Vancouver February 1, 2008 Sold OutAll Photos taken by: Kristen Kyd for SwanktrendzThanks to Lisa and Jared from Wind Up Records, Swanktrendz was couriered tickets for Vancouver’s sold-out Econoline Crush, Seether and Three Days Grace show on February 1st.I arrived at the Commodore Ballroom just after Econoline Crush’s set ended. (Sorry E.C. this was not a planned boycott, but an overlooked time schedule made by yours truly...) The Commodore Ballroom’s venue was promptly sold-out and thus, jam-packed. (The venue was sold-out for both Feb 1st & Feb 2nd.) As for the crowd... well, they were an article in itself.
Crowd Observances: the ratio of male to female was 3:1 (which generally bodes well for bands’ staying power as Lezah and I have observed.) This crowd was definitely your beer-swigging, jeans and a t-shirt (no stylin’ punks here) manly-men. However, it was these men's unabashed appreciation for the performers that grabbed my attention.I have attended hundreds of concerts. Prior to writing, I generally look for something out of the ordinary before tackling my review (to give it a more personal approach). For this concert, the out-of-the-ordinary observation was handed to me on a platter.I have never (emphasis on never) seen an audience so appreciative of, and vocally involved with, as I did with Seether's’ and Three Days Grace’s audience.This audience sang along, loudly - albeit not badly - to all of the songs up until the last dying chords of Three Days Grace’s set. The audience sang loud (and clear enough that both Shaun from Seether, and Adam from 3DG, often didn’t have to sing entire verses during their songs.)It was incredible, and I felt I was privy to a male-bonding workshop (anticipating the group to break out in Kumbayah at any given moment.) In watching how uninhibited these fellows were while belting out lyrics, it was obvious that the fans had connected with the bands, and their lyrics, on a more meaningful level. The songs meant something in the audiences singers’ lives.Perhaps it was the intimate environment of The Commodore that allowed the fans to fervently get caught up in the music? I wish another concert go'er would step forward and confirm my observations, as I am beginning to question what I saw.When Seether stepped onto the stage, Shaun Morgan’s voice sounded clear and controlled. Earlier, I had been listening to Vancouver’s radio station, The Fox and Shaun Morgan was a guest, singing an acoustic selection. After noting how good his voice sounded on radio, I was relieved to discover it sounded twice as good, live.As I have mentioned before, I am a lyricist and anyone who write lyrics like: deserves our appreciation. Perhaps the sombreness of Shaun Morgan’s lyrics explain Shaun as a performer.Tried (with difficulty) to get a picture of drummer, John Humphrey after giving of his time when interviewed by Shane Christensen of Swanktrendz
Before you hedge those bets you placed against me
Be reticent of fortunes they foretell
Your verbal defecation i can't wash away despite myself
Your vanity, it seems, has served you well
As a frontman, Shaun appears embarrassed almost apologetic within his starring role. He is obviously comfortable enough to write and arrange the music; just not to deliver it. I haven’t any idea as to the size of Shaun’s performer’s ego, but after watching him perform, I’d venture out onto a quasi psychological limb and state he doesn’t believe he’s deserving of the crowd’s adoration.Also, Shaun is as stingy with his smiles as Kurt Cobain was back in the day. The tortured/ artist persona was making me feel uncomfortable and I am sure both I and Shaun relaxed when Shaun invited Barry and Adam from Threes Days Grace to accompany him singing Broken.
When Seether concluded their set, I was reminded of the entire Peal Jam and Nirvana Seattle vibe. Seether would have been right at home in 1992. Nonetheless, Seether gave us a terrific, yet physically subdued set.Three Days Grace bounded onto the stage, full of energy and humour, and the ‘Kumbayah Crowd’ eagerly picked up their singing pace. 3DG launched into hit after hit, working the fans into frenzied ecstasy. 
Between the audience vocal participation, the endless spring bouncing/pogo'ing on the Commodore’s renowned dance floor, and beer being spilled on us left and right, Kristen Kyd (my every alert photographer) and I left bouncing, laughing, singing and reeking of beer into the night. We left hot, sweaty and content - it felt as though this had been a private performance given at a local basement party. Great concert.
Both Lisa Pieterse (from Wind-up Records) and my son, Ian, truly have an ‘ear’ when it comes to new music. They both are able to listen to a song once and predict its marketing future. Granted, there is a large age gap between the two as my son is still a ‘tween’ so Lisa does have the marketing edge, but I predict an impressive future for Ian in music promotion.On September 4th, Lisa sent me a packet of CDs including Seether’s promotional single, Fake It. She emailed a note stating that Seether was a band to take note of. As with any CD Lisa sends, I gathered my listening crew (okay, there were only three of us that day) and we sat down with the stereo cranked for the ultimate listening atmosphere/pleasure. With only one listen, the tween turned to me and solemnly said, That’s their ‘definite’ top five single, probably even number one. And the part of the chorus that goes,Good god, you're coming up with reasonsGood god, you're dragging it outGood god, it's the changing of the seasons... has a killer hook. People won’t get that chorus out of their heads. Ian also went on to acknowledge the clearness of the lyrics (e.g. well enunciated) and I added my two cents - listeners will relate to the song’s theme of alienation while having to ‘fake it’. Ian promptly urged me to write an article about Fake It but I reasoned that since the CD wasn’t ‘officially’ coming out until October 23rd, I wanted to wait and hear the CD in its entirety as I often find another “Top Ten” gem amongst the song line up.
Well, Seether’s Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces was released today and the CD is brilliant. As Ian predicted, the chorus to Fake It is indelible and Lisa is correct in reminding us to keep our eyes on this band. Despite our continuous play of Fake It, it is radio airplay that brings a song (even an already fabulous one) more to life than any stereo.This may be the band’s third kick at the can (they have had success with Fragile, Karma and Effect, and have played 2002’s Ozzfest) but they still know when to kick the can out of the playground.When Fake It was first released, Lisa offered me the opportunity to interview Shaun Morgan but I was hesitant because between his break-up with Amy Lee (of Evanescence - her songs Call Me When You're Sober and Lithium were written about him); his stints in and out of rehab, and with the recent suicide (August/07) of his brother Eugene, I felt Shaun was too similar to an inflamed piece of skin - sensitive tissue that may react adversely to the wrong touch or approach. Having experienced the aftermath of both suicide and substance abuse within my environment, I wanted to give Shaun wide berth while he worked through his personal issues.Here it is, October, and I still feel the need to allow Shaun his space. I hope to eventually chat with him and the band, and perhaps ask all the questions that I have longed to - including those that may step over the line of do you really need to know? It is hard not to be intrigued by the life this South African born musician has experienced thus far.
For now, Swanktrendz extends its congratulations and we are content to sit back and watch an incredible song/CD rocket its way up the charts.Good call Lisa and Ian. Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces song listing is:1. Like Suicide
