Went out to the Iron Horse Sunday night for Broken Social Scene. Really, really great show. And I was very impressed with the size of the crowd. Much bigger than I would have thought on a Sunday night in July. Good job on the Horse’s part getting people out to see a terrific band. BSS put on a superb live show. Mostly stuck to the pop stuff from the record, but allowed themselves to stretch out more and more as the night went on. By the end of the set, I was getting a feeling for what their legendary Toronto shows must be like. I hope I get to see the full-on experimental side of the band at some point, but what I saw Sunday night was damned well worth the time spent just the same.
It was actually a three-band bill. And it looked like the openers each brought in a goodly number of people. So they deserve a good bit of credit. Missed the first band, the Fucking Sparklies. It had been a long day and I was running late. Wish I’d made it in, though I’m sure I’ll catch up with that band eventually. The middle band was one I’d been meaning to get out and see for quite a while, the Mobius Band. That’s one remarkable young trio. Played a really nice set of expansive indie-pop that drew unmistakable influence not only from Radiohead, Califone, Tortoise and assorted Krautrock acts, but from bands like Magazine, Joy Division and the Teardrop Explodes. I picked copies of the two CDs they had for sale, “Two” and “Three” (both discs for just $10; prices like that and a set like the one they played are the way to move the merch). I’m enjoying both discs immensely. Man am I stupid not to have seen the Mobius Band sooner than I did. It won’t be long before I see them again, I promise you that.