speed of dark

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We've seen Wolf Parade live before, last year right around the start of this blog. But nothing prepared us for the show we saw on Saturday at the tiny venue The Glasshouse. The Montreal band released the critically acclaimed Apologies to the Queen Mary in 2005, and the long-awaited follow-up to that amazing album is expected this year. At the show, we were treated to several new songs interspersed between old familiar favorites. The band didn't play two songs I was hoping for, "Grounds for Divorce" and "Secret Knives", but they also didn't play BTO's "Taking Care of Business" or anything by Slayer, even though it was requested by the audience and Dan Boeckner did a little Metallica riff at one point.

This was a powerful, energetic, fun set performed by a band containing two of the most talented and prolific singer/songwriters making music today, Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner. Both Krug and Boeckner are well-known for their side projects, including Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs, respectively. But their finest product is when they join drummer Arlen Thompson, bassist Dante DeCaro, and noise magician Hadji Bakara, who helped out opening act Holy Fuck as well during their set.

We were strategically located in front of Boeckner, whose intense and awesome performance made me think of Iggy Pop. He was that same wiry, muscular body and fierce stage presence. While Krug put on a stunning vocal and keyboard performance, this was the Dan Boeckner show, up front and center.

While I have a picture of the setlist, they didn't seem to follow it to the letter. This is what I wrote down, and when I didn't know the new song name, I've figured it out based on the live tracks from other shows. Compare this to the picture I got of the setlist - but I'm sure that if I'm wrong, someone will let me know about it:

1. Soldiers (new song)
2. Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts
3. Billy J (new song)
4. Language (new song)
5. We Built Another World
6. Chinese Waterfall (called "Chinese Way" by other bloggers - referred to by Krug as "a really sad song")
7. Shine a Light
8. New Song - possibly called "California Dreamer"?
9. It's a Curse
10. Fine Young Cannibals (or, as Boeckner said, "or Dead in a Motel Room")
11. You Are A Runner and I Am My Father's Son
12. Fancy Claps
13. Crazy Horse (new song)
ENCORE
14. This Heart's On Fire
15. I'll Believe in Anything

Thanks to Blogs are for Dogs for the lovely live versions of the tracks above.

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