Donlands And Mortimer at The Boat, May 27th

I headed over to The Boat just in time to catch Donlands And Mortimer‘s EP-release set. And I’m glad I did. I, without exaggeration, will say that it was not only the greatest performance I’ve ever seen them give, but it was a truly special and spectacular performance I will not soon forget. For those unaware or who missed my last write up about the band, Donlands and Mortimer are a six-piece rock band with a strong jazz influence and lush brass-orchestral sound. Though, according to keyboardist John Spence, every member of the band now contributes to the writing, it appears as though the bands songs are divided between the more pop-oriented Carmen Elle songs and the jazzier, more intricately composed Steven Foster-sung songs.

As for their set at The Boat: the entire band was topless and covered in paint (including Carmen Elle, the “vaginal 1/6th” of the band”). They were energetic, charming (especially Carmen Elle), bursting with energy and tight. The new songs went over beautifully and at times bordered on being positively epic. Playing to a packed room, D and M delivered in a big way and may have just proved themselves one of the major contenders in the Toronto music scene, I hyperbolically bullshit you not.