dancing around and very happy. And the reference to "your rainy town" always gets us excited, even though we know it's not about us. But it could be!!! It's pouring here today...yesterday was nice...

Before she started the next song, she pointed out to the audience that the last time she was here these two guys stood front and centre, peaking at her set list, and before every song, they would shout out what the next song was going to be. She laughed and said that this caused her to put her set list at the back of the stage from then on...and she walked back by the drummer and checked what song was next. It was pretty funny. I wonder if that is just a precaution she takes in Vancouver, or everywhere. haahahah Those guys did not appear to be there last night...the most annoying thing was anticipating their annoying screams for "Basement Apartment", which is what they did all last show! I mean, it's on the radio folks! She'll play it!

Good Fortune:
She grabbed her "dental contraption" (harmonica) and launched into a slowed-down (compared to the cd) version of Good Fortune. I really liked it. No capo, all C G D (and variations thereof...a finger flying off a string here, another there..she plays so carelessly, yet deliberately...).

I looked around to see a few people singing along and that was nice I know not everyone mouths the words at shows, so it's not a good indication of who knows the older stuff, but it was cool to see. And Sarah kept looking up in the balcony and would kind of nod at people singing.

I really love this song on the cd, but she slowed it down and the vocals were the focus, as well as her harmonica. I know I'm not talking much about the music, but I think it was really cute how when she'd go to play the harmonica, she'd stand on her tippy-toes and scrunch her neck down, while standing really tall. I don't know...it was an interesting pose and she looked so young and like she was trying so hard to pull it all off. LOL This song really stands out for me. The sound was really good too so her inunciation came through crystal clear.

Judy G:
She said she wrote this song about looking through advertisements and classifieds. I've heard this one live before, and I've played a lot of her songs now, and during this song I was struck by how SIMPLE it all really is. So many of her songs are the same three or four chords, even in the same order, but it's her simple voice and observations that make each one special. We all know that (preaching to the choir! I know!) but what I'm trying to point out is how she engages all these people with that simplicity.

I can't remember which song it was, but she was standing there, alone, looking at her own fingers on the guitar, jamming away, and 300 people were all looking at HER. It was like she was oblivious to it all and was playing in her room or something. Then she turned to sing, and this voice came out of her. And you never really know where it's going to take you. We all know the songs, how they sound on cd, but live, she does so many different things to them. It's like rediscovering her all over again. blah blah blah And another thing: She has this way of shyly putting her head down, singing something full, and partway through, lifting her head and looking sideways at someone or something in this intense way. It's like she's in the song and the moment, but outside of it at the same time.

There was a light above her and it looked (to me) like some of the red plastic or whatever had fallen off, and a little bit of it rained down in front of her for half a second, catching her eye. She watched it, like snow, and kinda half smiled at the pieces falling, and she looked up to see where it came from, all the while knowing it was from a light and a certain direction. I'm sure most people didn't see this at it lasted all of five seconds, and I would of missed it too but it caught my eye as well, but in those five seconds and her reaction, I was in awe. She takes it ALL in. Everything. I'm getting sidetracked...

Song About Vancouver:
I'm going to guess this one was called "Closer Than" but I don't really know. Part of the chorus was "Closer than a girl can get to trouble without getting it". I didn't write down any more of the lyrics, sorry. It was a slower song, just her alone playing. She was using very simple phrases but jumbling them around the way she does. It was similar in feel to DGYBU or UG in that she was taking common phrases or words we all use daily, and making them rhyme or sing-songy. I can't really explain it.

Anyone who can put the words "Burrard Bridge" into a song has my vote. LOL The content of the song dealt with what sounded like a fight or conflict with a friend. She said it stemmed from something that happened to her the last time she was out here. It seemed very short, but that was maybe because I wanted it to go on some more! It got the thumbs up from the crowd. I'd also have to say this song was much lower than she normally sings. And not particularly upbeat, but not morose either. It had a tap your toe rhythm and a catchy chorus. All C D G Am C....or so I think...

