Sneaky Dees, Toronto
I missed the opening bands, but managed to get there right before the The Dutchess & The Duke went on. The place was packed, which was surprising as the Seattle WA boy-girl, folk/country band was relatively over-looked in 2009 (by myself too I'll have to admit). After some sound check issues, TD&TD finally played.
Unfortunately, since this was another lame-ass Toronto crowd, it seemed that half the crowd was watching the band, the other half was drinking and being way too loud in the back. This mix didn't work with the quiet portions of the duo's music, as they seemed to be drowned out by the douche-bags in back (and there were some real specimens). The show must of been written up by NOW Magazine or something. Why do people pay a $13 cover to not watch the band. The bar downstairs is free.
TD&TD did rise up above these distractions during their more up-lifting harmonies in songs like "When You Leave My Arms", "Never Had A Chance" and "Let It Die", which were definite highlights of the night. These harmonies between the married duo are a big reason I like this band. The set was a stripped-down version of their recorded material, with every song consisting of two acoustic guitars and singing. Absent were the electric guitars, pianos, drums and other instruments on the Sunrise/Sunset LP, which I think would of been a better fit for the crowd. The dual guitar/vocals thing would be better suited for a more intimate setting.
Overall the show was OK. The songs listed above were great but the douches and lack of a proper backing band took away from some of the enjoyment of the show. It was funny though because during the show my friend I was with said they looked and sounded really Canadian, which was exactly what I was thinking at the time. I also thought the dude looked like Kevin Smith...
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