The Breeders w/ Flash Lightnin' @ The Phoenix

"What are you guys doing here? There's a blizzard outside" So were the wise words of Kelley Deal, as many fans from the Greater Toronto and surrounding area braved the storm and made it out to see The Breeders perform as part of Canadian Music Week. Sorta. They were actually another one of the "limited wristband" choices, and once again, I was there early enough to get in.

Unfortunately, this is probably not going to be the most detailed review that you're likely to read of this show simply because I'm not as familiar with their music as many other people are. I realize that pokes a few holes in my credible armor of musical knowledge, but unfortunately it's true. I was and am a huge Pixies fan, but as far as The Breeders go, I'm really only familiar with their singles and the only album I owned was, of course, Last Splash. But that didn't make the show any less enjoyable. The band was in top form and they blasted through their set with precision and vitality. Apparently they featured a lot of songs from their upcoming release Mountain Battles, which is out on April 8th. From what I understand, in a gutsy move, even the encore consisted of 3 new songs. But the night was also filled with classics, including their monster hit, "Cannonball" which was accompanied by a pretty cool light show, something that I've never really noticed at The Phoenix before. It was also nice to see them enjoying themselves and having a really good time.

Photos: The Breeders @ The Phoenix on flickr
Download: Bang On mp3
Myspace: The Breeders
Video: Cannonball on youtube

Prior to the show, I briefly sampled the music of Flash Lightnin' in order to be relatively acquainted with them. At first listen, I thought that they were kind of an odd choice of an opener for The Breeders. They seemed to be your typical barroom bluesy classic rock type of band. On second and third listen, and upon seeing them live, I realized that they were actually your typical barroom bluesy classic rock type of band. That didn't mean that they weren't good, just perhaps a bit predictable. They were talented though, I'll give them that, and by the end of their set they won me over a little bit with the simple fact that they were quite good at what they did.

Photos: Flash Lightnin' @ The Phoenix on flickr
Download: Made Up My Mind mp3
Myspace: Flash Lightnin'