Alvvays, with Sun Club, at Turf Club, St Paul (11 Dec 2014)
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12/13/14 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
12/18/14 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa 12/19/14 Kingston, ON The Grad Club 12/20/14 Toronto, ON Opera House 01/16/15 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon 01/17/15 Chicago, IL Various Venues 01/21/15 Manchester The Deaf Institute 01/22/15 Leeds Brudenell Social Club 01/23/15 Newcastle upon Tyne Think Tank? 01/26/15 Nottingham Bodega Social Club 01/27/15 Birmingham Hare & Hounds 01/28/15 London Scala 01/30/15 Oxford O2 Academy Oxford 01/31/15 Bristol, United Kingdom Thekla 02/02/15 Antwerp, Belgium Muziekcentrum Trix 02/03/15 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso 02/05/15 Oslo, Norway John Dee 02/06/15 Stockholm, Sweden Debaser Strand 02/07/15 Copenhagen, Denmark Beta 02/09/15 Hamburg, Germany Molotow 02/10/15 Berlin, Germany Kantine Am Berghain 02/12/15 Vienna, Austria B72 02/13/15 Milan, Italy Lo-Fi 02/14/15 Zurich, Switzerland Bogen F 03/24/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Northrop * 03/25/15 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside* 03/27/15 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre* 03/28/15 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak* 03/30/15 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall* 03/31/15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Benedum Center* 04/01/15 – Buffalo, NY @ UB Center For the Arts* 04/03/15 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues* 04/04/15 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues* 04/06/15 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre* 04/07/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of Music* 04/09/15 – Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore Charlotte* 04/10/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle* 04/11/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle* * with Decemberists
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Sun Club
photo by Amy
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Sun Club didn’t just open the show, they took a mallet and bashed their way in. Their set was weird, wild and wonderful – as if they were all hooked up to electrodes that caused violent convulsions in the form of sexy dancing. When I wasn’t captivated by the shrieking and flailing, I found myself enjoying the music which was loud and fast, but not without some great catchy hooks. And a xylophone! There was a xylophone! And I have to note that not only do these five young men have otherworldly energy and musical chops, but they’ve also got seriously beautiful curly hair. All of them. I think they should change their name to Hair Club.
“We’ve never played here before,” Alvvays lead singer and guitarist Molly Rankin said as the band took to the stage. After jokingly testing the crowd’s knowledge of Nova Scotia (where most members are originally from) she thanked fans for stopping out and the band kicked into a 40-minute set of gorgeous and blissed-out tunes.
Although the band only has one album, you couldn’t ask for better surf-pop sweetness. Tracks like “Next of Kin” and “Adult Diversion” have the jangly elements of the Smiths and REM, especially in the bright, echo-y notes of lead guitarist Alec O’Hanley. Drummer Phil MacIsaac and bassist Brian Murphy provided an irresistible rhythm as Rankin’s confident, sunny vocals effortlessly swooped around each song. Keyboardist Kerri MacLellan created a warm bed of synth and joined Rankin in some heartbreaking harmonies. Haven’t swooned in a while? Look no further than the bittersweet gem “Marry Me, Archie,” a song that’s been making its way onto many year-end lists.
“This feels great,” Rankin mused to the crowd who enthusiastically echoed her glowing sentiment. The night was truly life-affirming, but in a slightly more literal way for the band. As Rankin explained, on their way to St. Paul, the van the band was driving went into a tailspin on the highway and slid off the road. Thankfully, a kind stranger pulled over to help drag the van out of a ditch. It was a dire situation, but Rankin found humor in it, revealing the noises her bandmates were making as the van spun out of control. “It’s devastating to hear how you sound right before you die.”
The short and sweet set was capped by a two-song encore. Before starting the final song of the night, O’Hanley noodled the riff from “Bastards of Young” on his guitar and asked, “Does Paul Westerberg still live here?” In unison, the Turf replied, “Yes!”
Talk of near death experiences and a mention of Paul Westerberg seem like ingredients for a good night to me. The fantastic Alvvays and their cleansing wash of crystalline guitar truly made it a great night.
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Alvvays at Turf Club, St Paul (11 Dec 2014) photo by Amy
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