Hideout Block Party (Kevin O’Donnell, Eleventh Dream Day, Sam Roberts Band)
It’s become a yearly tradition to go to the Hideout Block Party as it always goes to a good cause (Tuesday’s Child and Play) and features some great bands. It’s where we first heard Andrew Bird, for example.
KEVIN O’DONNELL:
I was expecting a bit more from this band as I have admired Kevin O’Donnell’s drum backings of Andrew Bird live (no sightings, though…drat!) but I was a bit disappointed. It was the first time they have played live as a band and the mikes were a bit squealy so that didn’t help. The female lead singer was somewhat atonal-like Nico but less distinctive. The male lead singer and the brass bits and keyboard did well to complement it but overall I found my mind wandering and it’s usually hard to get back. With the sheer array of instruments, the sound should have been fuller but perhaps this was a result of the outdoor setting more than anything. The highlight of their set was when the male lead singer talked about how we need to go into red states, go to bible study with these people and basically just subvert them with blue politics etc.
ELEVENTH DREAM DAY:
Eleventh Dream Day mainly debuted new material, which may take awhile to grow on me. Still, a nice full sound to them and, if I heard right, the lead singer Rick Rizzo works for CPS??? Anyhow, I think the best part about Eleventh Dream Day is their distinctive guitar sound. That’s my personal opinion…and this band has been in the scene for many years in different bands and imo is pretty underappreciated.
SAM ROBERTS BAND:
(This is an Electric Warrior shirt the guitarist is wearing)
Now, I wasn’t too familiar with this band’s material but had heard some sound samples and was a bit unimpressed. I had planned on just walking around a bit and maybe having one of those big chocolate chip cookies the whole foods tent always sells for a dollar or maybe a candy apple (I have no idea why but I was so hungry sat. for some reason). But then I heard this band was from Montreal. So, of course, I stuck around and applauded even songs I thought were lackluster and took about two hundred pictures (okay, okay, so it wasn’t really that many). The owner of the Hideout actually paired up with this girl who translated what he said in French and talked about all of the great things about Canada-legalized gay marriage, socialized medicine, etc. and everyone gave them a warm welcome. They were pretty straight ahead rock and not really very original or interesting enough to capture my attention in terms of purely auditory input. Although, they introduced one of the songs as a new song that I really did enjoy. At the end of their set, everyone cheered them and the girl next to me said, “YAY CANADA” I turned to her and said, “I’m with you.” She smiled and nodded and then asked, “Who was this band again?”
Click here to see more pictures of beautiful guys from Montreal….oh you just try and resist it 
September 19th, 2005 at 8:30 pm
Oh, I’m so shocked that you found Canrock heartthrob Sam Roberts visually appealing.
You’d probably like the lyrics to “The Canadian Dream”, which was somehow left off the U.S. version of his album:
I Went out on the street today
The Canadian Dream was as far away as it’s ever been
As it’s ever been
S.O.C.I.A.L.I.S.M. is here to stay
S.O.C.I.A.L.I.S.M. is the only way
Frozen land, frozen minds
Frozen hands and frozen time
‘Cause everything moves real slow when it’s forty below
Everything moves real slow when it’s forty below
Yeah, everything moves real slow when it’s forty below
When it’s forty below
S.O.C.I.A.L.I.S.M. is here to stay
S.O.C.I.A.L.I.S.M. is the only way
September 20th, 2005 at 5:47 pm
gosh I’m almost embarrassed…look, I think it was the Electric Warrior shirt that did me in!
I think they played that song at the show because I remember those lyrics being sung. I really think this band has alot of potential and like I said their new song was probably the one I liked best but the others came off sort of formulaic to me and I think they can do better. I’m trying to guess at how big they are in Canada.
October 17th, 2005 at 6:50 pm
[...] While at the Hideout Block Party, a person from Metromix approached Cinchel and I and asked if she could take our picture for their publication (you have to ask people if you want to take their picture. Um…yeah I did know that.) I should have warned her that I’m so pale I look like death warmed over in just about any picture I’m in but I don’t like to talk during bands. Anyhow, I had forgotten all about this whole thing and then today at work someone told Cinchel they had seen his picture so he came home and found it. He looks better than I do as usual. [...]