The stage at the Black Cat was put under a little more pressure than usual last Thursday night, as an emerging collective of Canadian music graced the stage. In a sort of communal homage to Toronto, openers the Dears and Stars and main act Broken Social Scene came to the Black Cat to give D.C. a night of powerful, dreamy pop.
Broken Social Scene held strong throughout their set with their large band proudly displaying an atypical versatility through keen instrumentation and innovation. Frontman-by-default Kevin Drew takes on the role with extreme warmth and sincerity, and is a band member who is absolutely conscious of the fact that he is just one of many in the Broken Social Scene collective. The signature detail to Broken Social Scene's sound is the blend of sounds from each band member. Each instrument plays an important role in each song, be it a stunning bass kick or roll of the drum, and that is what makes each so unforgettable.
There is no better way to understand this than to witness the Broken Social Scene live show. The striking assemblance of all seven-to-12 band members on the small Black Cat stage loaned power to the entire sonic experience.
The grace and energy of the band consumed the crowd, driven by the "charge forth, pull back" mentality of each song. "Almost Crimes," the fire breathing, visceral attack that boasts quite possibly the most brilliant harmonic kick at the end, started with looping arpeggios, demonstrating agility and skill on behalf of guitarists Drew, Andrew Whiteman and Jason Collett. Adding a delicate balance to the anthem-like value of "Almost Crimes" was Stars front woman Amy Milan, one of three female vocalists found on the album "You Forgot It in People."
Milan also lent her bittersweet voice to another highlight of the show, "Anthems for a 17 Year Old Girl." On the recording of "Anthems," Emily Haines is hushed and reserved, but when Milan took the reigns for the show on Thursday, she brought a grating sense of urgency to the female lead. "Anthems" is driven by an accelerating pulse from start to finish, reaching climax near the end as Milan and Drew nearly shouted the refrain, "park that car/drop that phone/sleep on the floor/dream about me," hypnotizing the audience above the swirling beauty of the band.
Breaking up the sublime continuity of Broken Social Scene's set was a taste of the solo material written by band member Jason Collett. In a complete shift from their dazzling showcase, Jason Collett played a song off of his solo album that was downright twangy. There was a slight rustling in the crowd - who had clearly packed the sold-out venue to see Broken Social Scene - but because of Collett's infectious croon and the general good-natured vibe of the evening, the song was well received.
Other standout performances of the evening include the subdued renditions of "Looks Just Like the Sun," which swelled with Justin Peroff's rhythmic beat on the drums, and "Lover's Spit," easily one of the most beloved songs of the night. On "Lover's Spit," Drew's soft vibrato reaches new levels that invoke John Lennon and Jeff Buckley in resonance. As the song faded, the crowd erupted into applause, a stark contrast to the tender, wrenching ballad.
The night ended with the coy declaration "Canada versus the United States!" as the band launched into yet another signature blend of cohesive, well-versed unity, laced with touches of "The Star-Spangled Banner," an apt finale to the Broken Social Scene's demonstrative ability to captivate the Black Cat for a night.
