Au Revoir Simone + Alexa Wilding + The Hoof and the Heel – La Sala Rossa – Friday, July 16th, 2010
The temperature at La Sala Rossa was uncharacteristically cool, the lights were dark, the people were buzzing, and lots of beer was floating around…in short, total perfection. Last week Blue Skies announced that Montreal’s very own The Hoof And The Heel was to join the artists performing. I have heard only good things about these oh so good looking rockers, and seeing I was only able to catch the end of their set at a show a couple months back, I was totally looking forward to their performance. The four man show (well, more like 3 men, and 1 lady) played songs off their first two EPs, which were very well received by the crowd. The most notorious of the tunes was definitely the catchy “Fireworks”. What I really love about this group is that singers Christine Hale and Harris Shper virtually play vocal ping-pong throughout all their songs, making each song a duet rather than your typical lead and backup. The group announced that this would be their last show in the 514 for the next little while, seeing that they are heading on tour in the East coast of the US throughout the rest of July. The only downside about their set was that I could not understand a thing that the lovely Christine Hale was saying in between songs but other than that the performance was vibrant and full of energy.
After the traditional chats and smokes between sets, next up on stage was Alexa Wilding. Seeing I have become more familiar with her through our interview, I was anticipating a dulcet, airy, and quirky damsel, which is exactly the persona of Miss Wilding. Dressed in all black, she graced the stage alone with her keyboard and guitar, and invited the crowd not once, not twice, but three times to come closer. Her beautiful tunes were filled with heartfelt lyrics, expert guitar plucking, and an angelic voice that’s as near to perfection as you can ask for. Her presence on stage makes the whole experience feel that much more intimate…as if it were just her singing to only to you in the room. Granted, the majority of her songs have a similar soft-acoustic sound that may make them hard to tell apart one from another, I thoroughly enjoyed each and everyone of them as they flowed effortlessly into each other; especially love song “Saturn”, and perhaps her most well known tune, “Black Diamond Day”. For such a sweet and soft performer from the big and busstling NYC, I give her kudos for having the bravery to take the stage alone and do what she does best. As Wilding gracefully left the stage, I had to admit I was sad to see her go. Seeing this was her first time in Montreal, I hope we left a big enough impression on her that she will be back sooner rather than later.
My feelings of woe were quickly replaced by excitement for the charming womenfolk of Au Revoir Simone. The rabble was itching between sets for them to take stage. If I had to describe this all girl trio in a few words, the most obvious ones would be: bubbly, quirky, exuberant, refreshing, and all round gleeful… my favorite adjectives. Seeing as they have been to Montreal quite a few times, it seemed they really felt at home on stage, and bonded with the crowd instantaneously by throwing out some basic French phraseology, even requesting that the lighting crew turn on some beams to see the faces of the audience. The trio of Annie Hart, Erika Forster and Heather D’Angelo played a solid set, which included the popular “Sad Song” and “Shadows” among their melodies, and other tunes from their latest album Still Night, Still Light as well as some older favourites. The continuous jokes and giggles between the gals made everyone feel at ease, and to be honest, I kind of wanted to join in as a fourth wheel (and I know I wasn’t the only one!). By the end of the night, I, along with the rest of the avid Au Revoir Simone fans just couldn’t get enough of these charming ladies. As a special bonus, in their encore, they played a cover of the 80s classic “Boys of Summer” with an electro pop twist. I don’t know how Annie Hart managed to played in the dimly lit Sala Rossa wearing one of the audience member’s Ray Ban aviators, but hey, it sounded great, so who am I to complain!
After experiencing my first Au Revoir Simone concert, I am pleased to say that this all girl group has truly provided me with some valuable inspiration. So, it’s official, I have decided to unofficially join Au Revoir Simone as the fourth member. The only problem is that they don’t really know yet, and I don’t own a keyboard…I’m still working on those minor details. – Sarah Touyz
Au Revoir Simone
Alexa Wilding
The Hoof And The Heel
Photography by Leanne Craigmyle
