Paul Georges . Alterego Construction

I can’t believe that I’ll already be leaving for Sweden in less than three weeks. The summer passed me by so fast… it almost feels like I finished my last semester but a few days ago. I’ve been reading up about Sweden, Europe and travelling altogether since the day I deposited my candidature for the Profil International at school so I feel very prepared and ready to go. However, just yesterday as I was walking up De Sallaberry street and I got this sudden urge to call my parents. Just to have a little chat, nothing out of the ordinary. These are the simple pleasures I’m going to miss the most: hearing my Mom’s supportive voice and feeling my Dad’s rational presence (thank you Mom and Dad, I love you both so much *Christ I’m at work and I almost started crying upon writing that one*), sipping a brew with my friends, killing time. Since yesterday, I’ve realized that I’m leaving everything behind for 5 months. My parents, best friends, my cozy apartment, all the things I love. Having never left this country (if you exclude our annual family vacations spent in Vermont), this trip is something really special for me… it’s an attempt to set things straight, to learn more about myself as well as about others and most importantly to acknowledge that I could not be without those that I cherish most. As they say, “if you love something, let it go.” That’s exactly what I plan on doing, and hopefully, I will return wiser…

So from this very day on, Alterego Construction will be transformed into a pseudo travel/photo blog, a diary of my experiences, both good and bad (rest assured, more of the former, I promise), all recounted from the beautiful country that is Sweden. I’ll do my best to post as often as possible and in return I expect you all, visitors, friends, family, wanderers, photo critics and travel enthousiasts to post your comments. Let’s do this…

I’m going to miss you all…

But I’m gonna have one fuck of a rockin’ time while I’m away!

Ok, you guys all know MxPx and Reel Big Fish. I’ll keep this review short and sweet since it comes a bit late… lots of singing, slamming and dancing. Reel Big Fish was way better than MxPx, although my opinion is a bit biased because I’m a long time Reel Big Fish fan. Had a great time. I love ska; ska makes me so happy.

“Ska sucks. Ska revival isn’t cool you stupid fuck.
The bands are only in it for the bucks.
And if you don’t believe me you’re a schmuck.
But the trend will die out with any luck.
Yo Ho. Yo Ho.
Rudy, a message to you Rudy, a message to you Rudy.
Fuck you Rudy!”

Propagandhi, you lie!!!

Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, for the lack of recent updates on the blog. I had a bit of a busy weekend and didn’t really have much time to spend inside with my laptop.

So let’s get down to business! Elliott Brood, Wilco, together at la scène Molson Dry on Friday night. Not many people were present to hear what both groups had to offer, what a shame. The night started off with the sounds of Elliott Brood, an Ontarian three-man orchestra classified as, and I quote, “Death Country” by the folks running the festival. I’m a bit hesitant to declare that Elliott Brood fits into the whole “Death Country” genre. However, I do know that they rocked out live and that they did a great job up on stage.

“Elliott Brood call their music Death Country – dark, gritty folk music built around whiskey-drenched vocals and lyrics evoking images of love, loss and murder. In their soul-thumping bluegrass songs, banjo keeps time to a strange and chunky angular stomp, with vicious Kentucky-hardcore acoustic guitar and somber, achingly confessional vocal harmonies.”

Ahhhhh I see! The Death Country genre is self-acknowledged! That makes much more sense. I guess Death Country has got to work then… after all, it is their music, they know best what it sounds like. So the description says it all: dark, strong vocals and lyrics, lots of strings and, most importantly, great stage presence. Elliott Brood did their best to get the crowd going but the vegetative spectators seemed unable to respond. I had a lot of fun anyways. If you like your music grim and acoustic, you should definately check out Elliott Brood.

Although the crowd was pretty passive towards Elliott Brood’s performance, one could not say the same for Wilco’s. Fans were screaming with anxiety from the very opening; one girl almost broke down crying upon the band’s arrival.

“Wilco is an American contemporary rock band. While originally known for its alt-country roots, it is now mostly known for its rock or alternative rock style. Primary songwriter/singer Jeff Tweedy was a member of the seminal 1980s and 1990s alt-country group Uncle Tupelo. Tweedy shared songwriting and singing duties with bandmate Jay Farrar, who later formed Son Volt. Tweedy formed Wilco with Uncle Tupelo drummer Ken Coomer and session musicians featured on the last Uncle Tupelo recording ‘Anodyne’ (bassist John Stirratt, and string player Max Johnston). The band was named after the voice procedure term ‘Roger Wilco’, an expression that means ” and session musicians featured on the last Uncle Tupelo recording ‘ player Received, Will Comply”. Jeff also once noted that when Jay Farrar left Uncle Tupelo, Jeff was left with nothing to do but comply. Hence, ‘Will comply–Wilco.’”

