“Suck it up buttercup / This is just the / Beginning of what’s to come / Ya don’t wanna get left / In the dust / So you better move off of the dime.”
Montréal, QC indie pop-rockers The Dears are no strangers to the Canadian music scene, having released their debut album “End of a Hollywood Bedtime Story” back in 2000, followed by several more through to their 2020 “Lovers Rock” release. GDW’s Lesley would discover the band during this timeframe, and three albums from their catalogue were quickly added to our record collection.
Founded back in 1995 by the husband/wife duo of Murray A. Lightburn (vocals/guitars/keyboards) and Natalia Yanchak (vocals/keyboards), we seemingly discovered the band at a time when Murray was gearing up to embark on a solo venture – dropping his excellent album “Hear Me Out” in 2019, and his widely acclaimed “Once Upon A Time In Montréal” release in 2023.
Fast forward to the present and The Dears not only announced the arrival of their first new album in five years – “Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life is Beautiful!” – but added a small run of QC and ON tour dates for late November. With an Ottawa date falling nicely in line with our vacation plans, and having never caught the band in concert, this was a no-brainer. Tickets bought!
Having officially released the album a week earlier in their home city, the band commenced the Ontario leg of their tour at The Azrieli Studio – one of the stages located within Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. As the venue’s lights dimmed and Edith Piaf’s “La vie en rose” played in its entirety through the sound system, The Dears made their way on to the stage, Lightburn and Yanchak accompanied by regular bandmates Steve Raegele (guitar), Remi-Jean LeBlanc (bass) and Jeff Luciani (drums).
But wait – there was a sixth bandmate back there too handling additional guitar duties, keyboards, and backing vocals. His profile was familiar, my mind scrambling to connect the dots, but alas, his name eluded me. With no band acknowledgements offered, it would take some online browsing later that night to learn that this ringer was Jason Kent. Yes, THE Jason Kent! Longtime GDW readers may recall my fascination with this guy – an artist discovered thanks to a random purchase of one of his solo albums that led me down an editorial rabbit hole to trying to find an online profile. Jason Kent, from the Sunfields out of Montréal, would feature once again here when affiliated with another band, Elephant Stone. Good to finally see you in the flesh, Jason – even if we were unable to connect in person on this night.
While officially an album release tour, the band would only share four cuts from their latest release – opening the show with “Gotta Get My Head Right” – and adding a trio of tunes down the stretch prior to their encore. What I noticed from this first number, however, was a remarkable mid-song change of pace and energy that set the tone for an excellent 95 minutes of music that would follow.
Following a performance of “Lost in the Plot,” a tune taken from their 2003 “No Cities Left” album, Murray would make his first address to the room. “So, I solved a domestic problem just now while we were playing that song, and I had to tell my wife right away I solved the problem,” he shared, looking over at Natalia. “I don’t know what it is. I don’t have to clean the toilet anymore?” Natalia responded. “Because I’m a genius,” Murray added. “AI is cleaning the toilet for me?” Natalia joked, Murray then sharing more of his revelation. “Wait until I tell you my solution. I’ve been solving problems with this person for thirty years, and really, I’m convinced that’s the only reason why she’s still here.” Clearly digging himself into a hole, Jeff’s rapid drum stick counts would bail Murray out, the band launching immediately into “Hate Then Love,” complete with choral cries from Murray that oozed plenty of 90s era Britpop elements.
Around the mid-point of the set, the band really hit a groove, dazzling the packed studio with their performance of three songs in succession – no pauses, just some extended instrumental jams to connect them. Leading with “Disclaimer,” the outro was filled with enough guitar rings to appease U2 fans, and the impactful keys taking them on a seamless Coldplay style transition into “Death of All the Romance.” An epic drum solo from Jeff kept the music flowing as the final switch was made into “Whites Only Party.” This was a truly amazing medley to experience live.
The lead vocals baton would be momentarily passed to Natalia, who provided a flawless performance of “Onward and Downward,” and once again for “Instant Nightmare!” – Murray adding additional vocals, and some serious guitar riffs bouncing around the room offering similarities to the sounds and style of Irish indie bands such as Therapy and The Cranberries. Murray would pause to address the room once more, prior to shifting back to the new album material. “Are you guys doing alright here? This is the second time we’ve ever played this song in front of humans,” he added before a performance of “Doom Pays.” “Humans, meaning you! You are human, right?” And as this energetic song ended, Murray took time to review his smart watch, sharing with us the updates by the second from his heart rate monitor. “105, 113, 115, 106, 110.” he read aloud. “Is there a doctor in the house?”
With some amazing dual harmonies between lead vocalists for the new album’s title track, the band would bid their audience a good evening – but of course, the show was not quite over yet. Returning alone to the stage floor with his acoustic guitar in hand, Murray took time to slow every heart rate in the room with another address. “Listen man, listen man, I feel so incredibly blessed. I mean, this gig is a grind. I’m so tired, it’s crazy,” he shared, earning a little sympathy from his audience. “I’ve got to get up tomorrow and drive, and do press, and then play another show, do it all over again tomorrow. I’m too old. It’s like Sergeant Murtaugh, ‘I’m too old for this shit.’ [Lethal Weapon reference].”
Pausing as laughter filled the room, Murray would share his gratitude for his chosen career and the fans, before returning to the conversation topic raised earlier in the evening. “So, it turns out that when I thought I was such a genius before, and I’m sure some of you are in relationships where the guy is like I’m such a genius, but it was really someone else’s idea. Turns out Natalia is like, ‘I said that at the merch table’ that was the solution. But Natalia – I have to give credit to her – it was her idea. I just didn’t hear her.”
Taking time for a solo acoustic performance of “Ticket to Immortality” (preceded by a tale about their daughter), the band would return to end the evening with a very energetic three song encore, Murray stepping out onto the floor amongst the crowd as “22: The Death of All the Romance” wound down, offering thanks before reciting the words that form the title to the new album, the room responding in kind by repeating the three words each time Murray cried out. “Life is Beautiful!” “Life is Beautiful!” “Life is Beautiful!” An amazing evening with The Dears – twas Beautiful indeed.
Set List:
- Gotta Get My Head Right
- 5 Chords
- The Worst in Us
- Who Are You, Defenders of the Universe?
- Lost In the Plot
- Hate Then Love
- Disclaimer
- Here’s To the Death of All the Romance
- Whites Only Party
- Onward And Downward
- Instant Nightmare!
- Doom Pays
- Tears Of Nation
- Life Is Beautiful
Encore:
- Ticket to Immortality (Murray – solo acoustic)
- The Second Part
- You And I Are a Gang of Losers
- 22: The Death of All the Romance
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
