I knew Elliott Brood was coming to town, and after getting their album 10 days or so ago, I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t go see them live. I love live music, especially GOOD live music! J. wasn’t interested in going so I went to the bar by myself.

I had read they were going on around 10pm, at the Downbeat Lounge, so I drove down there for 9:50. Including the bartender, I was the 5th person there! Ahh well, nothing wrong with going to a bar with no friends I told myself, so I walked up to the bar and had a seat. I really really wanted a beer, but I was driving, and I know if I have one beer, then I’ll want the second beer even more, so I spent the night sipping on a couple of diet cokes.

Sidebar here, I had given up pop all together for a couple of years. Over the last few months it creeped back in. I thought I could control it. I can’t. By our vacation I was sucking back colas a few a day. So I quit yesterday. Caffeine withdrawal headache is enough to never want another one. Unfortunately I did have those two diet sodas last night – but I think it’s just the caffeine I get totally addicted to. I just can’t have it or I NEED it. So no more regular pops. I’ll allow myself a diet once in awhile, even though it’s gross, I hate consuming the poisonous aspartame, and it isn’t at all refreshing, but at least I wasn’t drinking and driving.

Okay back to the bar. I chatted a bit with the other few people sitting at the bar. They all knew each other. In fact I think everyone in that bar last night knew everyone else. I kinda miss having that. Oh well.

The bartender’s boyfriend kept calling with updates from the hockey game. Then I overhear that the band was watching the hockey game too. Agh… Overtime. Finally they dragged them away from the game to play. It was 11:30!!

So let’s get to the meat of this concert review… Elliott Brood was awesome. It’s a 3-man band. They were very entertaining. They talked to the audience between songs. Now when I say audience, don’t be picturing a big bar. It’s just an old store on the main strip. It’s dark, there are lots of candles, and lamps and couches. The band plays in the old storefront window. A little cramped for the band I suspect, but there was just 3 of them this time.

The band started off with “Twill” – the first song from their Ambassador album. It sounded much like the album, only better, because it was loud and you could feel the music inside of you. The guitarist – wow – I’ve never seen anyone strum a guitar so fast. He was sitting down on a chair and he would practically wrap his body around his guitar and strum so fast that all you could see was a big blurr where his hand should be. It was incredible that he kept that up for so many songs. He must have one hell of a forearm muscle!

Elliott Brood played many songs from their new Ambassador album, some from their old album that I haven’t found a copy of yet, and a few new ones. They played “President” and “Second Son” much like the album, but “Johnny Rooke” was a much faster version that was quite catchy. I was unfortunately sitting up on a high bar stool so I couldn’t tap my feet on the floor, and every time I tried to tap the air with my toe my loose sandals slipped off.

I don’t suspect there were many people there who had ever heard of Elliott Brood, let alone owned their CD’s. But everyone seemed to have a good time. There were lots of head’s nodding to the beat, and some whoops and hollers between the songs. Some girls even got up to dance.

I was really waiting to hear “The Bridge” which is probably my favourite song from the Ambassador album. They didn’t disappoint!

I’m a huge banjo fan. The electric banjo the lead singer played for many songs was so cool to listen to. He switched it up with a couple of other stringed instruments during the night. He has a very unique singing voice that fits with their music well. It isn’t a clear tone, but a high yet gravelly in a way. I can’t describe it. He let out a few loud screams that would rip out the tonsils of the average person.

I really knew I shouldn’t stay until the end because I had to come to work this morning and I haven’t been getting enough sleep. The band said they just had a couple more songs to play, so I sat and enjoyed a couple more. Then they said they had a couple more, so I sat and loved them, and then they said they had a couple more yet, so I knew I should go. It was about 12:45 when I finally pulled myself away. Elliott Brood was deep into their cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire“. I love that song too.

So overall, great entertainment. I’m really glad I went and enjoyed it. Even if I am half asleep still. I haven’t been to that bar for a couple years – or really any bar. Everything non-smoking now and it is SOOOOOOO NICEEEEEEEE. Sitting there breathing in fresh air. The sidewalk and street was packed with people because they have to go outside to smoke now. I think some people just never bothered to pay their $6 and come in – they just watched and listened to them from the sidewalk.

I still have the link to their album in the sidebar. Buy it and give it a try.

Elliott Brood‘s CD Ambassador is the best CD I’ve heard in years.

It is so good, I’m going to do something completely out of character – I’m going to purchase it! That’s right. I’m going to support a Canadian artist with my precious $$.

The band is Canadian, and I was able to find most of the tracks available on websites to stream in high quality. This makes me buy it more. When a band goes out of their way to make it difficult for their potential new fans to sample their music, I just give up and boycott the thought of ever buying their music.

I first heard of Elliott Brood from all the play they get on CBC radio. Their music is like a drug – I can’t stop listening. It’s loud and full of my favourite instrument – the banjo! It’s a real toe-tapping, head nodding folk album with a modern twist.

Here is the album description from Amazon:

This is not a tale about a gunslinger hero, nor is it meant to cut your heart. It is not the pledge at last year’s meeting of aficionados and it is not the eulogy at a death-country funeral. This is the tale of three storytellers who turned up their collars to the cold night in the dead of winter. Clutching old cases to their coats, they climbed the frozen stairwell to a dusty room in an abandoned abattoir on the edge of the city. Over three long days and nights, they coaxed sounds from the walls, ceiling and floors onto stacks of tape, slowly giving life to what would become the heart of the album. With the aid of basement stairwell echoes and broken down work vans, the album took its initial breath. The stories and sounds that were captured and which you presently hold in your hands, are the tales of AMBASSADOR.

AMBASSADOR is narrated in its entirety by Mark Sasso, Casey Laforet and Stephen Pitkin.

Now this is the part where you ignore that old western flickering on that old black and white in front of you and let your living room be engulfed in the swelling dust storm outside.

For Ambassador is here.

Or as described by weewerk:

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.

Also of note, Elliott BROOD’s Ambassador was nominated for Best Roots & Traditional Album for the 2006 Juno Awards!

To purchase it from Amazon, look in the right sidebar for the link.

To get a sample of their music, go to http://www.newmusiccanada.com/genres/artist.cfm?Band_Id=11365 and listen to “Second Son” and “The Bridge” to start. You won’t be disappointed.

UPDATE: Hey I see that Elliott Brood is playing here in the Sault!!
Jun 14 Sault Ste. Marie ON @ Downbeat Lounge
Can’t wait!