LEIF CARLSON

Sloan on stage at Louis’ on Sept. 19.

Oh, Sloan. I’ve loved their albums since I was a zitty-faced teen and I still love them now, as a 29-year-old scumbag.

I’ve always been more in love with Twice Removed than any other album of theirs, mostly due, at first, to its accessibility. One song after another is pop perfection. Luckily for me, they played that classic album in its entirety at their Sept. 19 show at Louis.

I should mention at this point that I had never seen them live before. I’ve attempted to, and lost out, but this time I finally made it. There was no opening band, much to my pleasure. Over two hours of Sloan.

About an hour past the estimated time, Sloan hit the stage. They started with “Penpals,” the first track from Twice Removed.

As they continued to play the album, I had a horrible grin on stuck on my face while I awkwardly mouthed the words the entire time. I had more and more beer, and duck out for a cigarette when they played the last song.

The second set was a mix of old favorites and songs from their new album, The Double Cross. The new songs sounded great and I wish I had known more about them prior to them playing.

The encore began with “Money City Maniacs” and ended with songs that were less familia to me. While I have not been following them closely for the past 10 years or so, I definitely wished I had been when I got to the show.

As I said, I have never seen them live before. At the first chords of “Penpals,” and further through one of the greatest Can-Rock albums ever released, I found myself exactly where I wanted to be in life.

Frontman Chris Murphy is a beautiful man who led a chorus of 1990’s innocence all the way to the root of my heart. Later in the night I attempted to talk to Chris, rather unsuccessfully. It came out something like, “Hurr duur good shoooow.”

If you don’t trust my admittedly biased review of this great Canadian band, and listen to any one of their albums before submitting yourself to one of the most satisfying live experiences of your life.

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Photos: Raisa Pezderic/The Sheaf