Freezepop @ The Brickyard

Vancouver did not fall in love with Freezepop. There is something definitely wrong with Vancouver.

Or maybe not. Maybe I wouldn't have fallen in love with Freezepop if November 6th had been my first introduction to them...I don't know. They didn't look like the endearing trio I had fallen for. Perhaps it's my fault for having looked at their PIX section with more zeal than a porn aficionado but they didn't look nearly as colourful or fashionable as I thought they would - definitely not sporting the Benetton. They looked so cold and unenthusiastic with their buttoned-up jackets and low eyelids. Was it the rain- Or maybe they were disheartened because The Brickyard is so skanky. It's definitely not the right place for such a melodic ensemble.

And what melodies! Freezepop is so talented!

All their melodies have the most natural grace to them. Tracey Gold (an ode to Growing Pains' Carol Seaver), Science Genius Girl (the one that won the science fair), Chess King (he'll do anything!), Stakeout and for crying out loud: Duct Tape My Heart...they're all so beautiful.

Maybe they didn't stand out as a lot of their pop and kitsch had been stripped away. I arrived to The Brickyard imagining that all the alternative rockers would be so delighted by Freezepop's sublime music that their studded leather jackets would sprout daisies and their beer would turn into ice cream floats. Once they got started, though, I knew that there wasn't enough sweetness to turn the fashionably bitter and aloof drunks into groupies.

Regardless of the lack of decorations there are those lyrics. Freezepop has perfect metre, rhyme and rhythm. They utilise magic realism in such a way that any English prof would stamp their tracks with an A+. I suggest you give 'Harebrained Scheme', 'Duct Tape My Heart' and/or 'Science Genius Girl' a twirl.

Liz only seemed to get excited with 'Stakeout'. That was their second to last song. And do you know what happened during 'Shark Attack', their last song- A guy that The Duke invited on stage (and who was too nervous to stay on for more than 2.5 seconds) went berserk and started swearing SO loud. This went on for about 30 seconds. I wish I had punched him in the gut.

Anyway, Freezepop finished 'Shark Attack' and got off the stage. I bet Freezepop did encores at all their other stops, probably 'Super Sprøde' - as they wrote this song especially for their crazy fans. Apparently there's not enough of us in Vancouver.

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