By Vanessa Markov
Photos by Vanessa Markov
www.polarismusicprize.ca
The fifth annual Polaris Music Prize Gala, which included performances by all ten nominees, took place Monday evening at the Masonic Temple on Yonge Street. Among the shortlisted nominees were Toronto’s own Broken Social Scene, Vancouver’s Tegan and Sara and Dan Mangan, previous Polaris winners Owen Pallett and Caribou, Shad, The Sadies, The Besnard Lakes, Radio Radio, and the 2010 Polaris Music Prize winners, Montreal’s Karkwa.
The event was scheduled to begin at 8pm, though media vans, moving trucks, and a swarm of crewmen and industry professionals were already busily buzzing around the historic building well before 6 o’clock. With so much going on all around me, it was all I could do to keep from squealing excitedly as I made my way to the pre-gala room to meet the nominees.
Ten specially designed 2010 Polaris commemorative posters were displayed along the perimeter of the room, one for each of the nominated albums. As the musicians arrived for photographs and interviews, an air of friendship and reunion was far more noticeable than one of competition. There was no question that these artists were more than glad to be in each other’s company; they spent just as much time hugging, congratulating, and catching up with one another as they did speaking to the media outlets.
I was able to catch up with brothers Dallas and Travis Good from The Sadies, who expressed that they were surprised and flattered to make the 2010 Polaris short list.
I asked how the nomination had impacted the band. “We’ve been able to do a lot of interviews, so maybe we’ll reach some more people, sell some more records, and keep doing what we’re doing for a few more years,” Dallas replied.
When asked what they felt was different about Darker Circles than previous albums, they explained how they were able to work with the exact same cast and crew as the last LP and that having pre-established relationships with everyone made the difference.
“We’re happy to be a Canadian band in the Canadian industry, that’s for sure,” Dallas replied when I asked what he thought of the Canadian music scene in general.
The Sadies followed Broken Social Scene’s dramatic opening performance with a tight set of modern country western meets progressive rock – if you dare classify it. In any case, it was more awesome than it was weird.
The third performing nominee was Acadian pop/hip-hop trio Radio Radio, who was easily my favourite act of the night. Their borderline ridiculous lyrics, which are sung in a French-English dialect called Chiac, along with their flamboyant performance was a wholly satisfying experience.
While I wasn’t expecting to become an instant fan of Radio Radio, I wasn’t exactly surprised after meeting them. These guys are nothing short of fun loving, adventure seeking free spirits with a knack for catchy hooks and silly rhymes. With so many awesome musicians around me and nowhere near enough time to meet them all, I am so glad I chose to approach Radio Radio for a few questions. They explained the story of the man they met in Oak Island, Nova Scotia, whose stories inspired their album, Belmundo Regal.
“His name was Belmundo, but we called [the album] Belmundo Regal because he made the stories larger than life, so we made him larger than life,” Alexandre Bilodeau explained.
When asked what their opinion was of the Polaris organization’s unconventional approach, Alexandre replied, “Here, it seems to be decentralized.” Fellow member Gabriel Malenfant followed up with, “There’s a more holistic approach to judging, I think.”
“And what about Belmundo Regal do you think stood out to the Polaris jury?” I asked.
“The big boat,” Gabriel grinned, referring to the album cover. “There are a lot of cars, but there are not that many boats.”
All three members agreed that their mothers have been their biggest supporters throughout their musical careers and believe their music is best categorized as “regal disco gypsy jazz.” You really have to see it to believe it.
Other highlights of the night included a second appearance by the mysteriously brilliant Owen Pallett as he assisted Tegan and Sara’s set on violin, Shad’s intense stage presence, and a heart melting sing-a-long led by Dan Mangan when he climbed on top of a table and urged audience participation.
Karkwa did not make the biggest impression on me, although that’s not to say their performance wasn’t notable. I recall being drawn to keyboardist Francois Lafontaine, and his passionately spastic movement and speed. He certainly did not need any words to communicate what he was feeling, it was more than obvious. It became even more obvious when he nearly broke down in tears on stage after having a good look at their prize, an oversized cheque for $20,000.
When asked what they plan to do with the prize money, they replied that a new van and perhaps a new tour manager are in order. “Steph is our tour manager, but he’s the drummer also. He needs more time [to relax],” guitarist Louis-Jean Cormier joked.
Karkwa’s Les Chemins De Verres is an indie rock album written entirely in French, making it the first francophone album to win the Polaris Prize.
“How does it feel to be the first French language band to win the Polaris Prize?” asked show host, Grant Lawrence, at the post-gala press conference.
“It’s an honour, man,” Louis-Jean replied, still looking stunned. “We represent the Montreal scene, but [this time] we represent the French side.”
“Our first thoughts were to work in France and Belgium and Switzerland and all the francophone countries, but we are here, holding a cheque in Toronto. We are beginning to think about why don’t we play in our country? Maybe we are at the beginning of something for [francophone music].”
I have to express my sincere admiration toward the jury responsible for making one of the toughest and most controversial decisions in Polaris’ short history without compromising a core value of the organization. That value, as far as I understand, is to recognize and reward Canadian music that is otherwise subject to drowning in the vastness of current industry and pop culture. To me, such a gesture provides esteem and extends opportunity not only to the chosen winner, but to the Canadian music industry as a whole by annually reinforcing the fluidity of artistic merit. Consequently, the Polaris Music Prize is not merely a singular achievement, but a nationally shared inspiration.
The show including performances will be aired this Saturday, September 25 on Much Music at 9ET/6PT.
