Monday, March 30, 2009

Il Motore and Julie Doiron and $100

I think Julie Doiron is the cat's ass and a half. She's so real and so down to earth and so rocking. I love her live performances. I love her CDs. I love her lyrics. I love the fact she is in the world.
Too bad I only saw her play five songs. They were five great songs, but I couldn't last for more.
It isn't my old age (it might be, but it isn't)... it was the venue. Il Motore. Nicknamed by some as Sala North, which is not an inappropriate name. Il Motore is owned by the Sala Rossa-Casa Del Popolo people. It is more similar to Sala than Casa in that it is large, red, and boxy. Nonetheless, it lacks something Sala has: comfort. The stage is low, so anyone under 5'7" can't see the artists if the room is crowded. There is nowhere to sit and escape the sound or the crowd. There is nowhere to walk around outside the venue either should one chose to escape by running to the depanneur. Just big ugly Jean Talon with a lighting store across the street. So, to sum up: too many people inside and nowhere to sit or escape and a stage set too low to watch. I was not impressed. Not at all. I am always glad for a venue, don't get me wrong. But I wish that music experiences could be had in places with a little less like a holding pen for livestock. So, I only lasted through the opening band and a bit of Julie's show. Exhaustion and annoyance carried the day. Sorry, Julie. I did love those five songs.

Other than that, the opening band, $100, is one I have seen a few times and feel lukewarm towards. I guess that is the perfect opening band -- one that just kind of warms up the audience to the main act. In fact, I feel so lukewarm, I don't even want to write a spiel at all. Rootsy queer politics and love songs. Perhaps in Alberta it seems radical. Here, not so radical. My malcontent of Il Motore probably did nothing to facilitate my appreciation for the talent onstage. It was hard to enjoy when I kept getting elbowed by people who were walking around trying to find a comfortable place to roost. So, let's just leave it at that.

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