Showtime!: Broken Social Scene, Club Cinema, Pompano Beach

The unique set-up of Broken Social Scene is such that each performer that joins the band brings something different to the show.

For example, the female vocal part of this Canadian ensemble has been held down by such strong artists as Leslie Feist, Metric’s Emily Haines and Stars’ Amy Millan. But Lizzie Powell had another take on things at Pompano Beach’s Club Cinema. Her sometimes girlish style fit one song — Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl — to a tee, while working brilliantly other times as well.

Broken Social Scene's Brendan Canning, Andrew Whiteman and Kevin Drew. (Photo by Jonathan Tully)

That’s the joy of what this group is about: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning and Justin Peroff — the three men who’ve been at this group’s center — surrounding themselves with some of Canada’s top rock musicians and seeing where each combination takes them.

This particular group not only played some of the Scene’s most appreciated songs — critical and fan favorites on display included “7/4 (Shoreline)”, “Cause=Time” and “Fire Eye’d Boy” — as well as songs off both Drew’s and Canning’s recent solo efforts, but also allowed their members to step forward and have their own moments in the sun.

Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene. (photo by Shaun Flagg/Skope)

Guitarist Andrew Whiteman (also of Apostle of Hustle) sang a great version of the band’s “Looks Just Like the Sun”, while guitarist Sam Goldberg shined when he shared vocals with Drew on a psychedelic song by Goldberg’s Montreal-based band Hawaii. There was also the admirable risk taken by another guitarist, Do Make Say Think’s Charlie Spearin, who introduced an avant-garde piece with the help of saxophonist Leon Kingstone. While it was a cool song to give a listen to, it did halt the momentum of the show.

Fortunately, Broken Social Scene was able to pick up the pace almost immediately, finishing with a crowd-pleasing ending as Drew decided against an encore, instead asking his band to play until they had to clear the club.

Powell started this fun night with her own band, Land of Talk. Sounding like a band at the intersection of the Pixies, Lush and Bjork, Land of Talk was equally at home with cacophonous rock and heartfelt lyrics.

For more photos of this show, check out Shaun Flagg’s gallery at Skope Magazine.