TURF Review: Lush, September 17, Fort York

Skip to content

Home
About Us
- Derek
- Gary
- Halley/Celeste
- Paul
- Ricky
- Vik
Concerts
Reviews
- Albums
- Venue
- Movies
- Year End Reviews
Festivals
Contact Us

Menu

Home
About Us
- Derek
- Gary
- Halley/Celeste
- Paul
- Ricky
- Vik
Concerts
Reviews
- Albums
- Venue
- Movies
- Year End Reviews
Festivals
Contact Us

TURF Review: Lush, September 17, Fort York

Posted on

22 Sep 2016

by

Ricky

Photo by Frank Yang

As much as they like to tout that the festival brings new music in, this years version of TURF was pretty much a stroll down memory lane for everyone. Even newer acts like Okkervil River have been around for a better part of a decade.

I was pleasantly surprised when Lush, one of the few leftovers from a bygone era that had yet to reunite and cash in on nostalgia, announced their intentions to tour again earlier this year. I was even more pleased when they announced that they were playing TURF. I had already made plans to go to Detroit to see them.

With the Lush logo hanging precariously in the background, a wet and rainy stage welcomed the band. The crowd was a mix of a small group of ecstatic diehard fans and then a much larger group who really just happened to be there.

Maybe I’m biased (I probably am), but the group sounded great, Miki Berenyi’s voice sounded as good as ever. One just needed to hear the opening section of “Light From a Dead Star” (a set highlight) to realize that. When she sounds good, then the rest of Lush just works. Berenyi and Emma Anderson’s guitars weave and dance around the vocals creating a dense layer of sound and that one might lazily characterize as shoegaze.

Through it all, the group kept their charming British humor, commenting frequently about the wet conditions (they claim they brought it from England). A great moment happened when the stagehand went on to mop the stage mid song. That guy’s a hero.

Obviously the biggest receptions came with the groups two biggest hits – “Ladykillers” and “Sweetness and Light.” Reflecting back on “Ladykillers,” it’s amazing how great a pure pop song that is and one might wonder what heights that band might have reached if they had chosen to go in that direction. I was sad they didn’t do “Ciao,” but it’s not like Jarvis Cocker was going to show up. Still, we can all dream a little.

PrevPreviousTURF Review: Guided By Voices, Ween, September 17, Fort York

NextPolaris Gala Review: Kaytranada Wins!Next

SEARCH

Search for:

THE PAST

Tags

British Music Embassy (10) Canadian Music Fest (11) canadian music week (20) cmf (10) cmw (42) concert (9) el mocambo (9) fringe (26) Great Lake Swimmers (10) guelph (9) horseshoe tavern (23) hot docs (103) jazz (12) Joel Plaskett (10) jukebox the ghost (15) lee's palace (27) marina and the diamonds (10) Massive Attack (10) mod club (12) NXNE (94) of monsters and men (11) Phoenix (15) play reviews (11) Pulp (11) Roskilde Festival (16) rural alberta advantage (10) sharon van etten (10) suede (12) summerworks (34) SXSW (479) SXSW 2022 (11) SXSW 2024 (11) SXSW Online (18) the antlers (11) the cure (9) the national (10) the xx (11) Tokyo Police Club (9) Toronto (25) toronto fringe (14) Toronto Jazz Festival (55) turf (13) tweeview (10) Video (9) zeus (10)

We are a collective of individuals bringing you the latest in concert reviews, indie, britpop, Canadian, twee and all sorts of other music, movies, tv and everything else you like. Follow the manual to live a pleasant and fulfilling life.