Moffatts
Air Canada Centre's Sears Theatre, Toronto
Thursday, January 25, 2001
TORONTO -- If nothing else, The Moffatts have impeccable
timing.
The quartet of fresh-faced teenaged brothers from Victoria,
B.C., arrived at the Air Canada Centre's Sears Theatre one day
after getting two Juno nominations for best group and best pop
album for their latest release, Submodalities.
Naturally then the band played plenty from their rock-influenced
new record last night, including opening the show with the first
hit single, Bang Bang Boom, much to the delight of 4,500
screaming, mostly young, female fans.
Still, it was a medley of older songs -- I'll Be There For
You, Girl Of My Dreams and Miss You Like Crazy -- that really
revved up the hormonally charged crowd, who joined in a spirited
singalong and screamfest.
Another big crowd-pleaser was a genuine surprise.
Would you believe a decent cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet
Home Alabama featuring Shaun Verreault of opening act Wide Mouth
Mason on wailing bluesy guitar?
To their credit, lead singer-guitarist Scott, bassist
Clint, keyboardist Dave and drummer Bob never shied away from
their excitable audience.
Despite a more grownup look for the band -- including
sideburns and a bright red dye-job for Scott and a pierced
eyebrow for Dave -- there was no aloofness from this foursome.
The brothers did their best to move around their stripped-down
stage and chat up the crowd, although the combination of muddled
sound and audience screams made it hard to understand exactly
what they were saying.
That didn't really seem to matter to the fans, who were on
their feet, singing, clapping and waving blue-coloured glow
sticks along to every song.
Scott, in particular, seemed to have the pop star thing
down pat as he hammed it up by playing his guitar lying down or
on his knees. And later, once the show had ended, he was the one
who remained the longest on the stage waving to the audience.
The last time The Moffatts played the Air Canada Centre
they were opening for Christina Aguilera in front of a crowd four
times the size of last night's audience.
They certainly seemed comfortable in the venue during a
solid, if unremarkable, hour-and-40-minute set of music.
The audience, in turn, headed straight for the exits right
after the closing song, Life On Mars -- a curfew on a school
night maybe? -- without much thought for an encore that came
right away.
First up was The Moffatts' latest single, Just Another
Phase, followed by the dreaded drum solo, and then the audience
favourite, Misery.
The Moffatts are confirmed to perform on the Junos, which
take place March 4 at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton and will be
broadcast live on CBC-TV from 8-10 p.m.
In addition to the band's two Juno nominations, Bob Rock
was nominated for best producer and Randy Staub for best
recording engineer for Submodalities.
(Original text: http://www.canoe.ca/AllPop-Moffatts/c012601_toronto-can.html )