On a cold, wet night in Winnipeg, Paper Bag Records labelmates PS I Love You and Mozart's Sister, along with local support Naysa, injected the Windsor Hotel with a healthy dose of steam heat.
Maintaining a bizarre Peg city practice, the bar was mostly empty when locals Naysa took the stage around 10:30. Despite the dreary attendance, the boys cranked it up and delivered a set of poppy rockers off their two EPs, Troubled Heart and the forthcoming Losing Weight. Singer Davey Todd bounced around the stage, flailing away at his guitar between verses, while Sean Leslie conjured gloomy, scorching lines on lead guitar. Naysa proved, once again, that they're one of the hardest working up-and-coming bands in the city.
By the time Mozart's Sister took the stage, the Windsor was (finally) beginning to fill up, and those who braved the cold, wet night were treated to a mesmerizing performance from the electro duo. A propulsive low-end carried the alternately introspective and explosive set. Caila Thompson-Hannart's vocals, along with the duo's flashing stage set up, certainly won over the crowd with a performance that will have those in attendance buzzing until their next pass through the city.
But while Mozart's Sister captivated the mostly packed beverage room at the Windsor, PS I Love You's performance at times came across as uninspired. While there were certainly moments where Paul Saulnier and Benjamin Nelson seemed to ignite, leading the set to the heights explored on their three LPs, those points weren't quite enough to maintain the momentum of the evening. Whether the band was tired, or just hasn't hit their stride on this tour just yet, Saulnier at times seemed to be struggling to connect with the material.
Still, when the magic struck, it was a fine thing to behold, with Saulnier demonstrating his phenomenal fretwork while Nelson hammered the songs forward. Every band has its off nights, and it was a bummer that Winnipeg's stop on this tour appeared to be one of them for the Kingston duo.
And while the evening itself came to a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion, overall it was an evening well spent at the Windsor. Mozart's Sister certainly stole the show, living up to the hype that is building around the group. And, regardless, Winnipeggers will undoubtedly await the return of both artists. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long.
Maintaining a bizarre Peg city practice, the bar was mostly empty when locals Naysa took the stage around 10:30. Despite the dreary attendance, the boys cranked it up and delivered a set of poppy rockers off their two EPs, Troubled Heart and the forthcoming Losing Weight. Singer Davey Todd bounced around the stage, flailing away at his guitar between verses, while Sean Leslie conjured gloomy, scorching lines on lead guitar. Naysa proved, once again, that they're one of the hardest working up-and-coming bands in the city.
By the time Mozart's Sister took the stage, the Windsor was (finally) beginning to fill up, and those who braved the cold, wet night were treated to a mesmerizing performance from the electro duo. A propulsive low-end carried the alternately introspective and explosive set. Caila Thompson-Hannart's vocals, along with the duo's flashing stage set up, certainly won over the crowd with a performance that will have those in attendance buzzing until their next pass through the city.
But while Mozart's Sister captivated the mostly packed beverage room at the Windsor, PS I Love You's performance at times came across as uninspired. While there were certainly moments where Paul Saulnier and Benjamin Nelson seemed to ignite, leading the set to the heights explored on their three LPs, those points weren't quite enough to maintain the momentum of the evening. Whether the band was tired, or just hasn't hit their stride on this tour just yet, Saulnier at times seemed to be struggling to connect with the material.
Still, when the magic struck, it was a fine thing to behold, with Saulnier demonstrating his phenomenal fretwork while Nelson hammered the songs forward. Every band has its off nights, and it was a bummer that Winnipeg's stop on this tour appeared to be one of them for the Kingston duo.
And while the evening itself came to a somewhat anticlimactic conclusion, overall it was an evening well spent at the Windsor. Mozart's Sister certainly stole the show, living up to the hype that is building around the group. And, regardless, Winnipeggers will undoubtedly await the return of both artists. Hopefully we don't have to wait too long.
