Veteran Canadian rock band 54-40 got their start in college radio, being a part of the burgeoning ’80s alternative scene, but the group was in full stadium-rock mode, Friday, Aug. 2, when they played in Lockport, NY, for the free Labatt Canal Concert series.
On record, the group’s songs are filled with hushed, nonchalant vocals and quirky melodies. But Friday, the group was more like Journey than R.E.M., as frontman Neil Osborne commanded the audience with his upbeat, and at times flamboyant, stage presence.
The band took the stage around 9 p.m., following an energetic punk rock quartet known as Hollerado. 54-40 kicked off with “Nice To Luv You,” a driving, hook-filled piece that captured the audience almost immediately. They kept the energy going with popular cuts from the mid-90s (the band’s heyday), such as “Lies to Me” and “Crossing a Canyon.”
Mid-set, the band took a break for a more sobering political message. Guitarist Dave Genn, bassist Brad Meritt and drummer Matt Johnson took a backseat to Osborne, who stood alone on stage with an acoustic guitar under blue lights. As an extended introduction to “One Gun” — a ballad about gun-violence — Osborne gave a small speech over acoustic guitar strumming, and of course made mention of the recent tragedy in Colorado.
After playing the ballads “Lost in the City” and “Since When,” the band moved into jam-mode. Genn traded his guitar for a piano to play the sharp key-hooks of “Casual Viewin,” an uplifting song that was very well received by the audience. Hundreds of hands swayed through the air as Osborne encouraged the audience to sing along, “You just get it off your back / let it fly away.” Osborne joked mid-song that he wanted to hire the audience as a replacement choir for the band.
They followed “Casual Viewin’” with another extended jam for “Ocean Pearl,” a high-charting single from the group’s 1994 album Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret, one of three mid-90s records to be certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.
After a short break, the band returned for an encore to play “I Go Blind” and “Love You All.” The low, heavy instrumentals in the latter song gave the band an opportunity to crank it to 11 and bring a powerful electrified conclusion to the show.
Setlist:
Nice to Luv You
Lies to Me
Crossing a Canyon
One Day
Baby Ran
Radio Luv
One Gun
Lost in the City
She La
Since When
Casual Viewin’
Ocean Pearl
Encore:
I Go Blind
Love You All
We would like to thank LaBatt Concert Series Organizer Kathy Paradowksi for credentials to cover the 2012 season.
