think “Man, I'm gonna kill that reviewer.” Admittedly, their new effort borders on fair to middling but only if viewed relative to their best work. Let's face it, an OK record for Pere Ubu is a masterpiece for any of these college boy indie type record label bootlickers who rule the charts until the next wave of Brit synth pop rolls in. "Ray Gun Suitcase" shows a rock band doggedly commited to complicated, poet- ic, and absolutely human music. Anyone who wants to make a discovery of how advanced rock music could be today were it not smothered in its cradle by punk fashion (ie. Sex Pistols, Dead Boys, and hundreds of other punks who instigated a revolution in make up and hair gel) must go back to any of Ubu's records from 1978-1981: "The Modern Dance,” “Dub Housing,” “New Picnic Time,” “Art of Walking," "Song of the Bailing Man.” All are exceptional. To adequately tell the story of Pere Ubu, a long book would need to be writ- ten but, as a friend of mine recently pointed out, rock music isn't really that interesting or important. He's right but frankly, if you follow that line of thinking, painting and most art activity is equally frivolous (and how many books do we have on that overweight topic?). In any case, | can certainly attest to the power of a good pop song to alter a person's fun- damental outlook as well as | can to being made aware of Paul Cezanne. -Terry Dawes Lloyd Cole / Matthew Sweet November 11 Commodore Ballroom After several mediocre albums, Lloyd Cole has finally realized what his fans want to hear: the o/d Lloyd Cole (and the Commotions). Cole played songs from Rattlesnakes and Easy Pieces, plus others, including numbers off his latest release Love Story, to an ecstatic, mostly twenty- something audience. A friend and | agreed that experiencing these faithfully performed older songs brought us back to the time in our adolescent years when we were first introduced to Lloyd Cole's music, and listened to his albums non- stop for months. | don't understand the fascination with Matthew Sweet, but it's obvious that lots of his fans do. SL Wayne Shorter / Carla Bley & Steve Swallow October 29 Vogue Theatre The hard-core fans came out for this one, waiting for the flash of saxophone virtu- osity from the days of the Miles Davis Quintet and Weather Report. | don't think anyone realized he'd brought the circus to town with him as backup. Subjected to a visual and oral onslaught which seemed less like spontaneous improvisation and more like lack of rehearsal — | slipped out 2 “helpsme: Rhorst, ye ‘ early and sought refuge in a bowl of miso soup across the street to think it over. | thought it was loud. | thought it was grossly overdone. Worst of all, | thought it was boring. Better luck next time, Wayne. The opening act however, of Carla Bley and Steve Swallow was a slice of musical brilliance, sharing their work with a sensitivity, accessibility and humor that gave us something to take home. Their set was a scattering of musical short stories, recounted with intense whimsy between Bley's piano and Swallow's bass. The strength and simplicity of this perfor- mance was a solid example of how less is more. -KF Wild Strawberries: November - Town Pump Small, tart and sweet. The ‘Wild Strawberries’ somewhat fit this descrip- tion of the beautiful wild berry.Roberta Carter Harrison, the lead singer making up one half of this music team,delivers a smoky voice that carries through theiarrangement of melodies. The other half of the duo consists.of Ken Harrison on keyboards. These two are backed up by several on stage band members. A strange mix of people. No one tries to retain the same fashion statement conveyed by Roberta Carter Harrison and the aloum cover. Of course this has little to do with ‘their music as a whole. Musically the band tends to have a light sounding, jazzy mixture of seventies background and light pop. All those out there who still listen to mainstream radio should keep an open ear for their release ‘On my own’, which is sure to be popular among the college music scene, as well as their jazzier edged song Fine’ The Wild Strawberries sing songs that are pretty and easy on the ears, but are not very deep and tend not to elicit the listener into going out and changing the world in some way. However if you're not looking to change the world this is the album for you...so check it out. | found the second act of the evening, Holly McNarland, more to my taste. This band, headed by Miss McNarland put out the heavy edged sound often referred to as, dare | say, ‘grunge alternative. Her voice sounds somewhat like Tori Amos with Holly's own style and edge. This young act is one to keep your ears and eyes out for. So if you have the chance and desire to. go see some live music on the softer end of the scale go see the Wild Strawberries (Note: they are better live than recorded) or if you like a heavier sounding band look for Holly McNarland. -Nicola Sampson Jane Siberry November 20th St. Andrew's Cathedral | went to this