Sometimes the process of listening to and evaluating droves of music can become a little tedious. By which I mean it can become soul-sucking and awful. It’s important, when this kind of feeling creeps in, to remind myself why I started doing this in the first place. That reminder, as it turns out, often lies in live music. 

I knew that the Wolf Parade concert was going to be great. Despite my disdain for their new crappy album (I don’t like it. Get over it), they are one of my favourite bands. Top three, in fact (with Animal Collective, obviously, and Of Montreal, whose most recent album also sucks balls). What I didn’t know, however, was that the opening band was going to be so incredibly kick ass.

Listening Party. Wow. Their performance was energetic and straight forward. They were really thrilled to be there and the audience was really thrilled to have them. Furthermore, their chant-like, percussion-heavy style of rock and roll was really fucking great. Better still, they have about 97 songs you can download on their Myspace page. Thanks to Listening Party, my iTunes is a better place.

As for Wolf Parade, they were phenomenal. As expected. There are bands, like Animal Collective, whose live performances bear little resemblance to their recorded songs we know and love. They create an entirely different experience with each show. There are also bands who can’t play their instruments and are all tone deaf, whose live music bears little resemblance to their albums for other, more tragic reasons. But then there are bands like Wolf Parade who get up there and just do everything right. They just play their wonderful songs with such energy and precision that you can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the fact that they’re RIGHT THERE doing it. Just the way you want it to be.

…Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, the show was incredible. They played all my favourites, not too much of the new album (which I am starting to warm to, by the way, even if it’s not nearly as good as their old stuff), and saved “I’ll Believe in Anything” for the encore. Just as God intended it.

Oh, and Spencer’s dad was there, so that was kind of cool. Also, I totally scored a drumstick.