Wilco defines the alt-country genre. Their vibe is melodic, easy to listen to, meaningful and just sounds great. Although I enjoyed Wilco’s performance on Friday, I must admit that I was expecting a whole lot more from the band. Wilco is reknowned for their talent and especially for their accurate live sound… but throughtout the entire show I found myself comparing the band’s performance to that of Feist’s, BSS’ and Calexico’s… Wilco just didn’t make the cut. Wilco live was enjoyable but could have been much better.

Le Soleil’s review here.

Tonight, I swam through the darkness. With the stars above my head, lightning far off in the distance, I could not help but think of a song that will forever haunt my memories…

“Looking upwards, I strain my eyes and try to tell the difference between shooting stars and satellites…”

I can only imagine how beautiful that moment spent in the water would have been with someone by my side… not just anybody… someone to hold me tight… someone to console me and to say that everything is going to be ok… someone to insist that I dive right in…

“Do they collide? I ask and you smile…”

Someone true, someone flawed… simple and pure… someone willing to let themself fall backwards into obscurity knowing that I would be waiting… with open arms…

“When you feel embarassed, then I’ll be your pride, when you need directions, then I’ll be the guide, for all time… for all time…”

Someday, whoever you are…

Yesterday I found myself surrounded by sad emo kids awaiting the arrival of their favourite bands. All the clichés were present in yesterday’s crowd: the trendy haircuts, the emo band t-shirts and most of all, the young girls chatting about how cute the singer of Yellowcard is (shut the fuck up PLEASE)! Ok, enough about the stupid emo kids. Last night was so different from the rest of the concerts I’ve seen during the Festival d’été de Québec; the huge crowd, the emo kids (sorry, had to bring them up again), the jumping and slamming and most of all the music itself. As sad is it might sound to some of you, last night’s show kicked ass. All four bands displayed great energy on stage, bouncing around and getting the crowd pumped. First on stage…

“Orlando’s Anberlin formed out of various other area projects, including the Christian punk outfit SaGoh (Servants After God’s Own Heart). Led by the soaring vocals of Stephen Christian, the positive-thinking Anberlin also included Joseph Milligan (guitar), Nathan Young (drums), Joey Bruce (guitar), and Deon Rexroat (bass), and presented an alternative pop/rock sound that, while inflected with the earnestness of emo, was closer to the mature stylings of Third Eye Blind.”

Anberlin only played for a half hour which was pretty sad; it was good while it lasted. Second…

“Hawthorne Heights was formed out of a desire to play music that the members were passionate about, with the ultimate goal being to become a full-time, professional band. Their dreams are fulfilled now with their Victory Records debut, The Silence In Black And White. Their pervasive crossbreed of discordance and melody with guttural growls and layered, sweet-sounding vocals brings new and imaginative depth to their genre.”

I had never listened to much Hawthorne Heights but I will definately check them out in the near future. However, the bigs guns, Yellowcard and Story of the Year, were the bands that everyone was anticipating the most.

“The punk-inspired quintet Yellowcard formed in Jacksonville, FL, in 1997 but didn’t solidify their lineup until a move to southern California in early 2000. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Ryan Key, vocalist/violinist Sean Mackin, guitarist Ben Harper, drummer Longineu Parsons, and bassist Warren Cooke, the band officially debuted on wax in 2001 with One for the Kids (Lobster), and returned a year later with the Underdog EP for Fueled by Ramen. The group had a really big year in 2003, replacing Cooke with Pete Mosely, signing with Capitol, issuing Ocean Avenue on the label, and heading out for a series of Warped Tour dates. Their latest album, Lights and Sounds, attempts and succeeds at founding a mature sound.”

Yellowcard came out kicking and put on an amazing show. Fans got a chance to sing along with all the hits from Ocean Avenue as well as a bunch of new tracks off their latest album called Lights and Sounds. Not many of the kids knew Yellowcard’s new stuff so the crowd was pretty silent during those certain songs. Two thumbs way up for Yellowcard’s performance. Story of the Year did great as well, playing songs from their two latest albums much like Yellowcard.

