It’s so rare these days to see a band that is actually genuine about how wonderful the world can be, so if heaven needs a choir, The Polyphonic Spree could easily fill in for a couple days.
Spawned from awful ’90s alternative band Tripping Daisy, the Spree boast an impressive 24-member roster which includes flute, French horn and a choir, not to mention the standard guitar-bass-drums triumvirate. And on Tuesday, they brought their pop cacophony to Toronto, cramming into Lee’s Palace for a packed audience.
With songs about sunshine, love and holidays, it’s no surprise that the Spree give off a positive glow, and with the whole band dressed in their trademark white robes, the notion that the concert was more of a sermon wasn’t too hard to come by.
Blasting out hits from their recently re-released CD The Beginning Stages of…, the Spree were simply moving to watch. Led by spastic and triumphant frontman Tim DeLaughter, the group had the crowd enraptured from the first volleys of “It’s the Sun,” and kept on going from there. By the time they got to “Soldier Girl” near the end of the set, the sheer positivity of the spectacle threatened to tear the mortar of the building apart.
Simply put, the Polyphonic Spree are one of the most powerful and uplifting acts out there, fusing the energy of 24 Andrew W.K.s with the pop sensibilities of the Beach Boys. When DeLaughter spurred on the crowd to sing along to “Have a Day,” of which the chorus beams, “Soon you’ll find the answer,” you really believe that you will, and that no one is alone in this life. A spiritual experience to be sure.
The Spree also benefited from a pair of fantastic openers. The Starlight Mints channelled surf, pop and ’90s alt-rock for a dynamic set, and the evening kicked off with a bang thanks to one-man band Corn Mo. The Texas native (aided only by an accordion and a cymbal he played with a foot pedal) was like Jack Black and Meatloaf combined, pouring his heart into songs with lines such as Lollipops and rainbows, I wanna bang you,” and “We can make out under the black light under the Made in Japan (a food court staple).”
All in all, an uplifting evening, and a return visit from the Spree is what this cynical city definitely needs.
