Broken Social Scene Crowd Surf in New York, Embrace Faraway Fans Via YouTube

On Tuesday night, Broken Social Scene frontman Kevin Drew stood at center stage at New York's Terminal 5 with a great big grin on his face. "We're a group of friends who got together to play music and it worked out," he told the audience, his voice filled with appreciation, reflection and more than a little awe.

As the rather prominent video cameras situated all over the venue beamed the concert around the world via a live stream on YouTube, it was clear that Broken Social Scene had come a long way since they performed at open mic nights all those years ago.

"In Toronto, we had this Sunday Wavelengths night," drummer Justin Peroff told Spinner. "It was an anything goes music night. There was a venue called Ted's Wrecking Yard that I would find myself at every single night because I was discovering what became a really strong, amazing, celebrated, friendly music scene. We were happy to just be a part of that."

That "anything goes" attitude still permeates and defines Broken Social Scene, in ways that are ever-changing. "The Internet age, the idea of sharing information immediately, has obviously manifested a DIY approach to everything -- to art, to music, literature, poetry," Peroff continued. "There are scenes, pockets of people sharing information and being creative. It's a really prolific time right now."

Midway through 'Ungrateful Little Father,' a track from their 2010 release 'Forgiveness Rock Record,' Drew shed his hat and jacket and walked to the edge of the stage and stood upon the barrier that held back the first row of the audience. In a surprising and risky move, he raised his hands into the air, turned around and fell into the crowd backwards. It was both a leap of faith and a show of trust between performer and fans as he was gently caught and passed overhead gingerly. Drew then crowd-surfed to nearly the middle of the audience and was then safely returned to the stage.

Such acts of showmanship are a great form of catharsis for both band and audience, not only bringing them closer but placing part of the performance in the audience's hands, literally and figuratively. In the end, for Broken Social Scene, it's all about creating something new, keeping it all moving and connecting.

"It's like making a big pot of Jambalaya," Peroff explained. "With the right amount of sausage and the right amount of spice and the butter is melted just perfectly, it comes together. It's actually a delicate procedure that we've developed over time and experience, and by understanding each other. We're friends first, and we're also trying to communicate through music. That's part of the success of this band as a unit, as a family. We have the utmost respect for what the other person does. That's what you want isn't it?"

Broken Social Scene Perform 'Ungrateful Little Father'

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