Hayden - Live at Convocation Hall
(Badman)
Fact: I did not attend Hayden's show at Convocation Hall in Toronto, the show that is in its full form here, a show that sounds—from this recording, anyway—that it was a lot of fun. Another fact: I have seen Hayden twice, and, for this reason, feel that I can comment on his live presence at the show recorded here with some experience to back me up, even though I didn't see it. Yet another fact: Hayden's live show is at once fun, heartfelt, sad, and beautiful, and his good-natured performance style really clinches him as a fantastic live act. Final fact: I've been a rabid supporter of Hayden's music and his person since the ninth grade, when I bought a copy of The Closer I Get used for five dollars.
So Anthony, you're saying, what does any of this have to do with the newly released (at least in the States; I bought my copy in August) live album? Well, I'll tell you: all of those facts above led me to the rating I gave, and without them this release, I think, would be sub-par. As it stands, this is a worthwhile addition to the Hayden catalog, although I would have liked more of his older stuff and less new.
The whole thing opens with show-starter "Street Car," which I've never really been big on. Nevertheless, it's still a pretty good song, and his rendition here is spot on. The next two tracks also come off of the fabulous Skyscraper National Park; they're good, but two of the album's less inspiring tracks. However, the show really kicks into gear on track three, "The Hazards of Sitting Beneath Palm Trees," which stands as the choice cut off of The Closer I Get. What's different (and great) is that the song is missing the hip-hop beat that propelled it and made it so catchy, but comes off as stripped down and intense, even more so than it already is. Other highlights from the show include the beautiful rendition of "Bass Song" off of Skyscraper National Park (something which he didn't play the last time I saw him, sadly), a lovely closing (before the encore) of "Lullaby," a cover of Neil Young's "Tell Me Why" with Howie Beck and Julie Doiron, some early cuts that haven't been played live very much lately, and three new songs.
There are some things that bother me, though. Like, why are there so few songs from Everything I Long For? No "My Parent's House," no "Bunkbed," no "Skates." Granted, he almost never plays those songs anymore—which is really unfortunate—but, for a release like this, it would be nice if he'd bring them back out for one last show. And he missed some of the great selections from The Closer I Get and Skyscraper National Park! It would be nice to have seen inclusions of "Dynamite Walls," "Stride," "Better Off Inside," and "The Closer I Get." But these are minor complaints. On a whole, this is a really good recapturing of his live performance, and the between-song banter is classic.
What I must say, though, is that Live at Convocation Hall is more of a document than anything else. I don't listen to it very often, and it's definitely only for Hayden die-hards. In fact, I've already taken it out of my CD player and put on something else. Nevertheless, it's a great 2xCD, and, like I said, a must for fans.
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