While watching the Dunes set up for their Tuesday night gig at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern, I made my way through the thin crowd of people to the edge of the large space in front of the stage. Not too bad for a Tuesday night, I thought. However, as the Toronto quartet readied themselves onstage, I saw the space fill in significantly, and in what seemed like the blink of an eye I was four or five rows back. Now playing to a packed room, the Dunes kicked off their Nu-Music Night set to a bona fide crowd cheering them on.

To be sure, a significant portion of the crowd looked to be of the Stella-sipping, Blackberry-wielding corporate career set, but that’s to be expected, considering the Dunes have just signed a big-league record deal with Universal imprint Curve Music (Holly McNarland, Turn Off the Stars), and now have a shiny video (“Do it all the Time”) in heavy rotation on Much Music.

The Dunes singer Kevin Pullen announced that “for the next 40 minutes or so we’re going to give you a motherfucking rock show” as the band launched into a new song featuring a sing-along chorus which sounded like classic Clash colliding with the Cars. Treating the enthusiastic crowd (one dude flailing in front of the stage looked a sloppy drunk who’d just been force-fed six Red Bulls by his friends) to a mix of tunes off their recently re-realesed 2004 record Socializing With Life and new songs written in between their nearly-non-stop touring, the Dunes looked plenty happy to be back on home ice.

Drawing on a solid mix of rock influences, the Dunes are probably tired of all the Brit comparisons (but seriously, Pullen sounds like Chris Martin covering Bends-era Radiohead backed by U2 circa the Joshua Tree), so, to drop some Canadian names, their sound is like a more rocking Pilate (or “Pilot Speed” or whatever they’re called now) or a less polite In-Flight Safety. There were also points in their set when they wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a Sam Roberts or Stills compilation. A large part of this is thanks to Pullen’s sweeping, stadium-filling vocals and electric stage presence.

That said, the rest of the band aren’t slouches either. Drummer Todd MacDonald beat his kit like it was hiding his drink tickets, his booming kick filling the room, while guitarist Alistair Heath provided some mean melodic guitar licks. At one point I caught bassist Adam Koch dry humping his bass with one foot up on the stage monitor. Dude, be careful. Watch what happens to Steve Buscemi’s character at the end of Airheads and you’ll see what I mean!

The Dunes’ high point was when they played their current single “Do it All the Time,” which is a perfect drinking/party tune. Some smart beer company had better license the shit out of this song soon. Seriously.

The band wrapped things up to thunderous applause and calls for “one more,” but due to the ‘Shoe’s respect for ironclad set-times, that had to be it. They’re back on tour until the end of the year, but do yourself a favour, get wasted and rock out at a Dunes show next time they’re back in town.

CONCERT review
The Dunes
Tuesday, December 5
The Horseshoe Tavern
Rating: VVVV