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Live Review: Mayer Hawthorne with Foster the People and Kimbra, June 25th 2012, Deer Lake Park, Burnaby, B.C.

(Photo – Jamie Sands for HipHopCanada)

Live Review: – Mayer Hawthorne, opening for Foster the People
Monday, June 25th 2012
Deer Lake Park

On a warm June afternoon in Burnaby, one that was of almost surprising fortune and timing, Live Nation hosted their first concert of the summer at Deer Lake Park. Pockets of young show-goers converged towards the elusive gates, while the sounds of bright female vocals over deep bass leaked through the trees. Only a few hundred would have been present early enough to catch Kimbra’s entire set; but those who were, and the many more who arrived partway through, were treated to a tasty serving of her quirky, soulful, upbeat yet psychedelic sound. A live-loop rendition of her song “Settle Down” stood out from the rest, as microphones caught a sample of the crowd’s zealous cheering at the start of the loop that fit in just perfectly with the diminutive singer’s a cappella rhythms. It was only 6:45 when Kimbra and band left the stage, but with just a half hour to work with they’d managed to set the bar pretty high.

Up next was wildcard Mayor Hawthorne and The County. The audience, being mostly made up of teens, tweens, and twenties in tight jeans, had been pretty familiar with Kimbra’s tracks; and the sea of Foster the People shirts left no doubt about who the real draw was… but what of the man on the card without any major radio conquest? Could Hawthorne keep the energy built by Kimbra flowing through the early evening, without any ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ or thoughts of Gotye to entice the young crowd? He actually did one better, and soon had the entire park enveloped in one massive pocket of deep, sexy groove.

It didn’t quite start that way. When Mayor first hit the stage dressed in his sharp red suit, he looked like Buddy Holly fronting The Funk Brothers. The County was laying down some straight 50′s inspired doo wop, groovin’ on happy jams, and just generally putting everyone in a real smiley mood as the park continued to fill up. A few songs in he took it to the next level, dropping Bootsy Collins a line before bringing everyone forward a few decades and really laying down the funk. This carried on for a few tunes, while Kimbra could be seen side stage with an elated look on her face that mirrored those in the crowd. The man in red and his dapper compadres transitioned once again, this time into pure, solid, deep R&B. Hawthorne’s single “The Walk” served as the peak of the second set; with 90% of the crowd in a healthy sway, and the rest with at least one toe in tap. His voice was smooth, the tunes: clean and tight. The whole build was quite masterful, really. Still bright outside and sandwiched between two neo new-wave acts, Mayor Hawthorne managed to bring a crowd of generation sans-attention-span right where he wanted them; and they really enjoyed being there.

Crowds continued to gather during the break as it began to dim outside. A giant LED sun-screen and eerie inflatable figures loomed high above as the park became officially packed. Road crew set the stage in an interesting fashion: drums off to the right, with various percussion, synths, guitars, and microphones scattered across. A rising “Foster the People” banner ignited the crowd at first sight, and the final band of the evening got started just as it stopped in place. Five dudes emerged from upstage one by one, wasting no time before laying into their trademark synth and percussion-heavy sound. Frontman Mark Foster, his two bandmates, and their two auxiliary live members hopped around from instrument to instrument; transitioning from toms to sample pads to synths. The driving percussiveness of each song steered the music with a power that can’t be captured in studio; let it be known that Foster the People is an intense and skilled live band. The band and the crowd fed off of each other’s energy, and the impressive light and LED show served as icing on the cake. Foster showed his versatility throughout the set: playing piano, guitar, and synth; drumming, singing, and dancing -with at least three other band members doing the same. After a sombre start to their encore, the group gave the crowd what they wanted and jammed into the hip bass line from “Pumped Up Kicks”, adding a live house re-mix near the end of summer 2011′s biggest tune.

Solid show.

By: Justin Sarris

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