TRACER Reviews Broken Social Scene - Live in Chicago, IL (11/03/2007)

Kevin Drew and his fellow Broken Social Scenesters performed an epic set at Chicago's Metro on November 11th, showcasing material from Drew's Spirit If... solo album. If you've never seen BSS live before, allow me to fill you in on what you're missing.

If you happened to catch the slimmed-down version of Broken Social Scene at the Metro, then you were probably left with one indelible impression: these guys love music. Currently touring in support of Kevin Drew's Spirit If..., the band unleashed an epic 3 hour set for the good people of Chicago, tearing through both Drew's solo material and a generous portion of the band's back catalog. The lovely ladies of Broken Social Scene are absent for this current tour and I had expected to really notice such a significant change to the band's dynamic. While it's always a pleasure to see Emily Haines, Amy Millan and Leslie Feist, the band's sound felt "whole" even without their considerable contributions.

In many ways, it feels as if the version of Broken Social Scene touring in support of Spirit If... represents the true heart and soul of the band. Without a doubt, Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning were the stars of the show on this particular night. Opting to play through the typical "make 'em wait," pre-encore posturing, the show became a celebration of the band's past and future. The duo that dreamed up Broken Social Scene nearly a decade ago, along with their brothers in arms, debuted a song from Canning's upcoming solo album, covered Dinosaur, Jr. (a musical godfather of sorts to the band) and ended with a sprawling, cathartic version of "It's All Gonna Break" and a brilliant "When It Begins" sing-along.

In essence, Broken Social Scene played one of the greatest sets that I've ever heard. As "When It Begins" drew to a close, Canning dove into the crowd and attempted to hug as many Chicagoans as possible. It was a sincerely beautiful moment and a good indication of why the members of Broken Social Scene have experienced so much success in recent years. People making music solely for the sake of making music is less common than you would think, but it's always a winning combination.

- Curt Whitacre

This review was originally published athttp://www.tracermagazine.com.