The Automatik

Matthew Barber/Peter Elkas/Joel Plaskett
Hugh’s Room
April 30, 2005

The first time I came to Canada, Shaun took me to see Joel Plaskett. Mind you, it was a surprise: he bought the tickets, told me we were going somewhere, but didn’t tell me who we were going to see. So it’s only fitting that within the first month of my permanent move here, we see Mr. Plaskett perform live again.

Since then, Joel Plaskett has released two albums, Truthfully Truthfully and the latest, the amazing La De Da. However, Saturday’s show was supposed to be a mostly acoustic set, without the Emergency. Rather than being disappointed in the potential lack of rocking out, I was actually quite excited about this. The new album’s mellow, more confessional style seemed perfectly suited to this kind of set up.

Hugh’s Room is a dinner theatre of sorts. If you get tickets far enough in advance, you can get a table and eat before the performances. A glance at the menu dispels all fears of Salisbury Steak and Ragu sauce posing as “Marinara,” however. Unfortunately, we did not get to partake of the dinner before the show, although we were treated to some delicious hummus and tzatziki sauce with warm pita bread during Joel’s performance.

We arrived towards the end of Matthew Barber’s set after practically running to get there in a timely fashion, so I wasn’t quite in the groove yet. By the time Pete Elkas took the stage (presumably after doing some body double work for Sam Roberts), I felt a bit more settled. His music was lovely and he was quite amusing, even throwing in a rather hilariously unexpected joke about Chris DeBurgh’s god-awful song, “The Lady in Red.” (By the way, I never before noticed the whispered “I love you” at the end, so thanks for pointing that out.)

Before Joel Plaskett’s set, there was the usual mad rush to the washrooms and then a slightly unexpected, “Are you Shaun and Leslie?” from a pretty red-haired lady. Turns out she was Hannah (aka “whintegreen” from LiveJournal) and she wanted to know if we were interested in the extra two chairs at her table near the stage. How could we say no to such a request?

We sat down and were informed by a friendly waitress that the kitchen was closing in three minutes so if we wanted something, we needed to decide fast. We went with the aforementioned pita bread and not a moment too soon, for Shaun had not eaten before we left and was famished. Then, there was Joel Plaskett ambling towards the stage, his faux-Nudie Suit jacket hugging his lanky frame. Although he’s at least 28, he still looked like the awkward, gangly schoolboy, shyly thanking us all for attending.

If only I’d thought to bring a pen to write down the set list. There was a nice selection of songs from the three Emergency albums, including one of my favorites, “When I Have My Vision,” in which we’re punfully invited to kiss his ashes. And that really sets the tone for Joel’s entire catalogue, at once world-weary and wide-eyed. There’s a certain cynical innocence to his music and lyrics, in that he’s seen a lot in a short time, but he still views life with wonderment. Like he said, “Every one of these songs is a love song of one kind or another.” Perhaps it’s the maturing of his voice or the acoustic setting, but at several points I fondly recalled Sunday night acoustic sets at Carrollton Station in New Orleans, hosted by the inimitable Peter Holsapple (the dBs, Continental Drifters).

In fact, it wasn’t long before I realized that the gangly schoolboy had shyly stepped aside and let the witty storyteller have center stage. Barely halfway through the set he had us, with every comical anecdote and sharply-drawn musing, from the thirteen year-old pawing smoke-stained Led Zeppelin records, to the mischievous man cutting down a neighbor’s tree and blaming it on Hurricane Juan. Even the songs on Truthfully Truthfully that aren’t my favorites sounded incredible, which leads me to believe that my issues with that album are production-based, and not weaknesses in the song writing. We were also treated to a few songs in which Pete Elkas went on stage and helped out with keyboards, harmonica, and guitar, including a hilarious ongoing CCR joke (and if I had my way, fellas, the back of your tour van would be filled with cash, because you definitely deserve it).

I mentioned Joel’s voice earlier, but it deserves more accolades. It has a genuine sweetness to it, with a power that is only hinted at in his albums. When you see him holding the guitar and pouring it on, you’re mesmerized. The awed smile never left my face. And it spread further when, after several encores and one standing ovation, the familiar strains of the gorgeous “Light of the Moon” made their presence known. The fangirl in me foolishly thought that I could die then and I’d be complete, finally living in Canada and witnessing this incredible performance with Shaun at my side, but then I’d never get a chance to best the experience. Thanks for being so gracious, Mr. Plaskett, and giving me yet another reason to love this town.