BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE - THE CONCERT HALL, 12/15-16/2023

Excuse me for stealing from an earlier BSS review, but here we have another case of a Toronto
institution playing a Toronto institution. Toronto’s reigning indie rock collective have helped
bring the legendary Concert Hall (aka Masonic Temple) out of its 25 year slumber as a
dedicated live music venue and oh what a comeback it is. The band has been touring for most
of 2023 and it’s immediate, and perhaps even longterm future, seems up in the air. With the
You Forgot it in People anniversary tour now complete, the band came back to their hometown
for two more shows before they go on another one of their extended hiatuses.

In what can only be described as a strange beginning to the show, lead man Kevin Drew came
out to address the audience, and he did it without the aid of a microphone. He explained how
the shows were special not only because of the venue but because his father was watching up
in the balcony…Drew’s mother died earlier in the year and he was still grieving her loss as he
spoke to us in this intimate way. Though it was novel, Drew’s pre-show talk took energy out of
the room and put a damper on the mood.

The band came out swinging for the fences with fan favourites ‘Ibi Dreams of Pavement’ and
‘7/4 Shoreline’ but it wasn’t long after until Drew began complaining of how loud it was for
them on stage and this began a show-long battle with technical difficulties. Forgiveness Rock
Record’s ‘Texico Bitches’ and ‘World Sick’ were trotted out as was the title track to Hug of
Thunder…though they felt lethargic with the low energy in the hall.

Things picked up noticeably with the trifecta of ‘Cause = Time’, ‘Late Nineties Bedroom Rock
for the Missionaries’ and ‘Shampoo Suicide’…all of them landing with enthusiasm and raising
the spirits of those in the room. You can’t fault the players though; Amy Millan, as always, was
sweet and playful, Andrew Whiteman and Brendan Canning were charming and engaged, while
Justin Peroff’s drumming is something straight out of some sort of computer program…no way
he’s human.

This being a BSS show, of course we got some special guest appearances; Drew brought out
singer / songwriter Hannah Georgas (introducing her as his future bestie) for a version of
‘Lover’s Spit’, which was as beautiful as it should be. Former and founding member Jason
Collett was also summoned by Drew for a rendition of his own ‘Dark Times’…a fitting number
given the state of the world. Another former member, Ohad Benchetrit, was spotted in the
crowd by Drew and given a nice salute by the front man.

With a complex version of ‘Superconnected’ and a typically unifying ‘Anthems for a Seventeen
Year-old Girl’ closing the show, we were left with the feeling that it was gonna be a while before
we see this crew back together again…but then again maybe it won’t be!

-Johnny Hooper