LIVE: Constantines Don't Experience Much Love For Kensington
Friday May 02, 2008 @ 03:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

Constantines Photo by Jason McLouglin

May 1, 2008
Phoenix Concert Theatre
Toronto, ON
By Shehzaad Jiwani

You know how a friend says that you're "exactly like someone" they know, but you're nothing alike when you finally meet your supposed doppelganger? I'd imagine that's how Attack In Black feel when they're constantly compared to Constantines, and it was interesting to see the two bands playing back-to-back for this very reason.

Attack In Black get tagged as a more upbeat version of the Cons, which is something this writer is admittedly guilty of contributing to. This comes across on their albums, but live, the band either had an argument backstage or were having an off night as they seemed far more lethargic and unenthusiastic than usual. That said, their songs are so damn catchy that it didn't seem to matter much to folks who showed up early for their set.

One thing that's always intrigued me about Attack In Black is that they have a willingness, or maybe a desperate need, to avoid limiting themselves to one style. This was evidenced by the release of their limited-edition The Curve Of The Earth album, and was proven by the way they reworked songs like "Chimes And Church Bells" for a live setting.

Whether or not the Cons comparisons are warranted, the audience responded well to the Welland, Ont. quartet. I hope my speculation of strife within the band was untrue, as Attack In Black are one of the more interesting young bands around and their shape-shifting nature hints at bigger things to come.

Constantines, on the other hand, were all smiles, and acted like the modern classic rock band they're so often touted as being. They already have a string of fan favourites they obligingly played throughout the night, much to the joy of those in attendance.

Another dinosaur band trait the headliners exhibited was to largely ignore their current album in favour of their more popular tracks. This was fine by the crowd, who went crazy as the boys broke straight into Tournament Of Hearts tunes "Hotline Operator," "Working Full Time" and "Lizaveta."

The move was a wise one, as older tracks like "Young Lions" fared far better than "Do What You Can Do" and "Time Can Be Overcome" from the good-but-not-great new album, Kensington Heights.

That was the ebb and flow of the evening: Every time the band brought things down with a new song, they kicked it back a notch with a succession of older cuts. Their trump card came with the one-two punch of "Justice" and "Arizona" from their self-titled debut, which were both slowed down and sped up for maximum effect.

On one hand, this was great for Cons fans as they got to hear a large number of old favourites as opposed to new songs which clearly aren't suited to a live environment. On the other hand, I hope the Cons are OK with playing songs from their last album for a few more years, as the Kensington Heights tunes don't seem to be getting much love.