The Wheat Pool at the Cadillac Lounge, March 30 2010. Jeff Butler photo
Review–The Wheat Pool at the Cadillac Lounge, Toronto, March 30 2010
-review by Eugene Osudar/photos by Jeff Butler
“I just wanna thank
Bob Dylan
for opening for us.”
and so began
The Wheat Pool’s
Toronto appearance.
The Cadillac Lounge
reminds me of home,
The Times Changed
High and Lonesome,
characters abound
older and younger
a mix, more older.
shall i count thy
tattoos dear
servers? and
linger over your
(kissable) shoulders?
Bob Dylan’s majestic
marriage of
music and poetry
plays over the bar’s
sound system.
well, a DVD live
performance of his
best, at his best,
with the best band
i’ve seen him with
since the late 80s.
oh GE Smith!
the Cadillac Lounge
has Caddy parts for
decor, headlights and
bumpers, grills and
shiny metal, real
heavy metal.
The Times has bath
robes for regulars
hung up on hooks
along several walls,
scores of bathrobes.
comfort and joy.
music and good people.
last night, Alberta’s
The Wheat Pool flew
into town for a free
show.
The Wheat Pool at the Cadillac Lounge, March 30, 2010. Jeff Butler photo
they gave the Lounge’s
patrons two sets,
right around 90 minutes
of music that, for the first
set, sent tingles and
shivers racing up and
down my rocky spine.
and in the second,
began with a more
mellow/melancholy
tone and ended more
with a bang rather
than its “whimpering”
beginning.
Lefty
Nervous Bird
This Is it
Not Here
Too Far Apart
Right Arm
One of These Nights
Neil Young (the song title)
Peniel, Saskatchewan
Evergreen
Emily Carr
GCC
FBD
Italy
Helpless (yes, Neil Young)
Phonebook
brothers Mike and Rob
split the lead vocals,
song by song,
and Glen plays lead
guitar lines like Neil
Young, no whammy bar,
just by shaking and
wobbling his instrument’s
body, sustaining and bending
notes like Beckham’s
free kicks, and yes, Glen
employs at least 10
effects pedals.
Steph on drums, plays
clean, totally committed
to playing the songs,
without ego and the need
to be noticed. excellent
drumming.
The Wheat Pool at the Cadillac Lounge, March 30, 2010. Jeff Butler photo
Rob’s voice is in that
Jim Cuddy beautiful place/
space.
Harmonies with the brothers
and Glen are sweepingly
glorious. shivers and
tingles.
Hauntario is a beautiful
CD. i love hearing any
of its songs as they come
up
on my itunes shuffle. and
often, i will stop the shuffle
and let the rest of Hauntario’s
songs play out and then return
to shuffle mode.
Blue Rodeo
Neil Young
are obvious in their
influences.
the Neil Young song
opens with Rob playing
harmonica just like
Neil. and Helpless
is helpless, oh North
Ontario!
of course, Neil Young is
and always will be from Winnipeg!
Ha!
the Wheat Pool’s
harmonies and interplay,
The Rheostatics.
That’s Beautiful.
gorgeous harmonies
and voices,
i miss The Rheos.
catch The Wheat Pool
for a wonderful mix
of Neil, Blue Rodeo and
The Rheostatics.
The Wheat Pool
March 30
Cadillac Lounge.
