Emily Haines & James Shaw (Metric) @ Union Pool

Emily Haines & James Shaw
@ Union Pool
Brooklyn, NY – September 7, 2008

Originally billed as a three-set variety around the multiple works of Emily Haines, the lady of the hour decided at the last minute, along with her Metric partner one Mr. James Shaw, to play two practically identical sets showcasing material from the upcoming Metric record before her set with Tall Firs. In an immaculately intimate setting in a tiny little bar under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Emily and James channeled their scrappy NYC days but at the same time stripped away all the electronic razzle dazzle to reveal what really sometimes seems is the best-kept secret in Indie rock: that Emily and the Metric boys are some of the most consistent songwriters out there. Emily wows as a rock star, a punk rock girl, and an electro-pop artiste on a regular basis but this was one of those rare opportunities to see what else she is: a deep, thoughtful, classic singer-songwriter who has an ear for the lyrics as much as she does for the hooks. In a slight bit of irony, these new songs – whose development and much delayed proper release is starting to border on Chinese Democracy timeframes – were played in simple ballad fashion though they promise to be melody-heavy, maybe even loud, rock n’ pop once the unnamed LP finally sees the light of day (the duo was taking title suggestions during both sets…don’t be too surprised if the album is called Graffiti on the Kellogg Diner).

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And Another ("Live It Out"!)
Playing to a polite but enthusiastic audience, Emily and James were keenly witty, whimsical, and fun. Emily complained about her general stage banter being blogged about and leading to questions and controversy so she promised to keep her musings to a minimum, which she failed at. Fortunately for her, she didn’t say anything much more blog-worthy except for maybe the way she goes “rwar!” but you have to see it to appreciate it.

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Panic-alert: At the end of the second take, Emily surmised “that’s the new record” but they didn’t play “Stadium Love”. Did they not play it because the song is just so rock-based, so chalked up with anthem-goodness, that it just couldn’t be mined for a slow, soft, keyboard and acoustic guitar work-up? Or has the song been shelved from the LP, thereby constituting the biggest musical tragedy of the decade? How can they leave this song off?! It’s so good! Listen to it!