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...
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      32
      University
      Avenue
     
    
   
   
    
     
      After
      hours,
      join
      the
      crowd
     
     
      We're
      open
      until
      3:00am
     
     
      Fai
      s
      &
      Saturdays
     
     
      e
      Out
      Available!
     
     
      call
      566-2567