Review: The Ghost is Dancing, A Catapult Western, The Cowboy and the Frenchman (Project Lodge, June 14)
Submitted by Jesse Russell on Mon, 2008-06-16 10:00
[inline:ghostisdancing6.jpg]By time Toronto's The Ghost Is Dancing finished their set on Saturday night the floor in front of the stage at the Project Lodge was covered with a pile of sweaty clothes and shoes from both band and audience members. It was the band's first time in Madison and only their second show in the United States. While chatting at the Caribou after the show co-vocalist Lesley Davies said the show and exploring Madison was probably one of their best experiences as a band and frontman Jamie Matechuk extolled love for the city and promised to be back soon.
The Ghost is Dancing is typically a nine-piece, but for this visit they left the string section at home and reduced to a sextet. The strings were barely missed as they replaced the hole in the band with exuberance and energy. Not only was the audience moving, but a handful of folks passing by the venue stopped to dance on East Johnson Street and came in to ask who they were.
[inline:ghostisdancing10.jpg]The band is currently writing and recording songs for a new album to be released next Spring (in Canada, U.S. date pending), so much of the material thrown at the audience on Saturday was new. It didn't seem to matter as the room was completely engaged. This engagement was fully realized when keyboardist Odie Ouderkirk began stripping down until he was standing on his stool in only his skivvies and clothes also began flying in the audience. It was quite the bonding moment and if the Project Lodge didn't have a 10:30 p.m. curfew surely there would have been a number of indecent exposure tickets issued to band and audience members alike.
The new material was accentuated by favorites off of the 2007 release The Darkest Spark including the title track, Shuttles and Planes, and Organ.
Providing a perfect contrast to the captivating energy of Ghost is Dancing was Madison's dark and brooding A Catapult Western. After the show frontman Jason Nyberg confessed that his band had turned down an invitation to play at Toronto's North By Northeast festival this weekend when they were invited to open for Ghost is Dancing. He said he wasn't let down. A Catapult Western filled the stage with five members and an armory of instruments including the occasional accordian and violin. ACW was tight on Saturday and they seemed perfectly at home in the Lodge. The haunting soundscapes are a slow burn, but it was very clear that the hushed audience wasn't bored, they were hypnotized. It is a rare treat these days to find a band that can fascinate an audience to the point of complete silence and respect.
[inline:ghostisdancing1.jpg]Starting everything off was Project Lodge regular The Cowboy and the Frenchman. The duo was punchy and wistful as they channeled old timey, whiskey soaked specters and succeeded in not coming off as a cliche. The combination of a guitar and upright bass managed to capture a bit of Johnny Cash as filtered through Social Distortion, but was also filled with plenty of the gunfighter vigor of Marty Robbins.
Below are images and videos from the evening. The Ghost is Dancing will return.
[inline:ghostisdancing2.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing3.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing4.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing5.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing7.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing8.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing9.jpg]
The Ghost is Dancing is typically a nine-piece, but for this visit they left the string section at home and reduced to a sextet. The strings were barely missed as they replaced the hole in the band with exuberance and energy. Not only was the audience moving, but a handful of folks passing by the venue stopped to dance on East Johnson Street and came in to ask who they were.
[inline:ghostisdancing10.jpg]The band is currently writing and recording songs for a new album to be released next Spring (in Canada, U.S. date pending), so much of the material thrown at the audience on Saturday was new. It didn't seem to matter as the room was completely engaged. This engagement was fully realized when keyboardist Odie Ouderkirk began stripping down until he was standing on his stool in only his skivvies and clothes also began flying in the audience. It was quite the bonding moment and if the Project Lodge didn't have a 10:30 p.m. curfew surely there would have been a number of indecent exposure tickets issued to band and audience members alike.
The new material was accentuated by favorites off of the 2007 release The Darkest Spark including the title track, Shuttles and Planes, and Organ.
Providing a perfect contrast to the captivating energy of Ghost is Dancing was Madison's dark and brooding A Catapult Western. After the show frontman Jason Nyberg confessed that his band had turned down an invitation to play at Toronto's North By Northeast festival this weekend when they were invited to open for Ghost is Dancing. He said he wasn't let down. A Catapult Western filled the stage with five members and an armory of instruments including the occasional accordian and violin. ACW was tight on Saturday and they seemed perfectly at home in the Lodge. The haunting soundscapes are a slow burn, but it was very clear that the hushed audience wasn't bored, they were hypnotized. It is a rare treat these days to find a band that can fascinate an audience to the point of complete silence and respect.
[inline:ghostisdancing1.jpg]Starting everything off was Project Lodge regular The Cowboy and the Frenchman. The duo was punchy and wistful as they channeled old timey, whiskey soaked specters and succeeded in not coming off as a cliche. The combination of a guitar and upright bass managed to capture a bit of Johnny Cash as filtered through Social Distortion, but was also filled with plenty of the gunfighter vigor of Marty Robbins.
Below are images and videos from the evening. The Ghost is Dancing will return.
[inline:ghostisdancing2.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing3.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing4.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing5.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing7.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing8.jpg] [inline:ghostisdancing9.jpg]
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| ghostisdancing9.jpg | 28.69 KB |
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