Each member clad in plaid, Shawnigan Lake, B.C. indie rock band, Listening Party, kicked off the night with a healthy serving of afro beats and Paul Simon Graceland-esque funk. Their music is catchy, thick on guitars, distortiony, with heavy choruses throughout.
It’s also somewhat inspirational (if not a little banal), with lines like “I have seen the light you are and you have to let it shine bright.” Half the time it sounds like they are having a conversation with a younger sibling. Or at least dealing with the angst of growing up in a controlling family: song themes include explanations about not needing permission, the role of medication, and words like “want to go home father.”
Although the crowd at first playfully mocked Listening Party for their plaid-themed appearance, it wasn’t long they won the audience over. Upon lead singer/drummer (and Wolf Parade’s Dante DeCaro’s side project, Johnny and the Moon) Lindy Gerrard’s customary pronouncement that they had two songs left, a terribly creative fellow about ten feet from the stage, blurted out, “Three more!” To which, Gerrard replied, “Alright.” And then they played three more songs (making the blurter very pleased with himself), leaving the stage to some serious applause.
Of course, the crowd was really there for the next band. Wolf Parade returned to the Crystal Ballroom after a year of doing what prolific rock bands often do; push sweet side-projects and relentlessly tour up the globe. They had also headlined the second day of Sub Pop’s 20th anniversary festival two days previous. Last year, while at the Crystal, they shook up the floors with material from the self-titled EP and Apologies to the Queen Mary. This time around they did a 50/50 split and showcased their new album, At Mount Zoomer.
The audience was riddled with math rock keyboard blitzes and the all-ages side of the venue erupted in a sweaty mosh pit of thrusting fists [not good for taking photos! – jb], while the balcony jet-set reclined in their seats to observe the melee. The house was packed, and the audience’s energy level was directly linked to the old songs. The raw synth rhythms from their openers “You are a Runner and I am my Father’s Son” followed by “Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts” broke the crowd into frenzy. Then the At Mount Zoomer material would generate some head nodding until the next well-worn track burst forth.
The wailing, emo quality of frontmen Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner’s voices complement each other well, especially when coupled with the relentless level of energy written into Wolf Parade’s songs. There isn’t much slow about this band; most songs crescendo quickly and grab the listener’s attention - one only requires a pulse. Combined with the explicit imagery (like where “The Grey Estates” poses the question: “What put the fire in his stomach out? What moved its hands all across your mouth?”), Wolf Parade’s songs keep the mind racing, and at the very least, the head nodding
Ultimately, the show was great. The high, high energy never wavered, and the crowd ate it up. So keep a heads up for when they return to the Crystal Ballroom and do it again.
