Kaiser Chiefs at the Commodore, March 24, 2012

It's 9pm at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom. A barrier has been set up in front of the stage. Right. It's going to be one of THOSE shows.

The first opener was unimpressive. Standard 4-piece setup: drums, bass & backing vocals, lead guitar & backing vocals, rhythm guitar & lead singer. Vocalist likely gets by on his James van der Beek-reminiscent look, because it sure can't be that his thin, reedy voice is appealing, or the frequent shakes of his thin, across-his-face hair. The rhythm section is decent, I'll give them that. Very little interaction with the audience. Rule #1 I always thought was: respect the audience, Rule #2 being: if it’s not YOUR audience, convert them. Very little interaction even between band members as well, with the exception of the aforementioned rhythm section. A lot of ‘wannabe a rockstar’ posturing. After half a dozen or so songs, the last of which was noticeably LedZep/Pink Floyd influenced (subtlety in honouring your heroes is always preferable, in my mind; as George Stroumboulopoulos says “a nod to the gods”), I was a little relieved when our time with San Diego’s The Transfer was over.

Cincinnati, Ohio's Walk the Moon were a different story. Mind you, in areas in which the legal age is over 21, the might have a problem as this band's average age by looks alone is about 19. Wonderful energy from this 4-piece: microphones for all, drums, bass, guitar, with the lead singer also doubling on keyboards and a stand-up drum. All four were set up in a row near the front of the stage. All band members had good connections with the crowd, and interactions varied, but they were there (practitioners of Rules #1 and 2, as above). They were enjoying themselves and their upbeat music showed it. The music is definitely radio-friendly and rhythmically diverse (great syncopation in the first song), the closest band I can sort of compare them to is Young the Giant (with a bit of classic Blur thrown in) who are currently enjoying some great success. I wish Walk the Moon equally well (drummer's fashion sense notwithstanding. Style intervention, please! *g*) – being signed to a major label like RCA should help in that regard. Their set was about as long as that of the first support act, with much differing results, they'd impressed me by song 2 (no pun intended). Buying the 3-song EP.

The main event: Kaiser Chiefs. You know you like a band when you can’t remember which of their many great songs actually ‘did it’, turned you into a fan. I do have the June 2007 issue of Q Magazine, so it's been at least that long. I’ve always enjoyed them lyrically: cynical, funny, often biting, minimal sugar-coating, but above all smart. Vocally strong without sounding like notes are being pushed: vocal range is similar, safe even, but the songs don’t sound the same. Tempo changes, mood changes, tunes that are more melodic and others that are more rhythmic in nature – Kaiser Chiefs have some really lovely variety. The energy of the songs is contagious and seeing/hearing that in a live setting is even more so. Great interaction with the audience, no more “we are Kaiser Chiefs” after every few songs (I only heard it twice in their 90-minute set, incl. encore). What I also appreciated was the absence of expletives. Maybe one solitary F-bomb, that’s it (take note: Mother Mother's Ryan Guldemond).

Lead singer Ricky Wilson appeared almost everywhere: on the barrier to the moat (security prevented a crowd surf, would’ve made singing difficult I imagine), on the monitors, on the stage left speakers, in front of the bar on the west side of the venue, and always very much aware of the audience. The crowd on the floor was very responsive, don’t know how it was for the side tables, I’ve never seen a show from the sidelines. No mosh pit, no excessive pushing from the back towards the front: thank you, everyone in the audience. I don’t know the songs off The Future is Medieval (or Start the Revolution Without Me) well, yet, so I happily used them as my resting songs, saving my energy and my voice for the ones I know so well and happily exhausted myself for. Enjoying eye contact for the first four lines of Ruby wasn’t too shabby either (they’re in my favourite quotes section on my Facebook page, by the way). A very nice stagehand gave me a setlist to take away: never discount the power of a friendly voice and pleases and thank yous, people, even when (especially when) you don’t get what you asked for. All in all, a blissfully enjoyable and physically exhausting evening of musical joy. Don’t judge me: the selfish part of me wishes they will always play in intimate venues like the Commodore, but I believe they can absolutely rock a stadium. I’d love to see it, especially on their home turf, so I’m all the more grateful for that intimacy of smaller venues (ca. 1,000 person capacity). Thank you for a most enjoyable Saturday Night…hint, hint for next time.

