Three O’Clock Train and Trait D’union @ Zaphods
Three O’Clock Train was the first band to ever play Zaphod’s, and 21 years later I had the pleasure of seeing venue & band reunited.
My dad was there 21 years ago, so when I found out he was retiring, a bunch of us got together and bought him tickets to this show. It was very special to be there with my dad and little brother, to see a band that my brother and I grew up listening to on record, CD, and even mix tapes on long drives. They got the show started by playing songs off their latest album, Moon, which they released in 2012. I was proud of them for playing their new stuff and not just playing what the crowd wanted. Reunions should be about music and passion, not just appeasing the audience. That being said, when they got to the middle of their set and started playing every one of the songs I’ve loved for the last two decades, I was ecstatic.
With my brother on one side and me on the other, you couldn’t miss the smile that ran from ear to ear on my dad’s face as we all belted out the words. From the romantic “Be My Baby,” which sounded amazing with Stuart Mackenzie on slide guitar, to “Train of Dreams,” then “Hold Me Darling” and “Fingers.” They were rocking out and had us in awe. That is when they played “Fire You Can’t Put Out” followed by an excellent transition to my brother’s favourite tune, “Muscle In.” What a rendition of the song – it was a beautiful extended version with excellent musicianship. So good that Stuart managed to spill his beer. But never fear! My girlfriend grabbed the drink ticket from his hand and quickly got it replaced it for him.
With all those awesome songs played from their classic albums from the 80’s (Wig Wam Beach and Muscle In), they took a little break from originals and paid a tribute to Lou Reed, playing “Down at the Arcade.” Three O’Clock Train then capped off my night perfectly by playing my favourite song, “Love to Rain,” and also threw in a Beatles cover and one more new song for good measure before walking off the stage. What an awesome night of getting to experience something I never thought possible. Oh, and I even got them to autograph the set list for me. If you want to hear any of the songs I described above, you can stream all three of Three O’Clock Train’s album on their website.
I missed the opener, but the second band Trait D’union (which means “hyphen” in French) really impressed me. The four-piece from Gatineau is a group of high school kids who were playing their first show as more than a duo. They opened by saying, “We are Trait D’union and you probably can’t pronounce it, but let’s have fun.” They played a great set with originals from the EP, Split, which they released in 2013. My favourite of theirs was “Healthy Revolution,” but all their songs sounded great. Some of their stuff reminds me of Kalle Mattson and The Weakerthans. The crowd liked them as well, giving them a warm round of applause after every song. Keep your eyes out for these guys, they are definitely on my radar from now on.