When living in a border town (in this case Buffalo, NY) you get to see and hear some of Canada’s best musical exports that others wouldn’t necessarily be privy to. That said, bands that have translated well from our neighbors to the north are The Tragically Hip, The Headstones and this band I will be talking about, Big Wreck. Led by Ian Thornley, the band recently just got back together to release their 3rd studio effort titled “Albatross,” its first in 11 years. The band now consists of Thornley on rhythm guitar and vocals, Paulo Neat on lead guitar, Brian Doherty on lead guitar, Dave McMillian on bass and Brad Park on drums.
Big Wreck enjoyed their only stop on their current tour on US soil as they played to a huge crowd at the weekly LaBatt Concert Series in Lockport, NY, this past Friday night. Taking the stage shortly after 9pm, the band went into “Look What I Found.” A man of few words, Ian Thornley basically led the band with a non-stop onslaught of music without interruption. Celebrating his 40th B-day at the stroke of midnight, Thornley sounded crisp and pristine as he went through the 13 number song set with ease.
One of the more underrated musicians to come out of Canada, Thornley also shared the spotlight with all of his fellow musicians as they all sounded amazing. Doherty and Thornley each enjoyed playing a double neck guitar during the set. After one of their biggest hits, “Blown Wide Open,” the band played an impromptu jam during it. For the folks up north, go check these guys out, as it’s one of my top shows of the year so far. For all others, pick up a copy of their latest “Albatross,” or check out their past catalog to see what you’re missing out on!
Set List:
Look What I Found
That Song
All Is Fair
So Far, So Good(Thornley cover)
Wolves
Albatross
Falling To Pieces (Thornley cover)
Inhale
Ladylike
Blown Wide Open
Come Again (Thornley cover)
Encore:
You Caught My Eye
The Oaf
We would like to thank LaBatt Concert Series Organizer Kathy Paradowksi for credentials to cover the 2012 season.