Photo credit: Walk the Moon: http://walkthemoonband.com/category/media/photos/
Kaiser Chiefs’ March 24/2012 setlist: Sigrid Bernhoerster

TV: Republic of Doyle

Season 3 - after 9 episodes

On the surface, this is a show written by a man for an audience of men. It’s got machismo and oodles of testosterone; Jake even drives a Pontiac GTO. Granted, it’s not quite the General from Dukes of Hazzard, but aims to be just as iconic. Hey, Supernatural is doing it with the Chevrolet Impala, so why not raise a prized possession to that status? Digging deeper, this show can be downright clever – fully taking advantage of the jokey stereotype: just because Newfoundlanders sound like “good old boys” doesn’t mean they aren’t smart.

Allan Hawco is writer, executive producer and star, playing the character of Jake Doyle. Ireland’s Sean McGinley does a great job playing Malachy Doyle. Normally, non-Newfoundlanders try for Newfinese and end up with a crap Irish accent (Exhibit A: The Shipping News). McGinley already has the Irish accent, so the modifications he needs to make are spot-on. The show is a bit of a homage to Newfoundland and features a lot of Newfoundland & Labrador actors in guest starring roles: Gordon Pinsent, Mark Critch, Mary Jones, Alan Doyle, Shaun Majumder, Shawn Doyle (no relation), Sebastian Spence. Other Canadian acting heavy-hitters have also participated among them Paul Gross, Nicholas Campbell and Victor Garber. Getting Russell Crowe for the season 3 opener was a real coup for the show (thank you Alan Doyle. Yah, we know you hooked it up).

The inter-personals can be a bit shallow: Jake loves Lesley, Lesley loves Jake, but it’s a "so close, but no cigar" relationship, partially because the show's guest starring women find him so irresistibly charming (maybe a bit of wishful thinking there, but the work Hawco’s done on his physique is impressive) and also because as a private investigator, he doesn't do things by the book. There is no book, Jake pretty much flies by the seat of his pants. Des loves Tinny, Tinny loves Des, but neither can admit it. But, the humour is SO Newfoundland, the locations are SO St. John’s (Dangit, I miss the Duke of Duckworth!) – it’s endearing. Krystin Pellerin as Det. Leslie Bennett could be little more than a caricature, but she brings great integrity to the role and she and Hawco have great rapport, especially when they’re sparring. Dialogue is everything from light and fluffy to bittersweet.

For folks who haven't seen it, the show is fond of starting an episode in a “situation” and then structuring it as to how they got to that point with flashbacks to fill in the chronological holes whilst moving the plot forward. Sometimes I don’t know why I watch, but when I see an episode on my PVR's list of recordings, it rarely sits there long. I’m entertained. Job done.

Plus, because it's on my PVR, I get to skip over the annoying "Oh Yeah" musical bumpers at the beginning and end of the commercial breaks courtesy of Newfoundland's Great Big Sea. I don't care what anyone says, "Oh Yeah" is not a catch phrase.

Republic of Doyle airs on Wednesday evenings on CBC at 9 pm. Barring any repeats, the season finale should be on March 21/2012 because Wikipedia, 'source of all knowledge', says Season 3 comprises 11 episodes.

Photo from: http://www.criticsatlarge.ca/2011/02/newfoundlands-finest-in-praise-of.html

TV: King

Season 2, 2 episodes in:

I like Amy Price-Francis. She was a stand-out in The Chicago Code and is thoroughly convincing as tough-as-nails (with plenty of sex appeal for the male viewership) Detective Sergeant Jessica King. She doesn’t blink when confronted, she sees situations in black and white, and, without actually ever saying it, she’s all about the victim. Every episode carries the title of the episode’s victim. Her relationship with her husband and everything that happens outside of her job humanises her as and does her passion for great shoes. She’s not a super cop or a super woman, she does not play nicely with others, but she’s very good at her job and she gets the job done. To say she carries the show is an understatement.

