The Antlers – Il Motore – February 17th, 2010
Montreal’s Golden Isles are a big band, six members to be exact, yet they somehow managed find a balance among each other both physically onstage and in the music. The audience may not have been in the mood to let it loose (it was a Wednesday night after all as singer Adam Feingold informed us). Still, they managed to get the audience to join in quite a few times, yelling and shouting, with a few people dancing near the front. There wasn’t much floor space for anything besides listening anyhow, and Feingold’s energetic dance moves seemed to be enough to keep everyone upbeat and happy. Golden Isles musical style is very diverse, ranging from laid back soul to more energetic, danceable tunes. All the musicians made the transition between musical genres easily. They seemed comfortable with each other and on stage, and this was reflected in the way that each sound seemed to blend with the next, Kyle Salhany’s bass providing the backbone, Feingold’s voice soaring over top and Richard Wenger, Jonny Knowles, Matthew Salaciak and Emmanuel Thibau riffing throughout the mid section, even switching instruments from time to time. The band finished up their set with a catchy, energetic new tune, paving the way for the headlining act, The Antlers.
By this point, the room was packed and hot, really hot. Still, everyone seemed to be looking forward to what was coming next. The Antlers started things off without an introduction, singer Pete Silberman’s melodic voice slowly filling the hushed room. They followed suit with a beautiful, heartfelt rendition of “Bear”. The Antlers have a knack for taking lyrics filled with the worst of human experience, and elevating them beyond tragedy into something ethereal and bewitching. Their live sound was much more rugged and bare than their recorded material. Rather than ending each song abruptly, keyboardist Darby Cicci drew out each note, creating a wall of sound that seemed to surround us. Just when we felt we’d almost forgotten what silence sounded like, he’d slow it back down, and transition into the next song. Each song fit perfectly in the set order. Michael Lerner’s strong, consistent drumming kept the whole thing on track, with Silberman’s voice gliding from a smooth timbre to a melodic falsetto, and Cicci’s vocal harmonies fading in and around. After stepping offstage for a huddle break towards the end of the set, they returned for one last song, a toned down, acoustic version of “Two”. Silberman’s vocals were hauntingly beautiful, the lyrics clearly ringing out above the strumming of the guitar. Cicci joined in with a marimba-sounding synth sound from the keyboards, and Lerner lent some percussion by way of the kick drum and a tambourine. Right when it seemed it would all come to an end, the music swelled, taking us in one last time, before placing us gently back in the real world, slightly more sweaty and totally satisfied. – Kyla Gilbert
The Antlers
Golden Isles
Photography by Laura-Chanel Lespérance
