The second night of Wavelength’s Summer Thing at Lithuanian House saw Cadence Weapon returning to headline another night on a bill that also included the likes of Magi Merlin, Prince Innocence, Absolutely Free and Montreal psych/post-rock trio Yoo Doo Right.
Yoo Doo Right first caught our attention back in March with a stellar set at this year’s SXSW. The band definitely sounded impressive then, but on this night, given the chance to stretch out a bit beyond the usual 30-40 minute confines of a SXSW set, Yoo Doo Right were really able to show what they’re capable of, putting on a performance that was equal parts noisy and beautiful. Setting up on the floor in front of the stage and bathed in the glow of their psychedelic lightshow, the three piece played a mostly instrumental set that brought to mind fellow Montrealers Godspeed You! Black Emperor at times.
Cadence Weapon, for his part, was in good spirits for his second night headlining the venue, putting on a set that was fairly similar to the first night’s, though a bit longer. Like the previous night, the songs from his latest, Parallel World, were again the highlights, though he did switch things up a little bit. For one thing, he wore Crocs on stage for the first time ever, a decision that from the sounds of things, may have been a game changer for him.
He also treated the crowd to a story about how he once opened for Rihanna at Ottawa Bluesfest, completely bombed in front of her audience, and how he then cussed out an unimpressed Rihanna fan (and inadvertantly the entire audience) that night, which ultimately got him banned from an Ottawa radio station … that likely never played him in the first place. That story, and a bunch of others, are in his recently released book Bedroom Rapper: Cadence Weapon on Hip Hop, Resistance and Surviving the Music Industry.
Before I close out this review, I’d first like to share a few words on the venue and why there really should be more shows there. Lithuanian House is essentially a banquet hall/event space that presumably mostly serves the Lithuanian community in the neighbourhood. It’s a nice space with pretty good acoustics, a little reminiscent of the Tranzac, but bigger. So … why aren’t more people booking shows at this spot? Is it just not that well known? Is it that it’s a little too far west for some? Are there Lithuanian weddings happening every weekend that are keeping the place booked up? Who knows, but I hope that in the future, more concert promoters decide to start booking here, and not just because I live within walking distance. Though that is most surely a big selling point for me.