On The Beat

Horseshoe at 55

HORSESHOE TAVERN: The horseshoe is a symbol of good luck, but it takes a lot more than that to survive 55 years as one of Toronto's best music clubs. No wonder the folks at the legendary 'Shoe were in a mood to celebrate that birthday recently. Club owners/bookers Jeff and Craig brought one of their favourite bands, THE WACO BROTHERS, in for the occasion, and one fun honkytonk party resulted. The Chicago-based Wacos are led by JON LANGFORD, who also fronts the wonderful MEKONS. Langford has just released a new album with THE SADIES, The Mayors Of The Moon, so they kicked off the night with some tunes from that. The ever-reliable Sadies delivered another fine set ("Tiger, Tiger" was a highlight), then the headliners took the stage, amidst much anticipation. They didn't disappoint, dishing out a raucous and righteous set. Quite why they are considered leaders of the alt-country scene is a mite curious, though. Sure, they all dress in black and a couple sport cowboy hats, but the sound is a mix of punk and slightly rootsy guitar rock that echoes THE CLASH and THE POGUES more than HANK WILLIAMS. With five guitarists on hand, the result had both passion and punch. Our congrats to all at The 'Shoe.

BURNING BRIDES: The buzz over this hard rockin' Philadelphia trio keeps building. They've been touring relentlessly, and drummer JASON told us all their club gigs have been selling out. They shared a bill with THE DIVISION OF LAURA LEE at The Horseshoe recently, and the full house was mightily impressed by BB. A friend accurately called them "CHEAP TRICK meets NIRVANA meets SLAYER." Singer/guitarist DIMITRI COATS has the rock star moves, plus a great scream and fiery guitar chops. Current single "Arctic Snow" (appropriate given the temps outside) was a highlight, and new songs sounded promising. They return to town next month, supporting AUDIOSLAVE.

DESANDANN: This 10-piece vocal group are comprised of Cubans of Haitian descent. They're tipped to become a big hit in world music circles, and two sold-out shows at The Music Gallery showed why. Their voices harmonize perfectly, while solo turns showed that each singer has a distinctive and strong voice. Their material ranged from the rhythmic and upbeat to the sacred and melancholy, as they move both the feet and heart of the listener. One merengue tune had the crowd up and dancing (this in a church). Kudos to JANE BUNNETT for discovering the group and bringing them to town. Jane added light, if sometimes superfluous, accompaniment to some tunes, then brought on her own SPIRITS OF HAVANA group to perform alongside Desandann. Gorgeous stuff.

MAPLE BLUES AWARDS: Now in its sixth year, this national blues awards show keeps getting bigger and better. It is organized by The Toronto Blues Society, but has a real cross-country presence. This year's show capped off a successful inaugural Blues Summit. COLIN JAMES proved a fine choice as host, and the evening was another triumph for SUE FOLEY. The Perth, Ontario-based singer/guitarist is clearly our premier (and most photogenic) blues star. A gracious victor, she took home five trophies, including Entertainer of the Year and Recording of the Year (for Where The Action Is). Other notable winners included B.C. guitarists DAVID GOGO and HARRY MANX and Vancouver's KENNY "BLUES BOSS" WAYNE (who sported the night's most colourful suit). The Blues Booster honour deservedly went to ANDREW GALLOWAY, head of dynamic indie label ELECTRO-FI, while DOWNCHILD singer CHUCK JACKSON won the Blues With A Feeling Award.

UPCOMING: By popular demand, the Feb. 24 Toronto gig by our recent feature subjects, LADYTRON, has been shifted from Lee's Palace to The Phoenix. Not to be missed is a Feb. 17 El Mocambo show by the brilliant Texan singer/songwriter ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO. Named Artist of the Decade by influential roots mag No Depression, he'll be accompanied by a string section. Wait till you hear IGGY POP's "I Wanna Be Your Dog" played on frenetic strings!

Publication Date: 2003-02-09
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2339