By MIKE BELL -- Calgary Sun
THE MOFFATTS
Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary
Monday, February 5, 2001
CALGARY -- Growing pains.
If there's one phrase that sums up last night's show by The
Moffatts and Wide Mouth Mason at the Jubilee Auditorium, that's
it.
Growing pains because both Canadian bands are in the midst of
major musical and image overhauls, and in front of an
overwhelmingly young female audience, the show proved they both
have a long way to go before the transformation is complete.
On the strength of their latest CD Stew, openers Wide Mouth Mason
are attempting to move beyond their blues-based rock band persona
into a younger, hipper, funkier market.
Supplementing their sound with a DJ was a step in the right
direction. Utilizing the services of the king of Canadian blues-rock,
Big Sugar's Gordie Johnson, was not.
The 45-minute set by the Saskatoon band was an ear-splitting
powerbomb. Thanks, I'm sure, to Johnson, it was probably the
loudest, most rockin'-est that I've ever seen them. Whether it
endeared them to the youngsters on hand ... well, they are fairly
cute.
Headliners The Moffatts, on the other hand, are trying to assert
that they are, in fact, a credible rock band and not just scream-fodder
for the little girls.
Last night, their set -- full mainly of material from their
newest CD, Submodalities -- was a good argument.
Kicking things off with an electric version of the disc's
infectious first single, Bang Bang Boom, the brothers sounded
great. Close your eyes, and musically, they're one of the better
acts in national mainstream pop music.
Eldest brother Scott bounded about the stage with incredible
energy while bassist Clint and keyboardist Dave did their best to
work the room.
The main problem is that they still look like they're trying to
be rock stars. At this early stage in their transformation, there
is still an air of self-consciousness to them that -- like their
facial hair -- stops just short of passable.
(Original text: http://www.canoe.ca/AllPop-Moffatts/c010205_calgary-sun.html )