“Story of the Year began as Big Blue Monkey in St. Louis, Missouri. At the time (the late ’90s), the band’s sound was much heavier (think Deftones), and the lineup that would become Story of the Year was not yet in place. Big Blue Monkey played frequently in and around St. Louis, issued a few EPs, and endured the lineup fluctuations typical to any struggling combo. Creative and persistent self-promotion caught the ear of producer John Feldmann, who in turn brought Maverick Records into the picture. By 2002, Big Blue Monkey had become Story of the Year, moved to Southern California, and toured with Feldmann and Goldfinger. The lineup of vocalist Dan Marsala, guitarists Ryan Phillips and Phillip Sneed, bassist Adam Russell, and drummer Joshua Willis entered the studio with Feldmann, emerging in spring 2003 with the full-length Page Avenue. Story did some Warped Tour dates that summer, and issued the record the following September. By this point the Story sound had morphed completely and comfortably into emo-inflected post-grunge, akin to groups like Thrice or the similarly Feldmann-shepherded Used. The CD+DVD set Live in the Lou/Bassassins followed in spring 2005; it was a precursor to In the Wake of Determination, which appeared in October.”

Dan did an excellent job keeping his voice up to par throughout the entire show (not an easy task). The St. Louis rockers did not shy to show their fans some attention by crowdsufing and getting some moshpits started. So lots of jumping, singing, screaming and dancing during Story of the Year. Great stuff. The change of pace felt nice, reminded me very much of the Vans Warped Tour in Québec City. Lots of fun.

P.S The pictures for Yellowcard and Story of the Year were taken from near front row. My camera sucks, and the stage is huge (2x understatements).

Le Soleil’s review here.

I’m totally blown away… Feist and Broken Social Scene’s performances are by far the best I’ve seen this year. I was in a trance throughout the entire gig and left Place D’Youville on a cloud. The night started off with a heartwarming performance by Feist.

“She was born Leslie Feist in Calgary in the mid-’70s but goes by her surname when it comes to making music for a living. The Jhay-inspired songstress got her start playing in a high-school punk band called Placebo (not to be confused with the U.K. modern rock act of the same name). A history not lacking in variety, the Canadian born singer has accomplished much in her few tender years. Carefully pieced together around Feist’s seductive and jhai voice, her album ‘Let It Die’ forms the missing link between ye old folk (storytelling), the Brill building era (the quest for the hook), doo-wop (melody and mood) and minimal modern pop arrangements. Like line drawings as opposed to detailed paintings, these songs leave you space to fill in the emotional blanks. Its lack of complication makes ‘Let It Die’ standout from much of today’s musical offerings; put simply, a beautiful slice of sonic escapism to illustrate and interrupt the little moments that together tell us stories.”

This is my second time that I’ve seen Leslie Feist live; first time was at Le Capitole this winter. Feist is a fucking rock goddess. She is so much fun to watch and to listen to. She has incredible stage presence and is so at ease on stage that one wonders if she was born in the spotlight. She came out dressed to kill and put on one hell of a show, slamming her boots against the wooden stage and strumming her guitar like made. She was accompanied by a full band who just happen to be her friends who contribute to the Broken Social Scene crew, much like Feist herself.

Which leads us in to BSS’ performance. Craziness!

“Broken Social Scene materialized in 1999 when K.C. Accidental’s Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, formerly of By Divine Right, bonded their friendship into a band. They spent the next few years honing an atmospheric rock sound in their native Toronto and the dynamic was great. By the time their guitar-fueled sophomore effort, You Forgot It in People, was released in fall 2002, Broken Social Scene had become an 11-piece collective. Additional contributions by select members of Stars, Metric, Do Make Say Think, Raising the Fawn, the Dears and others contributed to the ambitious sounds of Broken Social Scene.”

Broken Social Scene has got to be the most original and inspiration Canadian act that this country has to offer. BSS is in fact a pseudo-fusion of the best Canadian acts of the past and present; bands such as By Divine Right, Stars, Metric and Feist come to mind. If you want to experience a bunch of incredibly talented artists, a mélange of beautifully melodic sounds and a creative new approach to the meaning of music, you should definately check out BSS. They are just as mind-blowing live as they are on their records. Their setlist featured all their best stuff: Stars and Sons, Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl, KC Accidental, Lover’s Spit, Cause=Time, Superconnected, 7/4 (Shoreline), Fire Eye’d Boy and more. All were performed with very strong stage presence which made the night even more enjoyable. They kicked the gig off with an instrumental piece and followed up with 7/4 (Shoreline) featuring the beautiful Leslie Feist. From that point on they kept dropping great songs and kept the crowd going throughout the night. Best show of the year, hands down.

Memorable moments of the night:

• Birthday candle thingies during Inside And Out
• Everytime Leslie slammed her foot on the stage
• Intuition…
• Clapping during Stars and Sons
• Listening to Amy whisper the lyrics to Anthems and hearing everyone sing them back to her
• Feist’s numerous appearances during BSS’ gig
• Collective trumpet sounds
• Going nuts during Fire Eye’d Boy
• Being surrounded by all the Québec indie kids (hilarious)

Le Soleil’s review here.

