Broken Social Scene, Fox Theater, October 26, 2017
In perhaps my favorite episode of 30 Rock, "Cougars," Liz Lemon goes on a date with a much younger man, and when he tries to convince her to hit an afterparty, she pleads, "I'm 37, don't make me go to Brooklyn." As Liz Lemon is my spirit animal, I know exactly how she feels, except I'm no longer 37 and substitute Oakland for Brooklyn. You have to make a pretty good case for me to venture over the Bay Bridge (or, more precisely, under it, via BART) for a show. Broken Social Scene offers a solid argument for the trek.Last time Broken Social Scene came around, they were on ostensibly their last tour, but even then, they admitted that they weren't so much breaking up as taking a breather. Even if they hadn't said it, I would've assumed that was the case, what with the modern trend of bands reuniting again ... and again. In addition, I imagine that's the nature of such a loose collective. Band members are free to come and go to pursue their own projects, so you can't bank on a set schedule. In any case, I was glad to see them back. Even if the band hadn't returned, I would've been entirely happy with my last memory of them: a lengthy, sprawling show, filled with guest musicians, friendly tributes, and family shout-outs that fell slightly short of a free-for-all.
In the years since, Broken Social Scene hasn't pared back much, as far as I can tell. I didn't bother to count the warm bodies on stage, but most of the principals were present, including Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, and Andrew Whiteman. Often the question with Broken Social Scene is which female collaborators will show up; tonight, only Ariel Engle, who happens to be married to Andrew Whiteman and plays a major role on the new record Hug of Thunder. Personally, it's not a huge concern for me, and Ariel has a lovely voice in her own right.
The band mixed up the song selection, with old favorites such as "Fire Eye'd Boy" and the beloved closer "It's All Gonna Break," as well as choice tracks from the latest album. "Hug of Thunder" is the standout track for me, and it's kind of a no-brainer to do "Protest Song," but the big takeaway for me were the Forgiveness Rock Record tunes. Maybe I didn't give it enough time? Because hearing "Texico Bitches" and "World Sick" reminded me that album has great songs.
Of course I'm going to go back to You Forgot It in People again and again because it remains one of my favorite records of this century. Fortunately, the band seems to like it too, as a significant portion of the show was devoted to those tracks, including the opener "KC Accidental" and the closers "Lover's Spit" and "Cause = Time." By the way, I admit I often can't remember the titles -- much less the words -- to Broken Social Scene songs, but in the case of "KC Accidental" (for one) I can easily hum the bass line and guitar track. Needless to say, I love it. Ariel handled the vocals for "Almost Crimes," and the two women from the opening band Belle Game joined her for "Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl," which I'm glad to see has been acknowledged as a modern masterpiece. Brendan took his usual turn on "Stars and Sons" as well (another fantastic bass line, in case you hadn't noticed).
The last however many times I've seen Broken Social Scene, they've lingered past the usual curfew, and this show was no different, even if not quite to the lengths of the marathon at the Fillmore (or the Warfield, now that I think of it). Kevin polled us on which song we wanted to hear: the aforementioned "Lover's Spit" or "Cause = Time." As noted above, we got both, which isn't much of a surprise considering the band's more-is-more approach to performance.
For "Lover's Spit," Kevin came down from the stage and wandered into the crowd, even giving hugs to several fans, kind of like a Canadian version of Bono, minus the pomp (though he touched on political themes, as he reminded us that Canada continues to support the United States, especially in such trying times). I had voted for "Lover's Spit" because the song's majesty and drama always get me, but I admit the energy of "Cause = Time" seals up a show much better, and it lets us sing "fuck the cause" at the top of our lungs. Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Fox Theater staff, who helped Kevin over the barrier and back as if they'd been practicing it all tour. They were so smooth.
Speaking of Kevin, how underrated is he? We tend to think of Broken Social Scene as a collective, and if anyone gets individual attention, it's usually the female singers who pass through the group, but you have to give credit to the guy who is the glue of the band. Also, his voice is damn good. In fact, I almost never get FOMO, but the pangs hit me not long ago when he joined Zach Galifianakis for a handful of shows at Largo.
I'll end with perhaps the most Broken Social Scene -- er, scene I may have yet witnessed in the Bay Area. They started the show with Antibalas as the horn section, but the group had to rush off to its own show at the New Parish in Oakland after a couple of numbers. Somehow, they found another brass ensemble to help close out the show! I can't remember their name, but leave it to Broken Social Scene to up the ante. I can't wait to see how they top it next time they come back.
See also:
» the good times are killing me
» talking trash under your breath
