Since the days he went by Manitoba, my good friend Owen has been raving about Caribou. On a whim one May night, my friends and I decided to keep our night going* and head to the Phoenix for his show. It was this night that I finally understood why Owen and so many other people were in love with this band.
Buzz about his latest album Swim aside, I had heard quite a lot about Dan Snaith. The winner of the Polaris Prize, a mathematician, and in many people's opinion a musical genius. After wowing countless people with his understanding of music, Snaith may be the best thing that has ever come out of Dundas, Ontario**.
I have already raved about how good Swim is as a record, but live, the songs are unstoppable. With a band that knows every note of the album, Caribou turned the Phoenix into the closest thing to a rave that most hipsters would ever want to take part in. Taking time to really hash it out, every sound is lovingly performed the way it was intended to be. Like many of the other front men I have described on this year's list, Snaith is a lot of fun to watch in action. Whether he's singing while in front of a keyboard or going to town on a drum kit, there's always a flurry of energy to keep your eyes busy.
By the dates above, you can see I clearly went to this show twice. Once was not enough to fuel my lust for the 'Bou. While the first time was an experiment, the second was driven by a simple need to dance.
During both gigs, the mix of old and new were well represented. If there was ever a doubt as to how well the songs from Andorra would mesh with Swim, they were quickly put to bed. As much as Snaith went back to the drawing board on Swim, you almost wonder if it was just part of a mathematical musical master plan inside Snaith's head. The way the two albums work together live is almost spooky.
Once again, I'm at a bit of a loss to describe why I like Caribou so much. If there's any indication of what type of music I typically listen to on this blog, I'm sure it's clear that it doesn't include a lot of electronic music. That alone is a testament to how much I like the work Dan Snaith and co. do while on stage. It's just something that must be experienced. If you feel like picking up their live record, go for it. I'm sure it shows off the band's talents in a live atmosphere. But to truly get it, just go see them in person. Maybe even twice.
* Apparently Hot Tub Time Machine wasn't enough to please us that night.
**Excluding hockey players.
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