A look at the first night of CMW.
MOTHER MOTHER at the Phoenix Rating: NNN
After stepping on stage to a roaring ovation, Vancouver’s Mother Mother wasted no time getting fans on side at the sold-out Phoenix. Jaunty frontman Ryan Guldemond and his harmonic counterpoint, sister Molly, quickly launched into the snappy singles O My Heart followed by Hayloft, both from 2008. Hitting the crowd with two of their best known tunes created plenty of energy early on, but the show hit a noticeable lull at midpoint, especially since songs from their yet-to-be-released, Eureka, have yet to soak in for fans. Still, a strutting new tune called the Stand picked up the pace near the set’s end.
BIRDS OF TOKYO at the Phoenix Rating: NN
Despite considerable success in their native Australia, the odds feel long Birds of Tokyo will take flight over our shores. Their plodding mid-tempo rock sound is about as visceral as Keane, Razorlight or any one of those unthreatening British indie bands. The crowd, hyped for Mother Mother’s bouncing pop, indulged BOT with polite smatterings of applause between songs, but their certainly wasn’t anyone racing to the merch table once the Aussies howled their last rock-driven dirge.