concert having not yet heard any of Jane Siberry's new album Maria. | had heard that it was very ‘differ ent’ sounding from her previous record- lep Chee ck : : . “eg mister frag * eo oe ings. Being a big Jane Siberry fan (when | was fifteen | played her aloum the walk- ing so much that the tape eventually snapped), | figured | would love anything that came out of her mouth. This was the first ‘rock concert’ that | had been to held in a church. | knew that this meant that there would been no extravagant stage show, mosh pit, or women throwing their bras on stage. No, no, no. | imagined it to be an intimate gathering; just me, Jane and a few friends. It was intimate, yes. You were practically sitting on your neighbor's lap crammed into a pew. Jane came out and the crowd roared. She was accompanied by a jazz quartet. She said this was a concert of all of her favorite songs, a few of which also hap- pened to my favorites. The songs which | found most difficult to get into were the ones from her new aloum. This was no surprise, however, as | find it always takes me a few listens before | get a feel for her music (perhaps the mark of true genius?). Most of her new songs seem quite stream of consciousness; very soothing and melodic. | realized that going to a concert of this kind, at the end of term, when | am a little low on sleep is not the best idea. While | was never into a full fledged snore, | did nod off momentarily. At this point | would have killed to hear a little Salt n'Pepa to get me going again. All in all | did enjoy this concert. The crowd stomped on the pews and banged on their Bibles loud enough for three encores, which were, for me, the best part of the concert. Damn fine show. -Mackenzie Stroh Skydiggers / Weeping Tile November 10 Commodore Ballroom The Skydiggers were great, with an upgraded image of Johnny Cash flame edged leisure suits and their tried-and- true musical prowess which always shines through, but... Weeping Tile — now there's something you should hear. With their second CD Cold Snap fresh on the racks, this Kingston band has come a long way in a short time. Frontwoman Sarah Harmer stretches the imagination; ethereal vocals edged with a rough honesty rise above DECEMBER 1995 / Emny 19 photo: K. Finlayson howling guitars . Their songs are about lives much like yours or mine. In short, they rock. There is some serious communi- cation going on within this group of musicians— there is no grandstanding, only the combined effort to blow every person within earshot away, and then draw them closer. With a full dance floor after the first tune of an opening band, I'd say they succeeded. Don't miss their next show. Weeping Tile has shown it's colors as an important part of a new Canadian sound. -Kelsey Finlayson Boss Hog November 24 Starfish Room Christina Martinez, and her lanky lover Jon Spencer have created a wonderful thing. They rock so hard. They move their bodies in intriguing ways. Jens Turgenson and Hollis Queens are a blisteringly good rythymn section and they held up their end of the bargain with an elegance wor- thy of warrior poets. The most amazing thing about this show was that the fun did not stop. The music stopped only brei- fly between songs, giving the band enough time to catch their breath and signal what was coming next. This non- stop barrage of stomping good tunes beleagured my already failing sanity, to the point where | became a gibbering mouther, stumbling around after the show looking for someone to tell me how to get home. -Kacey McDougall veces 1995 | may 19 “alpen Rhenlosgah.giffed wil mg hoch howtng guitars. Ther songs are about ves much ike yous or mine. In short, they rock Theres sme seiauscommuni- cation going on within ths group of Imusians~ ther iso gancstaning, nly the combined effort to blow every ‘eon within earshot away, nd then (raw them close With afl dance Naor ‘hink-Man, im gonna kil that reviewer” ety and sought refuge ina bowl of miso ings. Being big Jane Sibery fan when | after the fst tune ofan opening band ‘Amite theienew effort borders on Soup acres the street to thik it ove was een payed er album the woll~ 537 they succeded. Dont mis thei next {airto midding but ony it viewed rate thought twas ud. | thought it was _Ingsomuch that the tape eventual som epig Tie has shown ts oles to ther best werk Let's face tan OK fess overdone. Worst of al thought stapped. | Rgued wold ove anything 35 0 mpatant part of = rew Canadian record fr Fre Ubu sa masterpiece for was boing eter luck ext time, Wayne, that came out of her mouth. sound ny of these clege boy inde type record” The opening act howe, of Cara This was the ist Yok concert that |__~Kle rayon ine booties who ue the charts until Bley and Steve Swalow was sce of had been to Rld in a church. | knew tat ‘the nent wave of Brit syethpop ros in. mia billanc, sharing thet work with this meant that there woud been no "Ray Gun Sutase” shows a rock banda sensitty,acesnbilty and humor tat extravagant stage stom mosh por Boss Hog