Edmonton Journal from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada • 31

CULTURE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 C3 EDMONTON JOURNAL Original material popping out from the Shadows Christian punkers' hellacious album wins heavenly reviews The fractious band Underoath hosts a sold-out show this weekend at WEM CONCERT PREVIEW Mocking Shadows Where: Urban Lounge, 8111 105th St. When: Tonight at 9:30 Tickets: At the door Events Centre this Saturday. ROGER LEVESQUE Special to The journal EDMONTON As it heads into its ninth year, the band Mocking Shadows has developed a case of multiple personalities. The Calgary-based septet started out as an old-school, and soul cover band in 1998. But along the way, most of the members changed and the group developed an interest in trying out new, original material.

Then in 2003 they mixed it all up, becoming one of the first Alberta acts in any musical genre to issue their own professionally produced live concert package Out of the Blue, simultaneously released on CD and DVD. Now they've decided to market themselves under two different names, as Mocking Shadows and as Mocking Shadows Rhythm Blues Revue. "We still love the music we started out with," explains bassist and lead vocalist Jory Kinjo, "but there's a part of us that wants to progress and explore and express other styles of original music. It's slightly confusing to people, butyou can see the difference when we put on two different shows." Kinjo notes that their original material still comes from the same roots in rhythm and blues and soul even if it leans a little closer to pop and hip-hop. Either way, fans get a bit of both when the band makes a return visit to the Urban Lounge tonight.

Their first set will feature the sound, while the second will be devoted to newer original songs and material they're doing for another studio album that should be out in early 2007. The live CDDVD was a serious financial undertaking for an up-and-coming independent band but it made for a surprising, high-quality presentation, filmed at Calgary's Studio 82 bar with seven cameras and 5:1 sound, all overseen by producer Jim Cummings from Shaw Cable. While it made them some The Mocking Shadows started as iiTiii iirftftL 3 8 a I a C3 I i'7K': In less than six weeks, screamer Spencer Chamberlain and his Underoath bandmates went from the heights of heaven to the pits of hell. Musically speaking, that is. In late June, the Christian punks released their third metal-flavoured 'n' Moses album, Define the Great Line, debuting in second spot on the Billboard charts.

By the end of July, the Florida-based musicians dropped off the Vans Warped Tour and were questioning their future as a group. No one but Chamberlain and his five pals knows what really happened they won't talk about the issues publicly but according to Alternative Press magazine, "a communication rift" developed between members. If you read between the lines of the story, the rift was centred on their religious beliefs and the varying degrees of commitment among musicians. Then again, Underoath was never the most stable of bands their original singer, Dallas Taylor, left during a previous Warped Tour. Whatever the source of their recent problems, Chamberlain says Underoath is stronger than ever and ready to tour Canada, including Saturday's sold-out date at the Edmonton Events Centre.

Sil-verstein, Moneen and He Is Legend are also on the all-ages bill. Doors open at 7 p.m. "Everything is better than it probably ever has been as a band," he says. "Just on all personal levels, friendships and all that jazz. There was a lot of stuff we had to work out when we got home and we did it We all care about each other, we all care about this band and the music that we make, so that's why we went home.

People had different issues with different people some people patched things up on the ride home, some people it took a little while longer. That's understandable." All this interpersonal hoopla has overshadowed Underoath's latest musical work, described as "monumental" by AbsolutePunk.net and possessing "the potential of redefining the hardcore emo genre" byChristianityToday.com. Chamberlain hopes fans will still be able to listen Define the Great Line without the tarnish of rumours. It's a heavy, hellacious album of pain and anguish Underoath plays The Edmonton filled with two-guitar alarms, blood-curdling yowls, nocturnal synths, electronic heartbeats and lyrics about the fear of failure and loneliness, partly inspired by Chamberlain's previous struggles with addiction. He says writing about his life was neither cathartic nor frightening.

"If I want to help people, what better things to write about than the things I go through," he says. "The most true thing I know about is myself, so I just write about myself and I think it turned out really well. I'm an honest dude. I don't really care what people think about me." Except for his bandmates. Take a hike Perseverance is the path to success in the eyes of The City Streets.

