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Concert reviews Music

Shows that rocked Toronto last week

LADY GAGA at the Air Canada Centre, Thursday, March 3. Rating: NNN

Not long after Lady Gaga sang a duet rendition of her self-empowerment anthem Born This Way with a 10-year-old fangirl, she was covered in fake blood, clinging to a backup dancer’s leg and insinuating that Jesus was a bisexual asshole.

Such is the dichotomous world of the pop provocateur, whose Monster Ball tour felt like a campy Broadway adaptation of self-help craze The Secret. In concert, Gaga is as hard-working a motivational speaker as she is a singer and dancer, regaling the largely female audience with lines like “release your inner fame” between aggressively choreographed numbers.

She doesn’t yet have enough hits for an all-star set, so the anonymous club beats of earlier songs gave thrust to a loose narrative that ground to a halt during umpteen wardrobe changes. The highlight was the rousing piano ballad You And I, which showcased her forceful wail and bluesy delivery.

“I never lip-sync,” she said. “You’d never pay your hard-earned money to see some bitch be lazy for two hours.”

KEVIN RITCHIE

REVOLVER with PAINT at the Drake, Thursday, March 3. Rating: NNN

French pop rock group Revolver’s charm lies in their filtering of British Invasion influences through a youthful French lens. But their Toronto debut came across as an industry showcase due to the early start time, venue and opening band. Too bad, given their potential.

Four and a half years ago, they formed as a “pop de chambre” trio before adding a drummer to fill out their sound. At the Drake they showcased both sides, incorporating an acoustic segment into the set featuring two singer/guitarists and lots of backup vocals. Jerky, jangly French radio hit Get Around Town got young ladies in the front dancing, and Jérémie Arcache’s versatile cello parts – at times like a trebly bass, at times orchestral – were a subtle highlight.

Local openers Paint made an effort to welcome Revolver to town but were unnecessarily loud and hustly. A roadie/guitar tech for a Thursday eve-ning show at the Drake? Come on.

SARAH GREENE

THE HOLIDAY CROWD with BROKEN BRICKS at Rancho Relaxo, Thursday, March 3. Rating: NNN

Playing at the end of a disparate four-band showcase on a weeknight isn’t an ideal position for any band, but the Holiday Crowd mustered some energy at Rancho Relaxo. Led by singer Imran Haniff, the band is big on guitar jangle, with vocals that are reminiscent of Suede’s Brett Anderson or Morrissey.

Opening song Painted Like A Forest brought the sparse but eager audience to stage front, where they remained throughout the Toronto four-piece’s short, sharp set. It’ll be interesting to see what the Holiday Crowd can do in front of a bigger crowd.

Earlier, Broken Bricks impressed with tunes that played out like a history of British pop music. Their lyrics are occasionally brought down by painfully obvious rhymes, but the young band has hooks and charm galore.

JOANNE HUFFA

SNOWBLINK at the Music Gallery, Saturday, March 5. Rating: NNNN

You’ve got to give Snowblink’s Daniela Gesundheit credit for having a lot of patience. Her debut album, Long Live (Out of This Spark), was actually recorded back in 2008 but has only now been officially released, after years of being sold at shows and on consignment at independent record stores. During that time, she moved from California to Toronto, fine-tuned her live performance and is finally in a good position to unleash her magical trippy folk pop on the world.

The first thing you noticed walking into the church the Music Gallery calls home were tarot card, crystal ball and tea leaf readers set up at tables in the lobby, which definitely set a mystical mood. Ordinarily, Gesundheit performs in a duo with Dan Goldman, but for her CD release she bumped it up several notches with backup vocalists, percussion and an innovative lo-fi light show that made great use of overhead projectors, shadows and film clips.

There’s no doubt she knows how to create an atmosphere, but that wouldn’t mean much if her delicate space pop tunes weren’t so gorgeous and mesmerizing. Imagine Feist’s more intimate ballads if she were prone to eating a ton of magic mushrooms.

BENJAMIN BOLES

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