Luther's Got The Blues:
By far this was the funniest bit of the night! Sarah said she was going to do a song by her good friend and housemate, L.W. (I think I'm going to start calling my friends by their initials too!) Then she burst out laughing and to explain why she was laughing she said that she called L.W that morning and found out some disturbing news about their house...they'd noticed some sounds in the walls for the past little while, and Luther's been taking care of everything while she's been gone for the last month, which is great, but they can't figure out what these noises are. Someone yelled out "bats" and she said for awhile they thought it was bats because they live out in the country in an old house. But it wasn't bats. Then she said "oh my god, I can't believe I'm telling you all this...LOL" and continued on to talk about how her father gives all the kids peanuts and mixed nuts for Christmas "you know...those cans! and he gives us Turtles too!". Well, she left her can of mixed nuts in her room, and Luther went into find it eaten through. He found two big rats in their house, and she gleefully said "It's ok though...they're dead now!", so that we wouldn't think she lived in some "disgusting hovel". The audience moaned when she said the rats were dead and she said "No! No! It's all ok! There were two of them...they died together..." LOL Somehow, Sarah made it sound romantic and Romeo-and-Juliet-ish that these two disgusting rats died with each other, even though it was her friend that killed them. LOL I hope that was somewhat funny, because she had everyone laughing.

The song! The song! The song! It was catchy. I can't remember a lot of the lyrics, but the chorus where she sings "I got the blu-u-u-u-u-u-u-ues" was cool. Personally though, with a lead-in about killing rats who eat your mixed nuts that your father gave you for Christmas, I don't think she pulled off a real bluesy feel. ahahah It's ok...the song was good.

You Were Here:
She introduced it as a song about "lasting impressions". This song doesn't lend itself well to bars, and I really personally miss Gavin during it. He had this way of shaking all those shakers and fumbling around all those percussive doohickeys to make it full. Kevin was captivating on cello. I normally really love this song live, but it seemed rushed or something...

Coffee Stain:
Nothing particularly noteworthy. I will point out how some people will dance and mosh to just about anything if you get enough liquor or pot into them...

Around This Corner:
She thanked Royal City for coming out with her and asked if anyone had been to Guelph (where they're from)...some people cheered and she said something like she'd been to Guelph and she thought it was a nice place but she needed to get away from it, and from Toronto and all these places that just had to many things around every corner...then she launched into the song. Besides Weakened State and the ending of Lodestar, this song had people grooving! It was VERY high energy. I would say it rocked even more than WS.

Mini-jam session:
She was busy tuning her guitar so the drummer (JOEL? Joe? I'm drawing a complete blank!) and Kevin started noodling around. It started with the drummer just amusing himself with a little rhythm and then Kevin joined in with some bass. Eventually Sarah got her guitar tuned just so and she turned around to them both and started playing some funky stuff. I couldn't tell if she was just testing it to make sure the notes were right, or if she was trying to launch into a cover we all should know, but noone was really getting. At any rate, this went on for like a minute or two and then the began....

Basement Apartment:
Crowd fave for sure. Lots of singing and dancing. Happy recognition for many. At the end, we all clapped but apparently, not long enough. ahahah She said "Usually I get more applause for that so I can tune for the next song" and then she waved at everyone (a la Steve from BNL) to keep the clapping going...which we obligingly continued until...

Weakened State:
Yeah, baby! The reason I brought my pen and paper in the first place! It's SUCH a great song, but to know a little more about guitar this time around, and to be able to watch her so closely was TRES exciting! I doubt I'll be able to play it anytime soon (those barre chords are HARD!), but now I have a better sense of what she does. Every song has intro, verse, chorus, bridge, but on this song each part is SO distinct on its own...it'll take awhile to master. Anyone out there have it figured out yet? Please email me!!!! She told us why she wrote this, which was different than the story she told before, but I can't remember it for the life of me. The previous intro had been about being on stage...this one was different.

Lodestar:
Yeah, baby! (again!) Another fave! LOL I love how she keeps these songs together at the shows. It's a one-two punch, man. Here's some rock...you wanna a little more? Ok!!!! But she gives the crowd just enough time to chill and listen to that great intro...don't you feel like you ARE at that lake???? Anyways, I'm sure I've noticed this at other shows, but not quite as distinctly as last night...Joel (Joe? What is his name!? LOL) on guitar, Sarah on guitar, Kevin in cello, then whammo, Joel (that guy!) on drums, Kevin on bass. Without missing ONE beat. I love it!!!!

