Confession is Good for the Soul

We last caught up with Floridian indie rockers Dashboard Confessional at MacEwen Hall last month in Calgary where they were in town promoting their long anticipated album Crooked Shadows. Last night they visited the Bronson Centre in the nation’s capital city and were preceded by Montreal songstress Gabrielle Shonk and Keswick ON (north of Toronto – I had to look it up too) natives The Elwins.

Shonk warmed the crowd up with some sweet, pure melodies. Her folk-pop sound was layered with jazz, blues, and soul influences. She came across as vulnerable, honest, and utterly charming, especially when she dipped into her francophone repertoire for the bilingual audience who roared their approval.

Next up were The Elwins, who according to their tour schedule are not only accomplished musicians, but are also talented time travelers (they were scheduled to be in both Ottawa and Quebec City on the same night according to their website), did not disappoint. The sauntered on stage amid the cheers of their loyal fans and delivered a high octane set including crowd favorites from their album Beauty Community. The quartet engaged with the audience throughout their performance and they were obviously loving this whole live performance thing going on.

It was a solid set which was somewhat reminiscent of Tokyo Police Club and Born Ruffians who ironically were also playing in Ottawa that night. I wonder if they got together after the shows and went bowling. They seem fun. I bet they bowl. Before we move on to the main act of the night, can we talk a bit about Feurd’s handlebar moustache? Simply exquisite grooming.

Next up was the main reason the brave Ottawans bundled up to face the chilly March temperatures. Lead by emo singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba, Dashboard Confessional brought some Boca Raton sunshine to the night. Carrabba, who made a name for himself in the late 90s singing about winning and losing a girl, is certainly the photogenic star of the show. The band is among the undisputed leaders of the emo movement, with international exposure from tracks like “Vindicated,” from the Spider Man 2 soundtrack” and after a 8 year hiatus are back to their old tricks.

From the first song, Best, and on to Don’t Wait and Sharp, it seemed as though the late 20s, early 30s skinny jeans wearing crowd was singing more loudly than Carrabba was. Praising “these Canadian crowds” for being the best they have heard in a long time, they seemed to really be enjoying the night and had everyone standing by the end of the show, encouraging everyone to wave their arms and not feel silly doing it.

DBC continues their tour at the Danforth in Toronto for a few nights before they make one final Canadian stop in Oshawa before heading to Texas. If you can make it out, you won’t be disappointed.

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