CMW Review: Night one at The Central

March 11th, 2010

Family of the Year performing at The Central on March 10th

Well, CMW has officially started and the streets last night were crawling with music fans (despite the rain). I, like most people, had my show schedule carefully planned out so I could make it on time to each of my picks. Unfortunately that plan went down the crapper by about 8:30pm due to some unforeseen ticket/wristband/pass drama at Lee’s Palace.

A last-minute change of plans was made and I headed over to The Central on Markham St. There was a five band showcase called the Factor Breakthrough Sessions happening there, and as luck would have it the bands were actually good!

Here are my reviews:

Nive Nielsen
Nive Nielsen is a folk-rock singer-songwriter from Greenland. Last night she had a great band, including banjo, French horn and some impromptu trumpet solos.

Stage Presence: B
Nive is adorable and her band had some real characters in it, but Nive herself admitted they were under-rehearsed which caused some confusion onstage.

Stage Banter: B+
Nive had some great stories and explanations about the Inuk components in her songs. Plus she has this dreamy, sultry quality to her that’s totally enthralling.

Actual Talent: B+
Nive has a soft, airy voice that’s perfect for her cry-in-your-beer folk-rock. She’s a bit like a female Neil Young. The rest of her band, like I mentioned earlier, did seem under-rehearsed, but Nive herself carried the show.

Audience Response: B
It’s definitely hard to get the attention of the audience when you’re playing a five-band showcase in a tiny venue, but Nive managed to have at least the front half of the room paying attention.

Potential for Superstardom: B+
Nive has great songwriting skills, quirky instrumental ability (a red ukulele), and a compelling presence on stage. I suspect we’ll be hearing more about her in the future, perhaps with a better rehearsed band.

Overall Grade: B

Family of the Year
Family of the Year was, in a word, awesome! They’re a California-based indie rock band with huge potential. They’re like Wilco meets Stars. Male and female singers trade off for lead vocals, while a tight backing band plays solidly composed tunes. I was very happily surprised when this band took the stage!

Stage Presence: A
This band is hot. They’ve got something for everyone: a sexy but edgy female lead, a scruffy male lead, and a mysterious but very talented guitarist rounding up the front line. This band has some serious charisma on their side.

Stage Banter: B-
Not much stage banter from this bunch, but it wasn’t really necessary. They played fluidly through songs with little waiting time between.

Actual Talent: A
This band can play! The songs were extremely well-written and the backing band was made up of some seriously talented musicians. The guitarist in particular tore through the type of solos that give you goose bumps.

Audience Response: A
The Central got packed really quickly with media reps when these guys hit the stage. It became pretty clear that this was one of “the bands to watch” last night. Everyone in the room paid attention when they were playing.

Potential for Superstardom: A
I predict big things for Family of the Year. They really have the whole package, including some serious natural talent. They’re heading down to SXSW next week, and I’ll be surprised if they don’t get some major media attention in the next little while.

Overall Grade: A

The O’Darling
The O’Darling are a seven-piece ambient pop band from Toronto who were one of my original picks for bands to see, and they did not disappoint! The O’Darling benefit from having two very charismatic lead singers, and generally look like they’re having a great time onstage.

Stage Presence: A
This band looks like they’re having fun, and you can tell they’re all friends “in real life”. This vibe totally rubbed off on the audience. Even though they’re not the most dancey band, their music is ultra compelling.

Stage Banter: B
Not much stage banter from this group either, but what little chatting they did between songs was cute and casual.

Actual Talent: A
It’s no secret these guys are very talented. Most of the band graduated from jazz school and are all formally trained on their instruments. The singers are especially amazing.

Audience Response: B+
Unfortunately this was the last band of the night, so the audience was tired and ready to go home. It’s a testament to The O’Darling that so many people stuck around so late to see their whole set. Those who did stick around were totally enthralled – in fact, the whole room quieted to listen.

Potential for Superstardom: A
Like other Canadian supergroups such as Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene, The O’Darling is extremely talented and clearly passionate about their music. In a sea of indie rock bands, they definitely hold their own.

Overall Grade: A

Tags: canadian music week, family of the year, nive nielsen, the o'darling