Concert Review: illScarlett Lets Ska Reign In Ottawa

By: Luke Ottenhof –

The ska/reggae genre has been the apple of the public’s eye since Bob Marley burst onto North American charts in the 1970s. The conception of ska-punk is a storied one, and illScarlett has endeavored through blood, sweat and beers for the past decade to keep the tradition alive.

The ska-punk lovechildren sweated it out in front of a modest crowd at Ottawa’s Maverick’s last night.

Ottawa-based newcomers The Sentries opened the night with a deliberately classic sound. Far removed from the heavier, cynical tone of Ill Scarlett’s work, the seven-piece offered reprieve from the doom and gloom of the office-drone lifestyle. The band kicked back complete with a sax and trombone, and despite misguided arrangement meanders, the robust instrumentation was enough to save their music’s soul.

Trouble & Daughter stole the show. The band boasts illScarlett guitarist Will Marr on bass, and former Ill Scarlett member John Doherty on acoustic guitar. Make no mistake, though, the band members’ star connections don’t steal from the rest of the group. Singers Jenni Pleau and James Mascola were downright tantalizing. Mascola’s ‘50s greaser look, straight out of S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, and Pleau’s charming hair-and-hip sway lit up an already buzzed crowd.

Trouble & Daughter defined their set with acoustically-driven surf-ska anthems and Doherty, Pleau, and Mascola nailed the mellowed-out beach-bum vibe. “What’s Good Is Gone” from last July’s 2012 EP showcased tendency and talent for the dramatic that snags on a relatable jaded feel. “The Lucky Ones” streamed the trend along with a pensive, worldly awareness and solemn croons from Pleau. The group’s aptitude for sound lyrical construction partnered with infectiously groovy rhythms and easy-going charm made for an impressive set from a promising band.

illScarlett took a well-warmed stage and ignited it. Slinking through a set of aged classics and unreleased goodies, the Mississauga-based quartet illScarlett bounced through familiar terrain, and though sonically tight, their punctuated rhythms and sweeping guitars felt dated. Frontman Alex Norman, dwarfed by guitarist Will Marr and bassist Justin Zoltek on either side, didn’t let the vertical difference slow him down. A slowly but surely growing tidal wave of sweat  drenched Norman’s shirt as the night grew older, and his day-blue top was navy with perspiration before long.

Despite being no stranger to the stage, Norman’s guitar sound felt thin. Marshall’s JCM 900 line has long been thwarted by claims of inept distortion and thin tones, but after years of gigging, it’s disheartening to hear not much beyond a crackling fuzz of chords. However, Marr’s sticky-sweet lead parts compensated the difference.

Turning out hits like “One-A”, “Nothing Special”, and show-closer “Mary Jane” has no doubt become routine for the foursome. Though they do it with energy and guts, it’s just a little too hard to get lost in the steel drum fills and up-cutting palm mutes on guitar. After the debut of new tunes from of their upcoming release, like “Remedy” and “My Money,” it’s clear the punk rock starlets still have a taste for ear-worm riffing and catchy wordplay, but after a decade, the old tricks are getting easier and easier to call bullshit on. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, the saying goes. But maybe the old dog is just too scared to try what he doesn’t know.

The ska-punk groove was at full throttle, and for a sound rarely heard, the bands did a hell of a job keeping it alive and well. But if illScarlett wants to continue on their upward climb, they can’t replicate their past successes and instead they should experiment and expand on a sound that they’ve already championed.