Emperor X w/ Your Volunteer & Braxton Clover @ Rancho Relaxo

By Thursday night, I had been working and moving non-stop since 4:30am and under normal circumstances, I would not be venturing out at 10pm to do anything. But Emperor X's first Toronto appearance does not fall under the category of "normal circumstances." So, although I was not able to fulfill my intended desire to stick around and see the incredible The Robot Ate Me close off the night, I did get to thoroughly enjoy Chad Matheny's altar ego.

I am of the opinion that Florida's Emperor X is a lo-fi lyrical genius, and I was stoked to see him perform. I first heard his song Shut Shut Up on the Insomnia Radio Podcast about three years ago and it easily became one of my most played songs of the year. Afterwards, I absorbed more of his material and became increasingly more confused that this man has not been mentioned in the same breath as artists like John Darnielle or Stephen Malkmus. He's incredibly witty, well-read and lyrically full of all kinds of indie hipster references that actually sound applicable instead of forced. I knew that there was a possibility that this opportunity may not come around too often (or possibly ever again) so I put forth more of an effort to be in attendance than I normally would have. As we all know, most geniuses are tempered with a healthy dose of being coo-coo for cocoa puffs, and as the show started it became clear that this guy is not your standard performer.

With his guitar slung over one side and a little port-a-mic-sort-of-amp type thingy slung over the other, Matheny then proceeded to run through the bar screaming the aforementioned Shut Shut Up at the top of his lungs, strumming frantically on his guitar and literally forcing the audience to pay attention. The hesitant clapping, along with the fact that one patron yelled out "awkward!" made it clear that we were all kind of in a state of shock at that moment. But the song's message had come through loud and clear as the bar patrons stopped chattering and sat quietly in nervous anticipation as to what the man might do next. He then told the crowd to follow him for a better view, but he still planted himself just shy of the dance floor. However, it was at that point when he showed us that his show was not about alienating the audience, it was about making sure that they're paying attention so that they don't miss out on what could promise to be one of the most memorable shows they'll ever see. From this point on it was all about audience participation and winning the crowd over, and this is exactly what he did. He had the crowd sing the guitar parts to the song Gamma Globulin, and he had the crowd sing backup to Use Your Hands, which gave his show a real sense of camaraderie between us and him. His witty banter both commended us and insulted us at the same time, but it was done in a way wherein most of us got the joke. And when a heckle or two was hurled in his direction, Mr. X showed us that he could take it as well as he could dish it out. Ultimately, his show was a triumphant one indeed, and in speaking with him afterward, he too felt it was quite a success.

Photos: My pics of Emperor X @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr.
Myspace: In keeping with the man's true sense of eccentricity, he deleted his myspace account a few years ago, but I found a tribute myspace over here and another one here.
Download: Shut Shut Up mp3

Download: Speltier mp3


Emperor X was sandwiched in between a couple of local acts, the first of which is known as Your Volunteer. Jay Hoskins is the ringleader of this act, and as he took the stage to sing the first few songs solo, I immediately recognized his skill as a vocalist. His voice emanates a hushed falsetto, not unlike Thom Yorke, but with more control and less whine. (BTW, this is not a slam against Thom, whose whine is one of the most sonically pleasing vibrations I've ever heard.) As the show progressed, more and more band members took to the stage, with the band finally settling in as a four piece. The songs range from mellow yet melodic folk rock to an atmospheric pensive drone that chooses to sneak subtly into your membrane, as opposed to smacking you upside the head. One song that I remember quite enjoying was Oh, Sweetheart, which is a simple number that borrows its melody from some of the classic standard country arrangements that were prevalent in the 50's, yet often come across over-produced when emulated today. The fact that Hoskins chooses to keep it stripped down and simple is what makes it sound compellingly fresh. Although the show itself was basically enjoyable, this is perhaps not the type of music that is going to make a huge impression on me after a 17 hour workday, but when I'm in the mood to chill out after, perhaps a regular 7 or 8 hour workday, I'm sure the merits of this accomplished performer would shine more brightly.

Photos: My shots of Your Volunteer @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr.
Myspace: Your Volunteer

Making their live show debut following Emperor X was Braxton Clover. Braxton Clover is Joel Beauchamp on vocals and guitar, Evan Blacker on bass and his brother Darryl Blacker on drums. As should always be the case when you're presenting yourself to an audience for the first time, the band was enthusiastic and prepared to impress, without being overbearing or pretentious. I realize that 'emo' is kind of an ugly word these days, but I found it hard not to think of bands like The Get Up Kids or Saves The Day when Joel was emoting his lyrics. And although I hate the term 'emo' as well as many of the artists that are associated with it, good music is good music, and I think that Braxton Clover has something for everyone. The lyrics are fascinating and just vague enough to keep me guessing, even if they do come across a bit forced in certain areas. There were even a couple of songs that used the coda in order to explore other classical styles and add a litle bit of adventure to the arrangements. This comes as no surprise when one takes a gander at the 'influences' section of their myspace page and sees artists as diverse as Sergei Prokofiev and Van Der Graaf Generator (one of my all time favourites.) The band's playing is suitable to the material, and I think as they continue to play more shows, they're going to grow into themselves quite nicely.

Braxton Clover are playing The Smiling Buddha on College St on February 15th.

Photos: My shots of Braxton Clover @ Rancho Relaxo are up on flickr.
Myspace: Braxton Clover