Toronto – Tuesday night marked the third time that Australia’s Temper Trap visited Toronto in the past year and I am convinced it will be their last time in a mid size venue. So apologies to the poor people who were unable to obtain tickets to the sold out show on Tuesday, Kool Haus or Sound Academy for you! In case you were wondering, that picture was from SXSW this year, when we were a bit closer to the stage then on Tuesday, when the swelling crowd forced us to the comfy confines of the balcony.
The show started off shortly after ten with the band playing some drumming number to start the show. When that ended, a singular spotlight shone on lead singer Dougy Mandagi as he proceeded with the song Fools (I believe). Having seen the Temper Trap a few times now, it is clearly a vehicle for Dougy’s vocal skills. The man can hit a high note. He also likes to move his head around a lot when he’s singing. I kept on thinking he’s like one of those sistas in a Spike Lee movie. I kept on expecting him to break out of song and say something like “oh NO you didn’t” while waving his one finger. Regardless, the man has a voice and he uses it to great effect. Most of the show would have lighting prominently featured on Dougy, but I guess the band is cool with that.
As expected, the album Conditions was played in it’s entirety. The crowd reacted well to the more upbeat tracks such as Fader, Down River, the disco-esque Resurrection and of course, Sweet Disposition. Sweet Disposition is such an amazing song, it’s good live every time but I was expecting a larger crowd reaction, like this one:
I guess a Toronto crowd is a little more reserved. The Drum song soon followed including the now patented water on drums schtick. I knew it was coming, yet, it was still cool, especially with a light show. The encore included a new b-side that is only available via the charity site What’s the Word, a site against Malaria. You can donate a dollar and grab the song if you wish.
The show was good, and given that the band has been touring extensively for the past year, I think it’s time for them to go back to Australia and prepare for a follow up album. I have a sneaky suspicion that The Temper Trap could very well be the next Coldplay. They have a singer with a wonderful voice, a solid debut album that demonstrates that the band can write soaring arena-esque anthems and also, they are already suggesting people donate money to causes at shows. All Dougy really needs to do is marry a Hollywood actress. If the Temper Trap can build on and improve the songwriting formula that has gotten them this far, the sky’s the limit for them.
The Temper Trap – Fools by edsgms
Here’s my vid of temper trap, just for kicks
