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(Fwd) Tasty Thread #31 (part I of II)

I just found a thrush hermit/superfriendz review on sick n tired...I don't 
know if anyone's interested as its kind of old but I thought I'd pass it 
along anyway....
 but 1st I have a quick question...I've heard that the doughboys are 
playing lunenburg friday night (that in addition to the $8/$10 birdland 
shows sat with the strange combo of madhat/spine/superfriendz & sun with 
jale/thrush hermit?/chinups)...does anyone know exactly where, with whom & 
how much?  Are lunenburg's "fuse" still in existence (I remember seeing 
them with jale in summer 94 when I lived there)?  JUst thought I'd ask.
 .................................... katrina

here begins forwarded message fr blair...
)+)+)+)+)+)+)+)+)+)+ THRUSH HERMIT, SUPERFRIENDZ )+)+)+)+)+)+)+)+)+)+)
                    at Ozzies, Winnipeg, sometime in June

i'm waiting at home on a sunday night, about to sit down and
finally finish the Grand Theft Canoe interview i'd done several weeks
previously when the phone rings. it's dan calling from work...did i know
that Thrush Hermit was playing that night??...well no...they just walked into
the gas station asking for directions. they're playing with Superfriendz
at Ozzies...strange, i haven't heard anything about that show at all.

i call ron...and markian. they haven't heard about the show
either but it sounds like something to do. i get to the door first, ask
at the front desk whether the shows on - there's no posters anywhere -
and eventually find out that Superfriendz haven't arrived yet but Thrush
Hermit will be playing.

the crowd is relatively sparse...maybe 50 people, maybe a bit
more. it's difficult to tell at ozzies because there's an all ages section
and a drinking section. the band that's playing now is a young high school
band doing the post nirvana thing and they're actually doing it quite
well. it's especially easy to take tonight though as the soundman has the
volume down quite a bit and my earplugs can stay in their case.

next we see a band who is not Thrush Hermit loading stuff onto
the stage. chris murphy of Sloan fame is setting up the drums. the band
wanks a little and their set commences. the first few songs are sung by the
dark-haired guitar player and they don't really stand out all that much.
i don't think his voice is that strong, at least not tonight.

now it's time for the guitar player with the lighter hair to start
singing. these songs are more interesting, really good, in fact. the bass
player takes a turn and this is a cool song as well. chris's drumming is
frantic and sloppy but it works well under the melodic vocals and
harmonies...especially on this song, with all 3 of the members adding to
the sweet vocal bits. i have that fuzzy head/perpetual half-grin that
comes when i'm really enjoying a show...it's not hard to keep completely
focused on the band...they have just finished the best live set i've seen
yet from any of the highly touted east coast bands...bands who i've loved
on album but never been completely satisfied with live.

Thrush Hermit gets ready and people begin to trickle in. when they
start they have a bit of a crowd in front...they go through some material
from their new ep and i decide that i'll have to give that disc a few
more listens. the band has improved since they last appeared in winnipeg,
a show that itself was an improvement over their appearance at Music West
in 94...as the set progresses, i do drift a tad, while they have improved,
they still aren't captivating. their catchy pop and harmonies are more
easily consumed in a recorded format then from a stage.

        the band comes back for two encores and although the band has
some good songs they haven't played, they choose two covers...they
choose poorly...picking songs they can be irreverent with, songs that
don't really mean anything to them and don't mean anything to me. i
debate with myself about getting a beer but the show is close to ending.
dan walks in...guess his shift just ended...i go talk to him and the show
ends.

--blair

End of Part I.  See Part II for the LITTERBOX!