Montreal's Arcade Fire are superstars now, but eventually they'll reach a fork in their musical road like a generation of Montreal artists did before them. They could surrender like '80s pop rock heartthrob Corey Hart swore he'd never do to assist a younger protege. Or, after some downtime, they may take a chance and return like Ivan Doroschuk has with Canadian new wave heroesMen Without Hats.
Judging by Doroschuk's impressive, passionate performance Saturday night (June 18) in Toronto at the AOL-sponsored Yonge-Dundas Square NXNE concert, one hopes Win and Regine have a similar fire in their bellies in 2031.
"I got a good thing; I got you dancing," Doroschuk exclaimed during 'I Got the Message.' And, without question, for all of the 50-minute set, he did just that. Even the lone new song 'This War' -- reportedly from the forthcoming 'Folk of the '80s Volume 4' album -- was loudly received by a tightly packed throng.
And while his voice isn't quite what it once was, his enthusiasm was palpable, from spinning around like a marionette to popping imaginary bubbles during 'Pop Goes the World.'
Dressed as if he would be belting out Lynyrd Skynyrd or Poison tunes -- and defying his band name by donning a leather hat -- Doroschuk and crew had everybody bobbing to 'Moonbeam,' the mid-tempo 'I Like' and the Devo-ish 'Antarctica.'
Heck, when you can cause dancing-induced shin splints while singing about Chairman Mao and ping-pong -- as they most certainly did during 'Living in China' -- you're doing something right. Even the opening number, an industrial-tinged cover of the Rolling Stones' 'Jumpin' Jack Flash,' went swimmingly despite synthesizers substituting Keith Richards' signature riffs.
The love fest concluded naturally with mega-hit 'Safety Dance' as Doroschuk was nearly upstaged by the crowd who danced as happily as they did back in 1982. Well, those here who were alive in 1982. On the whole, a tip of the hat to, well, you know....
Matthew C.X. Langford
