concert review

LETHBRIDGE CONCERT REVIEW

Author: Unknown
Source: Metro Toronto (url)
Date: September 29, 2003

Some critics have described David Usher's solo work as "pretentious" and superfluous, an unnecessary break from rock. It is a little embarrassing for them, though; they obviously haven't seen him live. It doesn't matter how many times he breaks into falsetto or resorts to hyperbole (which really isn't that often, when you think about it), because even without Moist behind him, David really knows how to rock.

I first have to discredit these critics. David's new album, Hallucinations, is amazing. There is vague truth in what the critics say, but it cannot be denied that this album is beautiful. Those abundant synths and orchestrations are subtle; they compliment, rather than overshadow. The acoustic guitars stand out much more.

David claims in interview after interview that this album is about hope and living in the moment, but when you first listen to it, you just cannot comprehend that. This album uses more minor keys than a Radiohead record, and until you really analyze the lyrics, they seem rather dark. Naturally, this equates to more potential for good, beautiful music.

A few of the songs really stand out. The title track, which opens the album, is probably the most energetic. Musically it sounds more joyful than the rest of the album, but ironically has some of the darkest sounding lyrics.

I'm Coming Down could manage with a little less falsetto, but it is still an incredible track. It's an emotional, sad and lonely sort of song that makes you wonder why David claims this CD is so optimistic.

Devil By My Side is an eerie, almost epic sounding song (even though it's not that long). The background vocals make it sound somewhat preachy, which adds to the eeriness. It is a great vibe. A sermon that says "the freaks are out, we're in force tonight" is definitely something to follow.

David also has a very well done cover of the Manic Street Preacher's If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, and although it is by no means as good as the original, it is an excellent, somber way to end this gloomily-vibed album.

Of course, the album is not enough to satisfy our cravings for Moist's front man. In one of the most highly anticipated events the university has seen this semester, David Usher performed a sold out show this past Sunday. "Sold out" at the Zoo now refers to a rather small crowd, but this results in a more personal, intimate environment where there are no issues with security - and thus you have a better concert.

Opening for David was the Boston Post. Do you remember the Moffatts? I know I sure do. Everyone at the Zoo got to experience this nostalgia as they learned that half of Boston Post were, indeed, Moffatts.

Make no mistake: these boys have grown up. They abandoned country, they abandoned pop (for the most part), and now they are a part of a tight band who really knows what rock is.

Even the way they look exerts this transition. Tattoos, the absence of shaving - they had it all. Scott was even wearing eye shadow. That is so very hot. How much more rock star chic can you get than that?

The other two band members, on the other hand, don't look like they have ever been pop princes. They blended into the scene much nicer than our Moffatt boys did, and maybe that is what made the band more credible at first glance.

But enough about the Moffatts! Boston Post was amazing. People quit making the Moffatt jokes when these guys started playing. This was really good rock, which is perhaps a bit of an understatement. I expected something much more mellow as a forerunner to a David Usher show, but Boston Post went far beyond my expectations. They were heavy enough to get the crowd energized but there was still some underlying softness that made them out to be not just another rock band.

Scott was really able to hone his vocal abilities during his pop phase (I swear that is the last reference I will make), giving Boston Post clear lead vocals that were angsty yet elegant. When Scott ventured to add piano to some of their songs, one couldn't help but be reminded of Coldplay's version of piano rock. It was quite gorgeous, actually.

The audience took so well to the band that they did a sort of encore, which was intended to be only one song, but which turned into two. Afterwards, Boston Post managed to sell out all the CDs they brought along. That says a lot.

There was a lot of irony surrounding David Usher's sponsorship here. The concert was sponsored by a cigarette company, yet the Zoo now has a no-smoking policy. Not only that, but I was told by one of the guys with David that the singer is very much against smoking.

This cigarette company was the only element that could possibly ruin the show (which it fortunately did not). It seems so sleazy to try to sell cigarettes with sex: beautiful women selling the smokes? That is very distasteful. Besides, the only people in this crowd who were swayed by good looks were the women (and probably some boys) who came to drool over David.

And drool we all did. His performance was absolutely incredible. I came expecting something a little more toned down, judging by his albums, yet he and his band altered most of the songs to make this into a real rock concert. For example, >Butterfly is normally as mellow as you can get, but on Sunday, this was probably the heaviest song in the whole set. (If you missed the show, you still need to hear this song. When you buy the limited edition version of Hallucinations, it comes with a mini-disk that has the live, rocked-up version of the song.)

Most bands have an off-night here and there, but this was definitely not the case with David and his backup. Everything they played was so precise and they delivered every song from beginning to end with incredible energy.

I dare say that David's voice is angelic. It was beautiful, perfect, and the crowd lingered on every word, even when the music overshadowed the vocals. His passion for the music was obvious and reflected in his performance.

He maintained an excellent connection with the audience by actually acknowledging them (most artists do not do this). There was playful banter between David and both security and the audience (anyone who was there will remember the "girl from England - excellent!").

David Usher has an amazing backup band. You can always expect a good guitarist when they bring out five or six guitars for him. This didn't mean that he actually used all of them - most of the time it was the Gibson, or the acoustic towards the end - but what he did with them was phenomenal. Also, he had a t-shirt with his own photo on it (which David made a point of bringing to the crowd's attention). That's just cool.

What would David do without Kim, his other guitarist? She provided the very important operatic vocals for Black Black Heart, and her voice was mind-blowing. David had to stress that it is "not a fucking sample."

The show may have been rocked up, but David still performed a few of those gentle crooners; the only difference from the albums is that the songs became much more explosive in the end. My Way Out and I'm Coming Down were especially lovely, of course.

It was in My Way Out that the bass player offered solo vocals for quite a while (repeating "how about you"), and I was surprised at how good he was. He was good enough that he could easily front a band.

Alone in the Universe received the best response from the crowd, who sang along so well that they could harmoniously be heard even before David let them take the solo.

It seems kind of odd that for a tour to promote Hallucinations, David performed more old songs than ones from the new album. There were even more songs from Morning Orbit alone. Either way, the set list was awesome and had, in my opinion, all of his best solo work.

There was some discontent among the crowd that he only sang one Moist song, Resurrection, but you have to keep in mind that this is a solo tour of his. It's not like the other members of Moist can play those old songs and get the same reaction David does, so this is only fair. However, even the people who were Moist fans more so than solo David Usher fans seemed to be as impressed with the show as everyone else was.

If the eye candy that the band offered was not enough, there was still more to be had for the senses. On the technical side, this show had phenomenal lighting. When the figures of the band members weren't in silhouette from the gorgeous colors behind them, the glow on their faces and around the stage really set the mood for each song. This was absolute heaven for the photographer's soul. Should I have to be ashamed for taking 200 pictures?

I had anticipated this concert for a very long time, and I was not disappointed in the least. This is easily one of the best shows I have ever seen. If David ever returns to Lethbridge, be sure to show your love and go see his performance.

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