Concert Review: David Bazan Gives Inspired Rendition of Classic Pedro The Lion Album “Control” In Toronto

By: Stephen McGill –

David Bazan at Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. November 11th, 2012. (Photo: Stephen McGill)

For the 10th anniversary of Pedro The Lion’s classic album Control, former Pedro The Lion frontman David Bazan decided to reissue the band’s entire discography on vinyl, and tour to celebrate the occasion. The album, which serves as concept record about a businessman who is having an affair on his wife, who kills him, is one of the definitive albums in the band’s discography and it was a ballsy choice of Bazan to perform the album in its entirety without his former bandmates. But if you were concerned about Bazan playing the album without his former band, he was quick to assure the crowd that the current incarnation of the Bazan Band was the best version of Pedro The Lion. They had their work cut out for them, playing to a packed Sunday night crowd at The Horseshoe, all hoping to hear their favorite songs performed faithfully.

They had little to worry about though; from the opening notes of “Options” it became clear that Bazan’s boasting was not to be taken lightly. All throughout the set the three-piece band managed to render Control beat for beat as it was meant to be. This was quite the impressive feat, and the crowd was transfixed on every note played. Bazan didn’t have a particularly imposing stage presence, however the set was carried by his impressive voice, which translated perfectly from the album to the stage.

Bryan Enas of Stagnant Pools at Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. November 11th, 2012. (Photo: Stephen McGill)

After finishing side A of Control the band broke into some of David Bazan’s solo material, as well as other Pedro the Lion tracks, with the standout track from this interlude being the Pedro The Lion track “When They Really Get To Know You They Will Run” from their 1998 debut album It’s Hard To Find a Friend, which flowed right back into side B of Control. Between songs, Bazan often engaged with the audience and offered to answer any questions they might have, though it was often just shouted song requests, or one inquiry about their recently written off trailer, which was crashed into in a parking lot in Chicago by a drunk driver, which also damaged some gear. Side B held up just as well as the first, of particular note being the last two songs “Priests & Paramedics” and “Rejoice” the latter of which built up to a powerful finale, followed by Bazan leaving the stage and the house music coming up with an encore not even being a suggested possibility.

Opening the night was Stagnant Pools, a two-piece band out of Indiana, made up of brothers Bryan and Doug Enas. Falling immediately into the shoegaze category with slight influenes from Joy Division and Sonic Youth, they played tracks from the debut album Temporary Room, released in August, but they did little to try and escape that genre. Singer Bryan Enas rarely strayed too far from his microphone or pedal board, and on the whole made little effort to engage the audience in their performance. It’s a shame because they sounded great live, but there was little to draw the audience in, and certainly not much going on to encourage excitement for the main act.

Though Bazan’s hour and a half set was good, and while his rendition of a classic album served as a authoritative introduction to the music of Pedro The Lion, his set could have been stronger had he played more tracks from his growing collection of solo material, especially from his stellar solo debut album Curse Your Branches.