It seems that the first Polaris Prize investment is definitely paying off. Four years after Owen Pallett took home the $20G prize for his quirky D&D-themed album He Poos Clouds, indie-rock’s favourite violinist is back with Heartland — which I was already very much into before heading to the Mod Club for a sold-out show to celebrate its release on physical formats. But while the epic orchestrations of Heartland sound particularly great blasting out of a pair of quality speakers, seeing Pallett pull this stuff off live is something else entirely. As Hemmingway would say, “It does something to you.”
Opening his set with the fame-wary, Arcade Fire–nodding tune “This Is the Dream of Win and Regine” is a rather appropriate choice now that Pallett is on the Animal Collective/Dirty Projectors–powering Domino label. As he heads into the Heartland material, Pallett is joined by multi-instrumentalist (and whistling virtuoso) Thomas Gill, and instantly we’re seeing a whole new side of Pallett’s performance potential as “Keep the Dog Quiet” blasts forth with guitar/violin noise, looped violin percussion and epic arpeggios — and yes, Pallett can do pretty much anything on that violin. Within these first few songs, his bow is shedding heavily, which prompts a between song remark: “This is a bad scene right here for horses.”
As the duo continue though the set, we get Pallett howling into his violin’s pickup and juggling more loops than I can count, all while immaculately singing the concept album’s tale of “Lewis” and his oppressive nation. Pallett even takes time out to play a song using just violin and voice, without his usual trick-bag of polyphonic loops, and easily impresses. But what’s most remarkable about this set is the perfectly staged light show and the well-considered song choice, all of which makes for a show that could captivate in a venue three times the size of the Mod Club (though clearly, the intimate environs are preferred).
Opener Diamond Rings also pays particular attention to the stage show. In a hipster uniform of leather motorcycle jacket over tie-dyed t-shirt and white jeans, sole Ring-er John O. opts for kitschy ’80s dance moves and Ian Curtis-esque vocalizing over stark electro-pop production, which threatens to confound the audience during the first couple songs. But he soon has some of the crowd on board by keeping stone-faced and posturing like he’s playing Wembley Stadium — only occasionally cracking a smile, sometimes even with fist held high in mid-piano trill. Everyone seems to come around and get into the Diamond Rings groove just in time for a Gentleman Reg duet on “Wait and See” and more of John O.’s consistently powerful baritone crooning.
The Artist Former Known as Final Fantasy hits a similar, but far more intense peak as Pallett dips into his pre-namesake material for a ripping take on “This Lamb Sells Condos” before encoring with the honest-to-goodness pop hooks of “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt.” Though the final refrain to this Heartland standout is “If what I have is what you need / I’m never gonna give it to you,” there’s no question that Pallett knows exactly how to give his audience what it needs.