Mother Mother – Live at The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver
Photographs by Jennifer Picard – View more at Flickr
Mother Mother wowed a sold-out crowd in their hometown of Vancouver on Saturday night. The excellent O My Heart was released in the fall of last year, avoiding the sophomore album curse and receiving complimentary reviews left and right. Founding vocalist Debra-Jean Creelman left to pursue other musical projects in December, but based on the quality of Saturday’s performance, the band has suffered very little. Jasmin Parkin (vocals/keys) joined the band earlier this year and according to Ryan Guldemond (vocals/guitar), her contribution to the group has so far been amazing.
The sprawling crowd was warmed up by local talent – Gang Violence’s stylish dance pop and the vanilla Said the Whale (redeemed by the hickory voice of guest Hannah Georgas). After being instructed by management to meet at coat-check fifteen minutes prior to Mother Mother’s set, only to be informed that a press pit was not, in fact, an option, the media’s photographers were left with the difficult task of pushing through a sea of unrelenting fans to gain a sightline to the band.
Mother Mother got off to a strong start: “Neighbour” and “Body of Years” were both foot stomping numbers, showcasing their trademark girl-boy harmonies, a quintessential Vancouver sound. “Ohhh…can’t stop tripping on these,” they sang, Ryan Guldemond bathed in spotlight. His guitar solo prompted frantic cheers and whistles from the crowd, all bent-knee-dancing, surrounded by a cloud of smoke and an all-too-familiar scent.
“Arms Tonite” coaxed the crowd into full-on leaping and drunken hand-waving. Breathing new energy into each of Guldemond’s compositions, the band sounded as tight as they do on the Howard Redekopp-produced O My Heart. Buoyed by Ali Siadat’s kick drum and organ, this song elicited an especially positive response. “Body” evoked further movement and excitement, and afterwards Ryan Guldemond had no trouble expressing his gratitude: “Thanks for joining us, Vancouver! Thank you so much!”
Next up was “Burning Pile”, with Molly Guldemond (vocals/synth) and Parkin static at their keyboards, Ryan Guldemond kinetic and lit from behind. “All lit up and I start to smile,” he crooned.
“This is a new song of ours. Hope you enjoy it,” he said, launching into an extraordinarily percussive number boosted by an eerie organ part. The room was slow to respond to the Beastie Boys-inspired rapping, accompanied by video screens displaying dancing women in bikinis and heart graphics. “Wrecking Ball” brought them back on track, stacked with muscular harmonies and elastic snare.
Saxophone solos (from bassist Jeremy Page) and fist pumping followed, and on “Ghosting”, with its lilting acoustic introduction, the once-superior harmonies began to grate. “Heart Heavy” induced overhead clapping and more Eighties’ sax. Parkin got her chance to shine during “Try To Change” with a soulful solo vocal serving as further verification of her talent. Maybe the band was losing steam, or maybe something went awry at the sound board, but the rhythm section drowned the vocals on “Wisdom”, with its frenzied ending and general messiness.
The terrifically infectious “Hayloft” made their set. Fans climbed onto each other’s shoulders – one guy mid-crowd waved his hat in the air and bucked about as though he was at a rodeo. Bodies moved like a million dribbling basketballs during “O My Heart”, too loud and not nearly as tight as earlier in their set. Their encore, however, was redeeming, solidifying Mother Mother’s dynamic talent and their determination to entertain and animate an audience.
Mother Mother visits Winnipeg on May 22 and plays Blues Fest in Ottawa on July 12.
MP3:
Mother Mother – Hayloft
Mother Mother – O My Heart
Buy at:
Mother Mother Shop / CD Universe
Tags: concert, Concert Review, live, Vancouver
great review!