SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LIMBLIFTER @ THE HORSESHOE TAVERN, TORONTO

Limblifter

@ The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto

June 30, 2016

Limblifter: according to Ryan Dahle, it is another word for a landlubber. A landlubber? The band’s performance last night in front of packed house at Toronto’s legendary Horseshoe Tavern was put on by much more than that.

Limblifter put on a fantastic performance tonight at The Legendary Horseshoe, their second performance after kicking off their current tour last night in London, Ontario, in support of the 20th anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut album. Originally released digitally in 1996, resurgence in vinyl spurred Toronto’s record label We Are Busy Bodies, and its owner Eric Warner, to produce a vinyl reissue of the album 20 years after its release. If audience participation is any measure, it was clear that the audience was there to celebrate.

Along with frontman and guitarist Ryan Dahle, Limblifter is Megan Bradfield (A.C. Newman, The Cyrillic Typewriter) on bass, Gregory MacDonald (Sloan) on guitars and keyboards, and stick man extraordinaire Eric Breitenbach on drums. Guitarist Mark Peterson (Econoline Crush, Threesixty), joins them on tour.  Cranking out melodic harmonies, searing power chords, complex bass lines and wicked drum beats is second nature to Limblifter, and the audience clearly had a wild time.

Ryan Dahle is clearly at home in front of his audience. Bantering back and forth with the audience with everything from TV show recommendations and the vastness of Netflix, to teasing drummer Breitenbach about wearing his girlfriend’s shorts (and potentially falling out of them), breaks between songs were filled with playful exchanges. “I wish I could transcribe every comment that just went by,” Dahle declared at one point. The resulting feel was heading over to a friend’s place to watch him and his band jam in the basement; the difference being this was LIMBLIFTER JAMMING!!!

After playing through the entire album from front to back, the band continued in with a delightful mix of songs from their past three albums. “This is where you’re supposed to take a break but we’re just going to keep on playing.” “Should we do the WHOLE second album?” Instead, they played a perfect mix of selections from their following three albums, two-hour+ set of Limblifter classics.  The audience was left drenched and exhausted, truly a night to remember.

Limblifter still has a few dates left on this brief tour.  Be sure to catch them if you’re in the area.

07/01 – Calabogie, ON (Mountain Man Festival)
07/21 – Winnipeg, MB @ Handsome Daughter (6:30PM Show)
07/21 – Winnipeg, MB @ Handsome Daughter (Late Show – SOLD OUT)
07/22 – Bengough, SK @ Gateway Festival
07/23 – Saskatoon, SK @ Capitol Music Club

Limblifter Setlist

1. Vicious
2. Cordova
3. Tinfoil
4. Cellophane
5. Screwed It Up
6. I Wonder If…
7. Untitled
8. Do I Feel Involved?
9. Dominant Monkey
10. Death Defier
11. Beard of Bees
12. Round The 2
13. Opiñata
14. Count to 9
15. Ariel vs. Lotus
16. Wake Up to the Sun
17. Perfect Day to Disappear
18. Chop Chop
19. Dopamine
20. Position Open
21. Hotel Knife
22. Key of Karavana

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