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Concert Wed Apr 23 2008
Constantines Achieving Heights
Everybody is familiar with bands who go through the motions live and leave crowds shrugging at the end. Even great songs can sound mediocre after such performances. But there's a rarer creature out there - the band who improves on their recorded output in front of an audience. This is what Toronto's Constantines do. They're the type of band who you see live and think, "Why can't they make these songs sound this good on an album?!" Now, that's not implying that their records are anywhere near bad. It's just a testament to how dynamic they are live.
Whether it's Bryan Webb's raw vocals or Steve Lambke's intricate guitaring or Doug MacGregor's drumming assault, there is a little something extra in their music when they're in the same room as opposed to on the stereo. The trudging songs that the band has perfected over the years ("You Are a Conductor", "Time Can Be Overcome") stand out right along with the brooding rock anthems ("Nighttime/Anytime (It's Alright)", "Working Full-Time"). There is no reason to believe that they won't do live for the upcoming Kensington Heights what they've done for its predecessors.
Constantines headline the Empty Bottle on Thursday. Brooklyn's Oakley Hall and Austin's The Fall Collection open the show at 9PM. Tickets are $12.