Midlake w/ St. Vincent @ Lee's Palace

Midlake made their Toronto debut last night at Lee’s Palace and it was definitely a show to remember. First off, the opening act St. Vincent (also from Texas) had a terrifically raw sound coupled with a hilariously self-deprecating wit that immediately endeared her to the Toronto crowd. Her name is actually Annie Clark and she is also a member of The Polyphonic Spree. I am stuggling however to describe her own music, especially after hearing it all over again on her myspace page. It sounded raw on stage with only her and her guitar (or keys, whatever the case may be.) But the recorded version of her tunes have a lot more going on, like Kate Bush or Laurie Anderson. Quirky sort of, but in a really cool way, not a really annoying way?!?! Y’know what I mean? Not really? Just listen for yourself on her myspace page. And to get an even deeper sense of what she is all about, check out her blog. An intriguing girl indeed.

I was unbelievably pumped to see Midlake. Been waiting for awhile, and I knew that the show would be nothing short of fantastic. They did not let me down. They stayed relatively reserved, which was appropriate for the music. At one point, my friend leaned over and asked if we had somehow been transported to a Fleetwood Mac show circa ’76. Ain’t that the truth! Lead vocalist, Tim Smith, alternated from lead guitar to keyboards several times throughout the show, working along with main key-guy Evan Jacobs providing all the sounds of a string section without there actually being one. They played just about every song on “Van Occupanther” and threw in a couple of cuts from their other CD, “Bamnan and Silvercork.” They even introduced a new song, which to me sounded deliciously mammoth. This was all done with a series of short films playing on a screen behind them that really complemented the music well. Also, it was next to impossible to wipe the silly grin off of my face during the encore when they broke into “It Covers The Hillsides.” You think that the song couldn’t possibly get any better? You gotta hear it live! Finally, guitarist Eric Nichelson’s final comments on the thrill of playing for us here in Toronto just sounded so blasted sincere than you couldn’t help but feel that the guys in this band are possibly the nicest indie-rock musicians ever.

Download:
It Covers The Hillsides mp3
Visit the Midlake myspace page.

I also took some pictures at the show which you can see on my flickr page.

Also, as a sidenote, here are a few more concerts that I want to go to but probably can’t afford.

Apples In Stereo @ Lee’s Palace on Feb 20th
Do Make Say Think @ Opera House on Feb 27^th
Dean & Britta @ Mod Club on March 12th
The Shins @ Kool Haus (ugh!) on March 17^th
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists @ Mod Club on May 2^nd
Peter Bjorn & John @ The Phoenix on May 6^th (I really hope to make it to this one!)
Arcade Fire @ Massey Hall on May 15th