The Panther Prints

February 11, 1997

ENTERTAINMENT

(and arts)

By KAREN RAWLINES & MELISSA BUOTE

The nay-sayers said it would never happen. They said Andrew Scott was sick. They said that they had lost their hometown pride.

They were wrong.

Sloan played the Barn. Thrush Hermit came withthem. That is all that matters.

What is there to say about a show that defied the hype? The eclectic crowd of fans and ignoramuses alike were loud, raucous and bois- terous. Boisterous enough, in fact, to shove the innocent re- ally hard, making the loyal and dutiful True Fans lace the lyr- ics with “ouches” as they sang along.

Hot on the heels of be- coming Metallica’s label mate, Haligonian rockers Thrush Hermit kicked out the jams in characteristic arena-rock style. Long nights in front of mirrored walls practicing Johnny Rock moves appears to have paid off for these young, strapping lads. Ian McGettigan’s contortionistic bass moves and incredible flex- ibility wowed the young ladies, and heck, even a few gents

admired his form.

Rugged good looks, however, will only take these boys so far, and thankfully, the guys realize it. Offering win- ning singles from new and old releases alike, the Hermit rocked our sorry asses all night. Some definite hit-potential ac- companies their eminent re- lease, Sweet Homewrecker, coming out on Elektra this month. Save your pennies, kiddies, and run to a record store near you to score this hep cat slab 0’ wax. Trust me: “North Dakota” is worth the insane PEI prices. Listen to it until the digits wear off.

Now on to Sloan. How hard is it to play when your fans are being crushed and mauled before your very eyes? One would think this would pose a bit of a distraction. A few songs into their set (fol- lowing a heroic leap into the crowd to salvage a fledgeling fan), the violence eventually plateaued. Apparently noth- ing could be doneto keep things to a complacent, dull roar, but adversity breeds endurance.

It appears that several Sloanheads at the show felt that they deserved V.I.P.

treatment, having memorized

the choruses to the first three singles off the band’s newly golden album. If there was enough room on stage, I’m surethe boys would have called us all up for a very special intimate and interactive mo- ment. Alas, this is not to be in the cozy confines of the big, red Barn.

Sloan whipped up a sat- isfying sampling of sounds from their most recent three releases, as well as a new track. Unfortunately, the freshly baptized hordes of fans were hoping for the set list to move from one hit to another.

Sorry if you were underwhelmed, but that’s not a word.

The Friends of Much Music Society members were happily treated to a fine rendi- tion of “The Lines You Amend” and all the post- Smeared hits proved to still have their original lustre. Hav- ing obviously matured as a band in sound and style, Sloan are showing that it is not neces- sary to cater to the whims of the media and critics by main- taining a consciousness of the goings-on off stage.

Consider yourself lucky to have been a part of Sloan’s first PEI show, rounding out their provincial checklist. Like Haley’s Comet, it could be a long time coming for a repeat performance.

Joel Plaskett wails during the Thrush Hermit set. What a Heart-Wrenching Man... What a Sweet Homewrecker...

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