It’s a very quick hour as a procedural, it hums along nicely and the music between scenes supports it by being upbeat and peppy. Good supporting team in this show. There haven’t been many things I have actually liked Gabriel Hogan in, he was barely tolerable in Traders, he was atrocious in The Associates – so, traditionally he’s been a bit of a channel changer for me. He’s gotten much better over the years and as Danny Sless, King’s husband and a uniformed police officer, he does an okay job. He is the younger of the two in the relationship, he is the junior officer at the police station; between that and his gambling habit, it all makes for an interesting dynamic. Alan van Sprang as Det. Derek Speers was part nemesis and is now part closest ally. The crime-solving outfit functioning as this show's arm of the law is the Major Crimes Task Force of Toronto's Metropolitan Police Department. Speers used to run it and King’s heading it was a plot twist early in the first season and since then the two have had a bit of a love-hate relationship. So much so that by the 2nd season’s 2nd episode, Speers is demanding a paternity test on King’s unborn child. This kind of dichotomy is part and parcel of the show: the crime-solving is fairly straight-forward as far as procedurals go, it's outside of the job when things get messy.

Price-Francis is the face and the name of the show. In the opening credits, she is the only actor mentioned by name (and she's not an Executive Producer or anything). I think this subtly underscores the transience of all the other characters in the show. Out of the 4-person team King led in the first season, only she and Speers have remained. I don't know how that bodes for the rest of the season, but not getting attached to anyone seems like a good way to go. Jessica King might be all viewers really need.

King airs on Showcase several times a week, Wednesday's 11 am (PST) episode leads the week.

Photo from http://www.tvfull.com/show/144797124_/328_8/

TV: Breaking In

Season 2, Opening Episode

A comedy I like! I am SO happy this show is back. See, I'm not down on all comedies. Why do I like this one? Christian Slater as (now former boss) Oz is at his most dry in the humour department and Bret Harrison (Reaper) as Cameron makes a wonderful foil to his boss’s sweeping plans. Adding Will & Grace’s Megan Mullally to the cast was a stroke of genius. The loss of Michael Rosenbaum in the mix is unfortunate, but it makes sense because his on-screen girlfriend Melanie, played by Odette Annable, was doing double-duty as Dr Adams on House.

The second season debuted on March 6 on Global (American network is Fox) and it’s still as witty, humorous, and charming (not sure if that adjective fits, but it does in my mind) as it was when it first began. I hope this series reboot works in making it a success for Fox. For one, it would be unfortunate for Christian Slater to have starred in 3 consecutive failures and for the other, because this show does have characters interesting enough for at least a full season. Fingers crossed viewers feel the same way.

Photo from http://www.remotepatrolled.com/2011/04/coming-soon-breaking-in/

TV: Awake

Thoughts after the premiere episode:

A couple of familiar faces. BD Wong plays a psychiatrist – isn’t that what he did on Law & Order: SVU? Wilmer Valderrama is in a serious role, which is interesting, but he does a good job. Steve Harris has moved from playing a lawyer (The Practice) to detective. The show ended in 2004 and the guy doesn’t look a day older. Jason Isaacs – I’m biased, I adore this man. I have probably since The Patriot, but definitely since The State Within from 2006. Awake is about 2 realities - Isaacs’s character tries to figure out which is real after he has a car accident. In one reality, his son is killed in the crash, but his wife survives. In the other, he has lost his wife, but his son is alive. He goes to 2 psychiatrists, one in each reality, and in each he’s in treatment for post-traumatic stress. He can’t connect well with either after the accident. I’m getting the impression that it’s part crime drama (he’s a homicide detective in each reality) but also a little of the paranormal “what if”.

