I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: March 23, 2019] Dilly Dally

I can’t believe it was actually two and a half years since I last saw Dilly Dally.  I was rather looking forward to seeing them again–their new album is great–an evolution but not a reinvention.

Then our Guster show was cancelled and placed on  this very night.  Coincidentally, in the same building!  Guster was going to play the large venue of the Fillmore while Dilly Dally was scheduled to play upstairs in the Foundry.

The Guster show was great, but since Dilly Dally started an hour later, I thought I’d see if they were still playing as we walked out.  The bouncer guy was rather surprised that I had a ticket for both shows.  But I showed him my ticket and with S’s blessing, I went upstairs to see a song or two (I was bummed and a little surprised they wouldn’t let her up since the show was more or less over).  The bouncer guy said they had the room until 11:15.  It was barely after ten when I went upstairs (S. said she didn’t mind waiting for ten minutes, but understandably, not an hour).

There was no way to see opener Chastity:

Brandon Williams makes resonant songs that capture isolation and resilience. As the songwriter behind Chastity, the Whitby Ontario musician has made three unrelentingly perceptive albums

When I walked upstairs I could hear the unmistakable voice and guitar work of Dilly Dally. Dilly Dally are from Toronto and they were described to me as being like the Pixies meets Hole.  I can certainly hear that although they transcend their influences.  They play loud aggressive alternative rock that’s headed by Katie Monks’ snarling singing voice and Liz Bell’s sharp and catchy lead guitar work.  Bassist Jimmy Tony (in a striking silver sparkling short skirt) and drummer Benjamin Reinhartz lay down a low end that keeps the sound grounded. It was a drastic change from Guster.  As was the size of the crowd.  The Guster show was packed uncomfortably tight, but this show was more open and I was able to walk around.

They finished the excellent “Bad Biology” and I wondered how long I could push my luck–how many songs could I make S wait for.  And then Katie Monks told us that the next song was the last song.  Disappointing but very convenient.

I’m going to include some of my accolades from the previous show because they were apt here, even I only saw a song and a half.

It was a lot of fun to watch guitarist Liz play.  Her head was down as she played lead or coaxed feedback out of her amp.  She waved her guitar at the amps to get a perfect feedback squeal, backing away before it had even started so that it was just a stab of sound.

But Katie is the clear front woman.  She stands up on stage like she owns it, and she clearly does.  There’s something in her posture and playing that is undeniable.  She looks about six and a half feet tall.  And when she snarls, which she does quite often, you pay attention.  Beyond her singing, her guitar playing was spot on too.  She also knows how to strangle noise from her guitar.

“Heaven” was great, I took a video of Katie singing and of Liz’s ringing guitar ending.

I was happy to even catch a glimpse, but I hope they come back soon, I need a full show!

LIKELY SETLIST from THE FOUNDRY (based on a show in Montreal) in 2019 songs with * are from the new album Heaven.

1. I Feel Free*
2. Sober Motel*
3. Doom*
4. Gender Role
5. Snake Head
6. Marijuana*
7. Know Yourself (Drake cover)
8. Purple Rage
9. Sorry Ur Mad*
10. The Touch
11. Desire
    encore
12. Bad Biology*
13. Heaven*

POSSIBLE SETLIST at BOOT & SADDLE from 2016 songs with an * are not from the album.