Broken Social Scene leader Kevin Drew opened his band’s headlining set by quipping that they’re always playing in Ottawa. However, it’s been a full seven years and a global pandemic since the Toronto collective last graced the nation’s capital.
While their last local appearance at the 2018 Dragon Boat Festival featured a stripped-down version of their mammoth lineup, Thursday night’s (June 26) Ottawa Jazz Festival set delivered the closest thing to “classic Broken Social Scene” the city has seen in years.
Taking the stage nine strong, Kevin Drew was joined by You Forgot It in People alumni Brendan Canning, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Justin Peroff and Evan Cranley, along with new-ish members Sam Goldberg, David French and Ariel Engle.
Without a new album to showcase, the swelling festival crowd knew they were in for a greatest hits set, as confirmed when the band kicked things off with “KC Accidental” from their celebrated 2002 breakthrough LP. As they launched into “7/4 (Shoreline)” from their 2005 self-titled album, the band were joined on stage by members of Carn Davidson 9, who had performed earlier in the evening, providing an exquisite brass accompaniment.
As “Fire Eye’d Boy” saw Drew and Engle trading vocals, the band began to loosen up. Their joyful stage presence came to a literal head when Canning took the lead on “Stars and Sons” while grinning through a playful scalp massage from Drew.
Few in the crowd could’ve predicted that “Stay Happy,” a deep cut from their 2017 comeback album Hug of Thunder, would emerge as a set highlight. Engle was unexpectedly joined on vocals by Newmarket-born singer-songwriter Hannah Georgas, who Drew said had “driven up from Toronto to join us.”
Moving between deep cuts like “Late Nineties Bedroom Rock for the Missionaries” and singles like “Cause = Time,” the trio of Drew, Engle and Georgas danced and leaped around the stage, lovingly interacting with band members and the audience. This included a tender moment when Engle rested her head on Whiteman’s shoulder during his vocal turn on “Looks Just Like the Sun,” prompting Drew to clarify, “Don’t worry, they’re married. Their daughter is here tonight!”
When Drew attempted to wrap things up after an hour, Engle quickly corrected him that they still had 30 minutes left. Seizing the moment, Drew passed the spotlight to Engle and Georgas, who delivered a stunning finale, duetting on fan-favourites “Lover’s Spit” and “Anthems for a Seventeen Year‐Old Girl.”
Once again, Drew attempted to close the set with an impassioned speech, ending with the stirring plea: “Don’t let them weaponize empathy and community.” But in a flawless moment of comic relief, he was once again informed that there was still time left on the clock.
Capping the night off with the fitting “Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day),” Broken Social Scene left the crowd to bask in the warmth of a lighthearted performance full of surprises that was just imperfect as it was perfect.
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