Heartless Bastards

Montréal

Green Room

June 19, 2007

Mary Niven

Put your boots on because I feel some pigeon stomping coming on, yo!

Refreshingly low-fi and on Fat Possum to boot (R.L. Burnside, Paul Wine Jones, etc.), the Bastards are a powerhouse, articulate, and with somewhat sombre vocals, it was a nice rockn’ show and I liked the small, extremely affordable venue. This being said, a small venue can turn on you as fast as a methed up, druken redneck at a rodeo. I wouldn’t be quite so dramatic in this case, but there was one really annoying dancer, singer that was hoggin’ the space and drawing attention to himself and away from the band. I can’t be too critical of stupid people in crowds because I am sure I have been one of them, as we all have been from time to time, but I guess it’s just part of the karmic ebb and flow of life.

Changing directions with a little personal side note: the artistic integrity of musicians can normally be put on a likert scale ranging from no artistic integrity to much artistic integrity. Just to visualise a little, Britney Spears would be at the bottom and Grandaddy would be at the top, alongside the Heartless Bastards. No pretentiousness whatsoever, just good, down to earth musicians trying to elevate themselves through their music and bring a little rock sway to your hips. I read a bio about the group before seeing them and Erika Wennerstrom made the comment that she knew since she was a child that she wanted to be a musician. I totally felt that. It is like she was made to do her thang and she done did it alright. They were really tight and just an all around feel good, wholesome time. I will have to admit that I drank a little too much beer and ended up leaving a little early to stumble home to a cold, damp, dark, empty dungeon………. Such is life.