Belle and Sebastian + The Weather Station @ MTelus

Thanks to the typically insane Montreal parking situation, I arrive 5 minutes into the set of Toronto’s The Weather Station, but I’m pretty quickly immersed.  It’s an ethereal sound when I arrive, led by Tamara Lindeman’s haunting vocals, which sit somewhere between Beth Orton and Tori Amos, though the pace changes up pretty swiftly into upbeat bona fide dance!  It’s a multi-instrumental 30 minutes for sure, throwing in cameos from a piano, a clarinet, and a saxophone, among others, and I’m definitely intrigued to see what a full set would look like!  

I’m shocked to realize that it’s been almost 11 years since I last saw Belle and Sebastian, when I miraculously scored tickets in the front row of their show at Place Des Arts.  Things are pretty chill at the front of MTelus tonight, and I find myself super close again, in the second row of the floor, without any real effort to get there; result!

It’s also shocking to realize that Belle and Sebastian have been together for almost 30 years now and yet continue to transcend generations with their musical reach. Whereas Queensrӱche last weekend was strictly full of over-50s (myself excluded!), the people around me range from that same age demographic right down to kids in their single digits. Listening to them has always felt like a warm hug, and for an hour and three-quarters tonight, that’s exactly the vibe.

Stuart Murdoch has always been one of the most entertaining frontmen live, spontaneously cracking jokes with the timing of seasoned stand-up comedian.  3 songs in, he declares, “We had a choice between a good one and a bad one…well, they’re both kinda middling.”  The song in question ends up being Seeing Other People, so he’s doing it a massive disservice in my opinion!  His recounting of his late Fathers experience as a sailor stopping off in Montreal (“the coldest and hottest place I’ve ever been!”) is hilarious too: “I could tell you some stories Son…BUT IT WAS BEFORE I MET YOUR MOTHER!”  Guitarist Stevie Jackson has the place in stitches on one of the rare occasions he speaks too; after playing the wonderful Another Sunny Day to fulfill a fan’s email request, he introduces To Be Myself Completely with the preamble, “We’re gonna continue with a song nobody asked for!”

It’s a musically wonderful experience from start to finish too.  A violin appears on So in the Moment, a cello on Seeing Other People, a trumpet on Dress Up in You, and even dual recorders on Judy and the Dream of Horses!  The normally acoustic Piazza, New York Catcher is folked up in the live setting with a skiffle beat and harmonica solo, and it’s absolutely magical, small spotlight beams cutting through the air like starlight as Stuart sits at the front of the stage narrating that timeless love story.  I literally get goosebumps.

The band know how to get the place jumping too.  Prior to The Boy With the Arab Strap, a huge chunk of the floor is ushered by security to the side door under the balcony and onto the stage to dance with the band.  They’re allowed to remain for the bass funk grooves of The Party Line, which follows right after; how could they not be?!  The rest of the crowd are similarly involved on Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying, with Stuart swinging his mic around to us to sing the outro for him.  The perfect dual harmonies of Stuart and keyboardist Sarah Martin close out the resplendent set with Sleep the Clock Around.

Amid a cacophony of song requests halfway through the encore, Stuart declares: “There’s so many songs we couldn’t play, we’ll just have to come back again soon!”  

Montreal will hold you to that, Stuart!

Setlist

  1. Nobody’s Empire
  2. Allie
  3. So in the Moment
  4. Seeing Other People
  5. Give a Little Time
  6. If She Wants Me
  7. I Want the World to Stop
  8. Piazza, New York Catcher
  9. Dress Up in You
  10. Another Sunny Day
  11. To Be Myself Completely
  12. Slow Graffiti
  13. I Didn’t See It Coming
  14. The Boy With the Arab Strap
  15. The Party Line
  16. Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying

Encore

  1. Judy and the Dream of Horses
  2. Sleep the Clock Around

Review – Simon Williams
Photos – Alex Distaulo

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