KULAS : TORONTO RANCHO RELAXO 14.3.02

Set list: Starland, Anyone Else, Beautiful Day (Part 2), The Only One, She's All the Rage, Sleep, Pavement, Its Your Birthday (blues jam to celebrate band guitarist Tom Michaels' 23rd birthday), Beginning of the End, Burning Down Hollywood, Glasgow Rain,

Encore: A Clever Mess (solo), Lust For Love (cover of a 1983 hit single by Canadian electronic band Images In Vogue).

"Thank you ladies & gentlemen for coming out tonight. We've got a special treat for you" with that, or some such words to that effect, in the tone of a daytime low budget game show host, Kulas kicked off the night's events. 

Doing a near identical set to that which he delivered at his "Another Small Machine" (ASM) record release party at the Rivoli a few weeks earlier, Kulas and his new four piece backing band kicked off the night with one of my favourite Kulas tunes, the as yet unrecorded rocker Starland.  It quickly became evident that Kulas and band, which he had introduced to Toronto at the Rivoli show, had jelled in the interim.  The band played more comfortably and confidently together; its one of those things that words can't really describe where the band just seems to be performing as one and takes the house with them on a good ride, leading us through a bunch of songs off the latest cd ASM, such as "Beautiful Day" and "Beginning of the End", as well as new unrecorded tunes "Pavement" and the great closer to the regular set "Glasgow Rain". 

The night was also interspersed with the same good natured sense of humour that Kulas had shown Toronto at his local shows last month.  Clearly at ease, Kulas joked about having all the technical bugs under control as the band prepped for the acoustic guitar intro to ASM's "The Only One" (at the Riv set, the acoustic guitar refused to co-operate); a collective sigh of relief greeted the desired start to the song.  The "special treat" tonight was the celebration of guitarist Tom Michaels' 23rd birthday, to which references were made throughout the night.  About two-thirds through the show Kulas went off the stage for a few minutes to the sound of organ "set" music (again, the sort of thing you would hear on a low budget day time tv show), and returned with a birthday cake adorned with three lit candles. After the ceremonial blowing out of the candles by Tom, the band broke into a five minute blues jam behind some vocals centring on "its your birthday (and I wish it were mine too)".  

Kulas returned for an encore solo acoustic rendition of "A Clever Mess", and was then joined onstage by the full band for their guitar-rock cover of synth-pop hit "Lust For Love", bringing the night to a close. 

So in summary, tonight the audience got a treat of equal parts strong song writing, singing and playing, and that rare rock mix of lots of humour and a dearth of ego.