Broken Social Scene Brings Chaotic Cohesion to Bass Hall

Overlooking a few technical glitches and Drew's obvious malaise, Broken Social Scene delivered majestic instrumentation and triumphant melodies. It was a little weird having to stay in our seats and whisper during an indie rock show, but Bass Hall turned out to be an excellent venue to house the roaring riffs and wispy vocals. Looking down on the beautiful arrangement from the top balcony, it felt like what we imagine a trip to the opera feels like. Audience members sat entranced by the symphonic sounds floating through the air instead of distracted by staggering drunks and hip outfits. Well, besides that one person who yelled out something like "you got my babies pregnant." Drew was playful with his listeners throughout the set and played the role of ringleader, giving praise and recognition to each of his band mates.

Because of the group's constant metamorphosis, an original show with freedom to explore is always guaranteed and Saturday night was no exception. We got a little bit of a science lesson when Charles Spearin gave us a demonstration of layering linguistics with rock and roll. Spearin recorded interviews with several of his neighbors, including one of a deaf woman who described the first time she could hear at age 30. After playing the raw recording, Leon Kingstone mimicked the words "All of a sudden I felt by body moving inside me," on saxophone as other BSS members chanted along.

Combining the best bits of some of our favorite bands, Broken Social Scene left us hypnotized by a bit of a paradox—chaotic cohesion. Perhaps Drew put it best when he described the group as "a big, beautiful mess."