Prior to attending Elliott Brood at the Red Dog last Friday, I had not heard of the band and was skeptical as to whether I would enjoy a genre identified as “alternative country.” I usually avoid country music at all costs (sorry country music fans!). Attneding this show however, gave me a deeper understand of the intention of the “alternative” part, as it is entirely different from the twang voices and acoustics that are commonly associated with country music.
Elliott Brood is a Canadian band consisting of three members, Mark Sasso, Stephan Pitkin, and Casey Laforet whose previous album Ambassador gained exposure through their Juno nomination.
Their most recent album, Mountain Meadows, was released in 2008. They have been touring since, doing live shows, which is what they do best. They are known for their live performances, which are notable through their connection with their fans and their ability to personalize the concert experience by having inside jokes with the audience. The lead singer belted out a lauding approval to those that brought their own pots and pans with spoons to make music along with them, calling them “overachievers.”
Bringing pots and spoons seemed to be something that many fans do at their concerts, something the band encourages, which is uncommon. The pots and pans created such an interesting element to the concert experience; it took the focus directly from the stage and opened it to the entire room of music lovers.
The energy in the venue was strong and never showed any signs of dying, especially with the band’s ability to pump up the audience with its rock-infused instrumentals, giving a badass twist to the country genre. Elliott Brood called Peterborough their “test market” and thanked the audience for the support that Peterborough has given them. It escalated into them testing a few of their new songs, one of them entitled “Lindsay,” named after the small city in Ontario, which received a great reaction by the crowd, especially those from Lindsay.
There is something quite amazing about attending a live show, especially in a venue like the Red Dog. The reverberation of the instruments brings a whole new element to the music and allows the audience to not only appreciate and enjoy the songs, but also literally feel it. If you have never been to a live show in a smaller venue, you should. Even if you aren’t familiar with the band, go out and experience a show! Peterborough has some great artists that come through and play shows at local venues, and there is plenty of amazing local Peterborough talent! This was definitely a concert worth remembering and I am officially a fan of Elliott Brood.
