>>PREVIEW
MR. SOMETHING SOMETHING
Thursday, December 1
Brew Brothers Taproom
December 2 and 3
The Canmore Hotel
December 6 and 7
The Rose & Crown (Banff)
Toronto six-piece Mr. Something Something may have one of the worst band names around, but don’t let that turn you off, especially if you like to dance.
According to vocalist Johan Ivar, the name is a reference to an obscure Fela Kuti song called "Mr. Follow Follow." Knowing that Kuti is the artist on whom most westerners rest the tradition of Afrobeat gives you an indication of where the rump-shaking rhythms of Mr. Something Something are coming from. But more important than where they come from is where they want to go.
"The name Mr. Something Something has taken on different meanings over the two years that we have been together now," says Ivar. "It has come to take on the meaning of Mr. Anybody, if you will, because we’re trying, in the live show, to break down what is known in theatre as the fourth wall and really get the audience to participate and see that they are very much a part of the event. We are trying to blur the line between performer and audience."
So as the baritone sax gets you into the groove, and steady percussion moves your feet, don’t be surprised when Ivar leaves the mic and leaps into the crowd. It’s more than just stage antics, it’s an attempt to engage the audience.
"We really try hard to create a space at the live shows where people feel comfortable enough to let loose and let go and to express and explore themselves through participation and through dancing, most importantly."
And dancing is something that Ivar takes very seriously. Three years ago, he was a wallflower who was by his own admission, too cool to dance. He now half-jokingly calls himself a born-again dancer. A visit to a drum circle with the woman he loved was all it took to get him moving, and although he realizes his moves are pretty ridiculous, he can’t deny the therapeutic benefits that come from flailing his arms and legs. Now that he has worked through his inhibitions, Ivar is ready to help everyone else do the same.
"We try to get the audience to feel that it is OK to let go and open up," he says. "We try to make people see that if you are there, if you are present… whether you want to or not, you’re participating and it is up to you to choose how you participate."
It’s to be expected. The Afrobeat tradition is quite political, but because the members of Mr. Something Something have never experienced the oppression that artists like Fela Kuti have, their lyrical approach is quite different. So while many of the songs on the band’s recent full-length, The Edge, are personal and lyric driven, the politics often lie between the words, in the groove. If they can get the most cynical member of the crowd to start dancing, just imagine what else they can get them to do.
"That dance floor to me is just a representation of society," says Ivar. "That is why the live show is such an important part of the music."
"To go out and play music is a political act," he says. "Our lyrical content – the message – is a little bit different, but I do firmly believe that there cannot be change without change within and if you manage to let go at that live show and explore yourself, then that is very much a political act as well. It’s a first step, if you will."
While Mr. Something Something isn’t playing in the strict tradition of Afrobeat – Ivar says their music is more like Bob Dylan meets Fela Kuti – they play close to the source where it counts. Taking West African rhythms and marrying them with Western pop sensibilities makes for an upbeat and uplifting blend. This is no accident. Before hitting the studio, Ivar and his bandmates had long discussions on how best to get their message across.
"One problem with becoming too political with your lyrics is that often the lyrics and the music become about condemnation. It becomes about defining yourself in negative terms, so to speak," he says. "I think it is really important to remember to celebrate life and to celebrate positivity and that is what we are trying to do first and foremost, instead of saying no to this and no to that."
A positive attitude and great music – why wouldn’t you dance? If the prospect of shaking it on the dance floor still intimidates audiences, they can take solace in the fact that at the very least, no member of Mr. Something Something is going to judge them.
"There is no such thing as a wrong movement, just like there is no such thing as a wrong note. It just depends on which note you follow it with." |
Copyright ©2005 FFWD. All rights reserved.