Math Club @ Mill's Hardware
A live review
On a whim I decided at last minute to see Brooklyn shoegazers Lavenda (more on them in an upcoming post) at Mill’s Hardware in Hamilton on Saturday and I arrived just in time to see openers Math Club. I hadn’t heard them before but they had three guitarists so I was down for whatever was about to happen. I wasn’t necessarily expecting introspective, clever singer songwriter-led indie rock reminiscent of The Weakerthans or Death Cab for Cutie, but that’s what I got.
Upon hearing the lyrics of opening track “Sometimes” my aging sentimental ass was suddenly feeling the lyrics hard as singer Wade Morrison sang, “So what if I don’t wanna grow old, what if I’m scared to be alone / With all of my friends moving East, or getting sick, or finding peace in other lives”. Damnit Wade, you didn’t have to call me out like that.
Math Club isn’t all heavy moods and contemplation though, as Morrison’s wry banter helped break up the tone of the performance. After the song “Arizona”, where Morrison sings the refrain “some things never change, like the price of Arizona, or the way you call my name”, he noted that the song is about his grandfather. Grimly pointing out the irony that both his grandfather has died and the price of the titular Arizona Iced Tea has gone up since the song was recorded, Morrison added “that’s ok though, it’s all a bit tongue in cheek”. The band sells t-shirts with the text “Canadian cry guys”, further showing their self-conscious wit. They get it.
Musically, Math Club isn’t short on hooks, adding another compelling layer to their live show. “I Always Let You In” is full of melodic ideas, with the three guitars harmonizing and weaving in and out of each other. “Someday” keeps things upbeat with rolling drums that propel it throughout, while “Arizona'' features a killer bass solo. This was the band’s first show together since 2019 (Morrison has been operating as a solo act under the moniker in the interim) but you wouldn’t know it from this performance. The band is tight, and it’s apparent from their interactions onstage that these guys know each other well.
The storytelling aspect makes this the rare indie rock band where the lyrics feel like an important part of the live show. Even though I was completely new to Math Club, I left already feeling familiar with a few songs and their titles. I’ll be sure to review their new album when it comes out, but in the meantime they already have a lot of material out there, check it out if you’re into “Canadian cry guys”.