In one month minus one day I’ll be flying to Sweden… absolutely crazy. So much to get done, so little time!

Tonight was Yann Tiersen’s night to strut his stuff. Place d’Youville was home to the French musician’s talent for the night and (most) of the fans seemed very interested to discover and to savor what Yann and company had to offer.

“With his whimsical, melancholy music, Yann Tiersen has become a sought-after composer, not only for his soundtrack work, but in his own right. Borrowing from French folk music, chanson, musette waltz and street music, as well as rock, avant-garde, and classical and minimalist influences, Tiersen’s deceptively simple style has been likened to Chopin, Erik Satie, Philip Glass, and Michael Nyman. The Paris-based composer became popular outside his native country for his score to Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie, but like most seemingly overnight successes, he had been working for years before the film’s success brought him international acclaim.”

Tiersen has been critically acclaimed for his work done on the soundtrack to Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain. His contribution to the soundtrack is mostly interpretation of classical style pieces (so I’ve heard from a very fiable source, merci Bianca et Simon). However, Tiersen surprised many by portraying a more contempory side of his musical prowess on stage tonight. Spectators were treated to an arrangement of guitar, bass guitar, drums, violin, accordeon and experimental piano. Tiersen seemed to have taken many onlookers off guard; I get the impression that many were expecting to hear the soundtrack to Amélie be recreated live on stage. That, however, was not the case. We caught a glimpse of several people leaving the audience earlier than expected… such a shame. I didn’t happen to know Tiersen’s work very well so I had absolutely no expectations towards tonight’s show. I’m very pleased with Tiersen’s performance and I know that I will definately be giving him a listen in the near future. Excellent gig overall.

This year’s festival is turning out to be one hell of an event. Hopefully it will keep on growing in order to allow curious listeners to discover truely genuine music of all genres for several years to come. Two shows down, but do not fray, the best is yet to come! BSS and Feist will be performing tomorrow night! If you happen to be in Québec City tomorrow (the 10th of July), make sure you catch those two gigs!

Le Soleil’s review here.

I finally got a chance to catch Calexico live last night at the Festival d’été de Québec.

“Calexico, a Tucson collective of musicians focused around Joey Burns and John Convertino, forged an eclectic identity through their exploration of Southwestern culture. Composer Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti Westerns as well as Portuguese fado, Afro-Peruvian music, and ’50s and ’60s jazz, country, and surf music all factored into Calexico’s music.”

So there you have it, Calexico is an amazing and genuine band that have a very unique americana/western/mexican vibe. I fell in love with them last year and I was really disapointed to have missed out on their gig at last year’s festival due to the fact that I was working on the Gaspé coast for the summer. I was totally psyched when I heard that they were going to be coming back this Summer to spread their musical genius with welcoming listeners and avid fans. I had heard beforehand that Calexico live was unbelievably accurate and entertaining, and I must admit, they definately did not let me down! Calexico’s performance last night was simply amazing; spectacular stage presence, excellent sound quality and incredible talent are all key words that I will always associate to Calexico from this day forward. Calexico did not come to Québec unprepared! The band was accompanied by Mariachis Luz de Luna, an amazing Mexican Mariachis troupe. With both groups combined, spectating fans were treated to an orchestra of 15 amazing artists on stage. The eclectic collection of instruments heard throughout the evening was a beautiful marriage of many sounds. From violins to guitars to accordeons, musical diversity was not difficult to visualize on stage. Calexico’s setlist was mostly comprised of songs off Garden Ruin such as Roka, Cruel, All Systems Red (wow) and Letter To Bowie Knife (simply amazing!). The guys also took a shot at Love’s Alone Again which sounded simply wonderful. Thankfully they also played a few songs off A Feast of Wire which made me very happy (I would have wanted to hear more though). So overall, great performance! Perfect ambiance, perfect sound, perfect show! Can’t wait to see them live once again; hopefully I’ll get the chance in Stockholm!

Le Soleil’s review here.

My lungs are purged, my mind is clear.

A weekend spent on the Gaspé coast tends to be good for the soul. It’s crazy how family, friends, nature and good food can tame a troubled spirit.

2 days was not enough…

However, it is such a shame that I had to leave so soon. If only I could have spent more time soaking in the sun at the beach house and chatting with my parents. If only I could have had more time to spend with my grandmother, God bless her beautiful soul. If only I could have had one more supper with my friends. If only I could have had a bit more time to see those that I love in order to show them how much I appreciate them.

2 days will never be enough…