Dan Mangan

Dan Mangan shows Peter Clark hall a gooD tiMe

backed by a full band. It was noisy and bordered on experimental, and was a bit of a change from the singers appearance at Dublin Street United Church almost exactly a year ago. Mangan and his band delivered unquestionably well on Edenloffs promise. Better known for folksier indierock pieces like Sold or Road Regrets, prior to the release of last years Oh Fortune album, Mangan added a number of free-jazz musicians to his band, which has not only given the music a harder edge, it has also helped it gain widespread critical acclaim. Mangan took home two awards on four nominations at the for the song, there were sadly no 2012 Junos and three Western Can- cardboard and tinfoil outfits to be adian Music Awards for Oh Fortune. seen especially considering the Best of all, the heavier rock sound proximity of the performance to has not diminished the thoughtful Halloween.) Then, fans were treatand intelligent songwriting that ed to an extended encore that almost brought Mangan his early popular- seemed as though it would never ity. The band was able to keep quiet end, finally culminating in a rousing and restrained when it needed to performance of So Much for Everybe, and even left the stage for a few one. Mangan stood on a stool in numbers to let Mangan perform solo. the middle of the crowd, conducting Mangan was also able to success- the audience through harmonies of fully engage with the crowd, getting ooos the entire time. them to sing along to perhaps his Openers Rural Alberta Advanbest-known song, Robots. (And tage, meanwhile, began the evening while Mangan has been known to with a set that was incredibly tight. invite fans in robot costume onstage Drummer Paul Banwatt was easily the most exciting to watch and it is arguably the drumming that makes the band. Frenetically smashing away at intricate beats throughout the entire set, Banwatt provided the bands songs with drive and passion it is unlikely they would have otherwise. But what was most impressive was the bands apparent connection with each other, which lent the entire performance a polished feel. At least metaphorically, part of my face might still be on the floor of that cavernous basement hall of the University Centre hoping these bands will be back soon.

Headlines concert with Rural Alberta Advantage

Nick ReviNgtoN

Faces off rocked right off, is how Rural Alberta Advantage singer and guitarist Nils Edenloff described what would become of the crowd in Peter Clark Hall on Oct. 26. Edenloff was referring to the imminent appearance of headliner Dan Mangan on stage. Indeed, Mangan took to the stage with a raucous rock-n-roll number

Photos by: Vanessa Tignanelli