The show flips back and forth between the two realities and the only way the viewer can keep them straight is by which shrink he’s talking to and by who his partner is (Harris in one and Vilmerrama is in the other). The show could maintain its structure if he were solving the same crime in each of the realities, but instead you see elements of one in the other. Details do cross over into the dream world. But which is which? Is that a choice he can make and what kind of a choice would that be? He either “kills” his wife or his son. His choice in the first episode is not to choose – he can keep them both, and he’s more than happy to, even if it costs him everything else. He keeps his realities straight by wearing a different colour rubber band around his wrist. When he doesn’t see it, he is absolutely lost. He really doesn’t have a clue what’s really real. It’s all real as far as he’s concerned.

The show has potential. It’s just not terribly interesting right now. I really hope the story develops some more depth, otherwise I don’t think it’ll keep me interested.

Image from: http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/awake/photo-gallery-detail/EP01419003/939860

TV: A Gifted Man

Reflections after the season/series finale:
I’ve liked this first season (gratuitous exploding taxicab notwithstanding). By the time the season finale aired on March 2 however, I did understand why a TV editor wrote back in September that he wasn’t sure what exactly it was trying to be: socially conscious in helping the poor, ghost whispering/Jiminy Cricket ex-wife fuelling that social conscience in the lead character/little of the medical procedural. In the last podcast I did with Vanessa Ho and Nadya Ogloff, I mentioned that I still don’t know what this “gift” is. He’s good at everything except people? As much as I do still like Jennifer Ehle, she’s wasted on the show. Her character has no presence, but above all, Anna serves no purpose. If it is back next season, I’m pretty sure I will not be.

A Focus on Hard Cheese

Village Cheese Co “Cheddar Smokehouse”
I’m finding I’m not a huge fan of smoked cheeses. This one comes from Armstrong, BC. It was hard and granular like a regular cheddar. Pasteurised milk is its main ingredient, I’m assuming it’s cow because the company’s logo has a Holstein-looking cow being milked on it. The label has no nutritional information. I didn’t like the taste of it too much. Melted was a different story. The taste of the smoke melts with the cheese and really mellows the taste. The fat separates well enough, so it’s easy to drain off and the cheese still has a nice gooey texture once it’s been drained. My 82 gram piece was $3.35 (the kilo sells for $40.90).

Dubliner Cheese Kerrygold
No rind really to speak of, the outside is slightly harder than the inside, but there’s barely a difference. It’s a hard, granular cheese (Moisture Content is only 37%) and the buttery taste is that slightly sweet, slightly tart one that makes your tastebuds dance. Pasteurised cow’s milk is the main ingredient of this, perhaps obviously, Irish cheese. It melts really well. Very gooey – I would LOVE to see this as part of a grilled cheese or atop a pasta dish. When it melts, the oil doesn’t separate easily, so if you melt in order to drain some of the saturated fat, the cheese doesn’t give it up without a fight. The Milk Fat content is 31%. My 88 gram piece was $3.07 at Capers/Whole Foods, and the kilo goes for $34.90.

Kaltbach Gruyere by Emmi
Lovely smoothness (Moisture Content is 38%) to the cheese at room temperature. This Swiss cheese has a very mild taste to it. The closer you get to the buttery rind, the stronger the taste gets, but only by the tiniest of degrees. The outermost rind isn’t edible, but it was no effort to remove it. Similarly with the colour – in the centre it’s a light yellow and at the edible part of the rind, the colour gets a little deeper towards a brownish-grey. Melted, it’s easy to see why Gruyere is the go-to cheese for fondue. The fat (it has a Milk Fat of 28%) separates very easily and the soft cheese remaining has a faintly nutty-mushroomy taste to it. Very tasty. The Emmi Website says this cheese has been cave aged, Kaltbach is the name of the cave itself. Gruyere is an AOC protected trademark within Europe. My 30 gram piece was only $1.50 (but the kilo retails for $49.90) at my local Whole Foods.

Photo of the Kaltbach Gruyere from www.emmi-kaltbach.ch
Photo of the Kerrygold Dubliner from www.kerrygold.com