Bedouin Soundclash
W/ The Pocket Dwellers Featuring Zaki Ibrahim
Dec 20, 2006
Opera House
A benefit for Doctors Without Borders and War Child Canada

For some reason the last couple weeks of December are always ridiculously busy for concerts and for the past two years it seems like Bedouin are my holiday concert tradition. Going to see them the day after Alexisonfire was the perfect balance between getting all hyper and riled up and just totally relaxed. For what seemed to be a last minute concert, especially one benefiting charities, it was nice to see that it was way beyond sold out, to the point where scalpers were trying to buy tickets because they didn’t have any to sell.

Now, a packed Opera House is usually a very unhappy Opera House, but with the exception of a couple drunk blondes going around saying Bedouin Soundclash were the ‘best Canadian boy band ever’ a Bedouin concerts comes with a very calm and relaxed audience.

Openers The Pocket Dwellers with Zaki Ibrahim on vocals blew away the audience with their funk/soul sound and her amazing vocals. They worked so well together they may as well have been one band, it was that seamless. Zaki’s definitely someone to check out next time she comes around.

Bedouin were definitely the ones that everyone was there to see. It’s been a long time since they played Toronto but clearly the fans haven’t forgotten. Running through all their singles “Shelter,” “Gyasi Went Home” and the ever popular “When The Night Feels My Song;” the fans were singing and dancing along for the entire set. Constantly showing their roots with a cover of “Rudie Can’t Fail” mixed with a little “I Wanna Be Sedated” is one of the reasons that Bedouin stand out. They always make sure you know where they come from.

It’s their slower, quieter songs that make them shine live. “Jeb Rand” and “Shadow Of A Man” sound much better live with the fantastic harmonies between singer Jay Malinowski and drummer Pat Pengelly.

Playing their new song “12:59 Lullaby” is further incentive for everyone to look forward to the new album which should be due sometime next year. If that song is any indication it may even be bigger than album that made them famous. 







Set List:

Living In Jungles
Shelter
Rude Boy Don’t Cry
Criminal
Nico
Gyasi Went Home
Rudie Can’t Fail
Trinco
Jeb Rand
Money Worries
National Water
Mother And Child
One Dance
Shadow Of A Man
Stand Alone
When The Night Feels My Song

Encore:
12:59 Lullaby
Nothing To Say 

- Alyssa Caplin

For more photos go here...




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