Joel Plaskett at Massey Hall: Good things come in Three's

I assure you, good things come in 3's. Joel Plaskett thinks so too. How else to explain having the confidence to put out a rare 3-disc album that contains something for everyone: a disc of rock and roll break-up songs, one of more down-tempo acoustic songs, and one of smart indie-pop? And how to explain how Joel is a deft hand at all three genres? Or that there were 3 of us going to see his show at Massey Hall on Saturday night?

Okay, that last one was pushing it.

Saturday May 23rd marked Joel Plaskett's debut at Massey Hall. This prolific singer-songwriter from Nova Scotia has been working the music scene for years, from his days in Thrush Hermit back in the 90s through to 7 albums/EPs over the past decade, either solo or fronting The Joel Plaskett Emergency. His most recent album has proven to be his most ambitious, "Three" - three discs, 27 songs of love and youth and toasting friends long gone, of leaving and coming home.

And the good things came in 3's that night. Joel played 3 sets over 3 hours. The opening set pronounced the night as Joel Plaskett and Family and Friends, as Joel opened the show with a 45-minute set with the musicians who he recorded Three with: singers Rose Cousins and Ana Egge, and his dad Bill Plaskett playing guitar.

Playing the historic Massey Hall made it a special night, and Joel shared the stage with his friends. After a couple of his songs, Joel accompanied first Ana Egge then Rose Cousins as they each sang a song from their own releases.

A short intermission (with an insane run on the basement bar and washrooms) and Joel returned, backed by The Joel Plaskett Emergency for a more rocking set of music. By the time he got into Through & Through & Through, I saw something I had seen in ages: the Massey Hall audience, up on their feet and dancing away as The Joel Plaskett Emergency rocked out.

And I got to tell you, Joel is a great performer - in person he demonstrates all the skill that's made him a mainstay in Canadian indie music all these years, jumping from celebratory rock to intimate acoustic numbers. And it's not enough he's a talented singer, songwriter, musician, but damned if he isn't genuinely charming and just a nice guy. Joel just entertains the audience so well, chatting between songs, telling stories about how he got this keyboard for $7 at Value Village, and singing about his cat. And it's not just him, but also the company he keeps: the Joel Plaskett Emergency are all pro's, not letting a busted bass drum phase them. And Rose and Ana just killed holding the long note during "Wishful Thinking" (you'll know the part).


Just before playing a Kelowna-friendly version of "Love This Town", an exuberant young fan who was pogoing like Tigger during the end of the second set kept shouting at Joel. Joel graciously walked up to chat with him:

Joel: "Mandy from Moncton? Of course I know her! She comes and rocks out at every show!"
Dude: "That's my sister!!!!"

As distracting as he was, you could see the guy was doing it out of love for Joel. Well, probably some booze too, but mainly love and boundless joy. Just like everyone else in Massey Hall that night.

The whole show was top to bottom fantastic, easily one of my favourites this year. But it comes down to a couple of moments. The way we shot out of our seats like a shot when "Through & Through & Through" started and we all started dancing. Cheering and pumping fist in the air through "Million Dollars" as Joel sang "Lonely love, gotta leave it behind" followed by Ana and Rose crooning back "Every time they look at us, we'll blow their mind" all velvet smooth.

But the moment that made me feel proud for Joel, like they way you feel for a friend, was during his third set, the encore, when he was singing all 16 verses of the epic length closing song "On & On & On", which also closes Three. It's sounds like a guy drinking to the life he's lived and he continues to live. Around verse 8 he sings:

I'm just like my father
With calloused fingertips

And he casts a look to his right and there's his father, playing with him onstage at Massey Hall. Followed by:

I'm just like my mother
When the red wine's at her lips

And there she is in the front row, best seat in the house, next to his wife.

As Joel played on the whole 12 minutes of the song, eventually leading us in a singalong about his little white cat White Fang. Yes, he really loves that cat.

Finally, after 3 hours, Joel finally took that bow with everyone, and the audience went into the night, beaming smiles of happy happy happy, through and through and through.

If you want a sample of what Joel Plaskett's music is like, head over to CBC Radio 3 where they have a session recorded with Joel Plaskett Live at The Capitol Theatre, Moncton, from 24 Apr 2009 streaming on the website or download the podcast as an MP3.

Joel Plaskett at Massey Hall - the2scoops Flickr set including a pic I snapped of the set list for the 2nd set


Updated with full set list via NXEW:

First Set
1. Happen Now - La De Da (2005)
2. Deny, Deny, Deny - Three (2009)
3. Pine, Pine, Pine - Three
4. In the Blue Moonlight - Three
5. Farmer's Daughter, Ana Egge solo - Road to My Love (2009)
6. Nothing More to Say - Ashtray Rock (2007)
7. Heartless, Heartless, Heartless - Three
8. Rewind, Rewind, Rewind - Three
9. Lost in the Valley, Rose Cousins solo- If You Were Me (2006)
10. Rollin', Rollin', Rollin' - Three

Second Set
1. Work Out Fine - Truthfully Truthfully (2003)
2. Extraordinary - Truthfully Truthfully
3. Through & Through & Through - Three
4. Gone, Gone, Gone - Three
5. Sailors Eyes - Three
6. You Let Me Down - Three
7. Precious, Precious, Precious - Three
8. Ashtray Rock - Ashtray Rock
9. Run, Run, Run - Three
10. True Patriot Love - Down at the Khyber (2001)
11. Spinning for You - website download
12. Nowhere With You - Make A Little Noise EP (2006)
13. Lazy Bones - Three
14. A Million Dollars - Make A Little Noise EP
15. Wishful Thinking - Three

Encore
16. Before You Leave, Thrush Hermit - Clayton Park (1999)
17. Love This Town - La De Da
18. Fashionable People - Ashtray Rock
19. On and On and On - Three

Joel Plaskett official site
Joel Plaskett - MySpace
Ana Egge
Ana Egge-MySpace
Rose Cousins
Rose Couins - MySpace