The local rockers are some of the most relendess musicians around always heading out on another cross-Canada tour, always hitting up journalists for another story, always recording another collection of tunes. In the last year, the trio has released two albums, These Things Happen, and an online EP, If You Don't Like The Clash, You're ABadPerson. Frontman Rick Reid says their motives are simple. "We don't have any other options as far as progessing the band," he says. "Rather than wait around for someone else to do it for us, we'll do it.

When you do this kind of thing, it shows people who work at labels that you'll do all the work for them if they eventually want to take you on." Even after one too many pints, Reid, bassist Matt Leddy and drummer Mark Chmilar don't seem to stop. The City Streets have their own way of dealing with hangovers. They go for hikes. "We try to make the most of our time," says Reid. "The scariest (hike) was in Canmore.

There was still snow and ice. I don't know why we decided to hike there were a couple of ledges where if you slipped, that would be the end of it. It was interesting. For some reason, we always end up on some mountain trail." The City Streets are set to do some more sobering hikes on their upcoming tour their second trek across Canada and the U.S. in less than eight months.

In March, the trio travelled to Canadian Music Week in Toronto and South by Southwest in Austin, Texas even though their gigs weren't sanctioned by festival organizers. This time, they're hitting up Pop Montreal and Halifax Pop Explosion, as well as more than 12 other cities, including New York, Chicago and Minneapolis. "Usually, something's come out of (the festivals)," says Reid. "You meet differ-entpeople. We were talking to Ian Blur-ton about doing our next record.

That's one cool thing that came out of just checking out the CMon show (at Cana-dianMusicWeek) and seeing what's up. As long as you're personable and go to shows, you'll meet the right people." The City Streets kick off their tour tonight at the Sidetrack, 10238 104th St. The Feminists and The Kettle Black are also the bill. Tickets are $5. The show starts at 9.

ssperounesthejournal.canwest.com new fans, Kinjo says the real payoff has been on the booking side since the album has proven to be an excellent tool in marketing the band to the corporate sector. Now many of their gigs are private parties or convention dates. Check One, another studio disc of mostly original material which came out in early 2005, was more in a pop-dance vein. Band members still yearn to get their own tunes across to a wider audience in the clubs and concert halls. Kinjo says nearly everyone is contributing tunes and that has added to their varied sound "It's aiso made the band more of a real group effort than I think it was before now that everyone is getting to hear their own tunes out there." The current edition of Mocking Shadows also has a few Edmonton connections.

The original lineup of guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and a horn trio now features former Edmonton player Eric Weiden on trumpet, while Edmonton trombonist J.C. Jones commutes south when the group is booked to perform down there. And when the "Revue" band is booked in northern Alberta, they use several Edmonton-based vocalists, Angela Ray with sisters Amber and Stephanie Suchy, a trio that Kinjo says "really brings across that Motown-sound" in the vocal department. Between their two musical identities, Mocking Shadows have managed to put in up to 200 dates a year and tour across Canada at least once a year. Opening for B.B.

King at the Montreal Jazz Festival remains a career highlight. Learn more at www.moclongshadows.com. a cover band, but is rapidly evolving. 0 (, I i 0 'Ii ttVM (I i 1 ii 'It? ii'ii ii wiiii WHO CAN REMEMBER THAI FAR BACK? Where does he get that stuff? Telescope by Terry McConnell In Sunday Reader their first came in your concert memories show. Please e-mail ssperounesthejournal.canwest.co run your recollections in leading up to The Who's third concert Oct.

6 Place. are still available at THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Who's Roger Daltrey, left, and Pete Townshend nt? -in uilBttiiiitn fii1fm l-ifiita (11)11 MXI -I Xi i i do- UN I'l 1 11 CO 1 1" i t't Who remembers the last time Pete Townshend was in Edmonton? C'mon, it's not that long ago 30 years, to be precise. The British guitar god and the rest of The Who rolled into what was then the Coliseum on Oct. 16, 1976. More than 16,000 fans packed into the arena to see Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle.

It was their second appearance mssegjjdo Hi WfflStfD in Edmonton 1968. We want from either them to m. We'll the days long-awaited at Rexall Tickets Ticketmaster. 0 ii.