So, if one were to peruse all the way down to the LAST live review this blog did, one might get the impression that churches are the new 'it' venue.
And while that review was done over a year ago and by someone not writing for this blog anymore, this impression would still be correct.
Churches are in. Hip. Cool, even. Not so much when there's churchgoers IN them, maybe, but who can blame the indie scene for wanting to pillage those considered acoustics and (probably) lower rental fees in an almost *gasp* ungodly and impure fashion?
I for one have been rather spoiled by these types of shows (bar shows are a sad shadow, unless Sunset Rubdown happens to be playing); with the exception of two other shows written about on this blog, actually, probably some of the best shows of my existence have been held in churches.
Final Fantasy ranks on that list. Twice.
Back in June, the venerable Owen Pallett graced our humble Central United church (along with Slim Twig and some band named after Tigers which I forget) and proceeded to melt the faces off the sold-out indie gawkers within. A rather astonishing feat, since face-melting is usually reserved for bands with hair long enough to get caught in the rafters when headbanging, one member of whom usually plays the guitar (for the uninitiated, Final Fantasy aka Owen Pallett has neither). The question this time around sat at: was it a one-time magic thing, or would it happen again?
I suppose it's rather unfair of me to pose a question I already know the answer to (I've seen Mr. Pallett, or "Owen" as my sister might call him TO HIS FACE -brave girl-, a previous four times. And he's been amazing precisely the same number of times).
Admittedly, this musical event DID have the benifit of lighting that could do more than just "on" or "off", going as fancy as "fade from one state to the other". Thus, when the lights dimmed, the entire church went silent.
...I mean it. DEAD SILENT. No coughing, or shuffling, or adjusting...DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF WHAT I'M SAYING HERE, PEOPLE? This is about as likely my dad forgiving me for the time I dragged him to a Frog Eyes show. Which is pretty fricking unlikely. Think about the last show you went to, even a quiet acoustic one, where everyone LITERALLY SHUT UP COMPLETELY. Even that annoying girl who usually feels the need to call her friends and talk to them through the entire thing, ruin the mood, and squee about how hawt Dallas Green is (I'm looking at you, annoying cell-phone girl *death glare*).
This is even more amazing when you consider that the people ascending the stage were actually the opening band, Timber Timbre. Not the headliner. At all. I think my head just post-exploded.
At the time, however, (before my head exploded thinking about it) I saw fit to observe that this band is wonderful. A true, delightful surprise. Generally, Final Fantasy would be a difficult act to open for and actually have people remember what your band was called afterwards, but this trio from Toronto managed it with aplomb and flawless execution. Especially suited to those lovely acoustics, their recorded material pales by comparison, where the tiny echoes and details are lost. Theirs is music that inevitably made me think of mysterious bayous if an uncroaky Tom Waits decided to suddenly become a Voodoo preist. But still all its own.
A far cry from Pallett's classical-influenced vaguely victorian-styled poetic reflections on life and Canadiana (sometimes), but still somehow fitting.
Asfor the main event...how can I describe the feeling of having the most impossible of high hopes and having them fulfilled completely? Despite Owen Pallett being horribly ill, there was nary a bum note, a rythmic mistake, a misplaced stroke of the bow anywhere. Even people who have professed to not be terribly fond of his recirded material *cough*myinsaneboyfriend*cough* have admitted that seeing him live and watching him literally re-create his songs from the bottom up, solo, from scratch (and, occasionally altered and modified just to make it MORE difficult and interesting) is an amazing experience. That he then proceeds to sing like an angel while playing furious and flawless violin lines and timing his layers just right is beyond my ability to fathom.
Furthermore, hearing "The Butcher" (my favourite thing he's ever done, ever) in such a venue is something that cannot be put into words. I consider it one of the greatest crimes in our present music scene that Final Fantasy doesn't garner as much recognition as the band for whom he composes flawless string arrangements (The Arcade Fire). The man even played an encore despite his state (though I suppose the sound of a church full of people pounding their feet and applauding could be somewhat terrifying to deny).
Seeing as I'm back at school full-time once again for my last and final year before I'm actually supposed to go out and "be a professional" (they still don't have lessons for that, really >.>), it would take the most sublime of sublime shows to bring me to feel as if keeping it to myself is a selfish thing to do. Even more so to do more than feel vaguely guilty about not writing about it and actually write about it.
This was just that show.
~Ju
Timber Timbre:
On Myspace Music
Final Fantasy
On the Web
On Myspace Music