Encore:

Everytime:
Written by her "good friend, Dave". Sounded smooth. I skip it on cd. (Bad Mel! Bad Mel!) I did pay attention to her guitar though G for a few bars, then Cadd9, F, what looked to be Em/Am?, and she ended on C. Let's see if these notes make any sense to me and my much more musical friend later on this weekend. I think the "e-ver-y-time" part at the end is F, Em/Am, C if that helps anyone. She sings it over those three chords.

Capsized:
'twas good. Kevin is the man. I should also mention, as this song was a good illustration, that the lighting was great last night. Very subdued and blue and red for the intense slow songs, and bright and flashy for the fast. It makes a difference!

I'm A Mountain:
I really really really want her to record this one too! Heard it a few times now, and although very similar to Uniform Grey, it does have that catchy refrain (which I sang after the show for about twenty minutes) "I spent the day inside a shopping mall/during the worst storm of the century. I'm a mountain/I'm a mountain like you said to be!" Aw, it's all in how she sings it! The emphasis on cen-tur-y and mou-ntain. Since it was an encore and upbeat, everyone was totally digging it, and I have to say kudos to the crowd for starting the chant for the first encore RIGHT AWAY! It usually takes a few minutes for people to come around. We all clapped for a second encore and got...

Second Encore:
In The Road:
This was totally by request. Sarah didn't even have her guitar until Kevin brought it out. LOL She looked at the stage and said "Oh! I left it backstage somewhere!" Then Kevin came out with it, only she didn't have a strap. She was looking around going "Oh! no strap!",meanwhile Kevin was backstage getting it. Don't we all need a Kevin?!

This is when she talked about getting in trouble from the "good folks here at Richard's on Richards" for staying late. It was already 9:45 by this time. And the frustrating thing was she was JUST getting going!!!! She could have easily played for another half hour. I mean, she didn't play Dogs and Thunder, Trouble in the Fields, Unshaven, Old Perfume, Goin' Out, or any other number of songs that she throws in. Not to mention those great Johnny Cash covers she does! LOL

Anyways, she honestly didn't look like she had an encore planned and when people started shouting requests she would pause, look in that direction, think it over, and then someone yelled "In The Road" which seemed to spark her interest. She then fumbled around on stage for her capo.

I took this opportunity (as this is the first song I learned to play on guitar all the way through and I know it inside out!) to get off the bar stool which had been glued to my numb buttocks for the last two hours and take some pictures from various places in the bar. Bad idea. Lots of people. Everywhere. Sitting on anything they could, standing on anything they could. LOL But I somehow managed to click a few from different vantage points (yes, nikki, I did get Foxxxy on film). Tonight we'll be standing the whole show and will definitely get close enough to get some supremo shots.

Ok so back to the show... She ended on this song and some people tried to clap for another encore, but it was time to let the hip-hop-deejay fans in to the meat market otherwise known as Richard's on Richards, and clear out all the hippy/folky/yuppie types. Oh that reminds me, it was a very diverse crowd and I was very happy to see that. People of all age ranges and walks of life. Yay Sarah! She appeals to so many people...that can only mean bigger and better things!

Nikki had scoped out three posters, two of which were gone by the time we got downstairs, but she did manage to snag one that was kind of hidden. It's the one with Sarah wearing that black strappy thing, looking off to the side all sexy and knowingly Only this one now says a bunch of stuff about being nominated for Junos or something. We hung out for a bit but Sarah didn't come out right away and it was time to go home and watch a movie (Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...if you can believe that...$8.99 at Wal-Mart! Relive your youth for only $8.99!).

Tonight's show (Sat night) was the first one to go onsale here in our fine city and I suspect most of the hard core fans will be there tonight...I'm sure there was a splattering of them there last night, but generally when a show goes on sale, everyone who cares the most buys their tickets right away. I'm hoping, because of this, that Royal City will play less. I wouldn't care if there wasn't a "curfew" for Sarah. She has to be done by 9:45 tonight too. And the show starts at 7:30 sharp. My vote would be to skip the opener and have Sarah play for two hours. Anyone with me on this?!

I won't have a pen and paper tonight (oh joy, some of you are saying!) so tomorrow's review will be shorter I think. Or I hope. Sorry if this bored you all. It's really about nothing...just observations about her songs, stage presence, audience, funny bits about the evening.

Hope you enjoyed it! If I get some decent pics, I'll send them to Jessica for the site.

Cheers

Mel