TOKYO POLICE CLUB LIGHTS UP SOUND ACADEMY
We’re making sure we have plenty of layers when we head outside. The buildings are decked with lights, and all the malls have massive shiny ornaments dangling from the ceiling. It’s that time of the year again…
It’s the 2nd year in a row now, so we’re hoping it becomes an annual occurrence. Newmarket’s own Tokyo Police Club hit up the Sound Academy on Saturday night for what can only be described as the most festive concert of the year. No, seriously. It really was.
From the fake fireplace DVD playing on the monitors, to the small brass band playing Christmas tunes by the merch booth, the show was certainly trying to make up for the lack of traditional December weather that we’ve been receiving this month. Let us also not forget the ugly Christmas sweater t-shirts, toques, and mittens that the band had hanging up available for purchase, or the drunk and sweaty Santa that kept making his way around the venue for the majority of the night.
With a patient yet exuberant crowd in good spirits, TPC took to a wonderfully decorated stage. Christmas trees at both sides dressed to the nines, and a backdrop of (you guessed it) a row of large steel Christmas trees. Clad in holiday sweaters of their own, the boys decided to kick off their set by getting right down to it and played their entire 2006 debut EP A Lesson In Crimefrom front to back – the gift that certainly keeps on giving. An epic start to say the least, but it did prove to be a little too ambitious since the group and their sound techs took a few songs to get the acoustics in the building just right. Once all the levels were worked out, it’s safe to say I’ve never seen them perform better. With such a high-energy group, it’s easy to take control of the crowd and dictate the pace of the show, which is something the band always does well, and continued to do this particular evening.
After performing the album, the band received a nice ovation and then settled things down with a new song off next year’s forthcoming release. The new songs sound good, and it’s exciting to see what the new record has in store. If you were hoping for the punchy bass hooks that were commonly found in their early work, it’s probably recommended you go back and take a listen to their last album. From what it would appear, it looks like it will be a smooth transition in terms of sound, which is not necessarily a bad thing considering the reception the crowd gave after hearing Champ material.
The show offered a variety of material from all of their releases, and even a few covers. Halfway through the 23 song set, frontman Dave Monks took a minute to hand the holiday festivities over to the audience, who assisted him in singing “Let It Snow.” Would you believe it if I told you artificial snow then started falling from the already decorated rafters? Oh, it happened.
Tokyo Police Club offered up a few more hits including crowd favourite “Wait Up,” and “Your English Is Good” to close the first set. The encore was fun as well, as the band invited openers Hollerado to the stage to end the night with a rendition of “Baby, Please Come Home.” The hometown show was certainly full of surprises and a sense of endearment. Tokyo’s live presence is something that should be experienced if you’re a fan, and this show was definitely an indication of how much they enjoy playing in front of their loyal following. Don’t miss them when they come around next year.
Setlist
Cheer It On
Nature Of The Experiment
Citizens Of Tomorrow
Shoulders & Arms
If It Works
Be Good
La Ferrassie
New Song
Breakneck Speed
Favourite Colour
Graves
Not Sick
Tesselate
Bambi
Gone
Let It Snow
New Song
New Song
Wait Up
Your English Is Good
Encore
Favourite Food
Baby, Please Come Home
Review: Jesse Parkinson
Photos By: Christina Stanoulis
Category: Photo Updates, Reviews
