![[Image]](images/lister012501.jpg)
Outside of 80s night at Barrymore's, Ottawa residents have recently had few options in the way of musical entertainment on Sunday nights.
However, Ottawa-based band Lister is filling the gap by showcasing a new band every Sunday night at Zaphod Beeblebrox. Called "New Music Nights", the event has Lister both performing and welcoming a new band to open every Sunday at 9 p.m.
"New Music Nights" allows Lister to both refine their own sound on stage and to nurture a music community in Ottawa by establishing a venue for new bands to perform. Given the wealth of musical talent in Ottawa and the general lack of open mikes in the area, the event is a reaction to a clear need for new bands to get some live performance time.
"The whole idea of Sunday is to create a vibe over several weeks, and create a community around original pop music. In the meantime, we're getting better as a band and at some point another band will take our place as the host," explained lead vocalist and songwriter Stuart Lister.
Given Lister's steady performance every Sunday thus far, one hopes that this does not happen too soon. New bass player Stephen Clarke, who joined Lister in December, has already affected the band's sound. Compared to a Nov. 18 show at Barrymore's, Lister has gained a more unpredictable and fresh back beat.
"With a new person in the band, we can sort of reinvent the vibe of the band," Stuart said. "[Clarke] will be a creative force for the band."
Despite the band not having written any songs with Clarke in the group, guitarist Michael Lister added, "Steve is putting his own stamp on our songs."
As with all good recipes, Clarke joined Lister almost by accident.
"I was looking for a date, she was looking for a bass player," said Clarke, explaining that he unknowingly approached Lister's Canadian-based manager Janie, of Janie Rocks Productions, looking to buy her a drink. Despite not getting the date, Clarke has been a blessing to Lister, allowing them to further explore new tones.
"We like our sound now but we're always trying more shit," said Stuart. "This is kind of why we're doing this weekly show, to play a lot."
The extra rehearsal has served them well. Lister has gracefully balanced melody and lyrics together. Stuart Lister explained that his songwriting comes "from the heart."
"[It's] trying to get a really solid groove every time. It's always the two together," he asserted. "Sometimes the idea starts with just a lyric, but when it becomes a song is when you unite the two and bring it to the band."
Lister cites influences such as the Beatles and the Stones, describing their sound as "lyrical pop with a back beat." Cursing included, Stuart has a gifted way with words. The audience is struck by how catchy yet unpredictable Lister's verses are. Just as a writer of regular prose sprinkles short with long sentences to create a natural rhythm, Stuart's verse is a natural stop and go poetry. But don't try to call him a poet.
"The song is the melody with poetry," he insisted. "One goes with the other."
As far as the music goes, Michael explained that even though the band's sound lacks an acoustic element, he doesn't feel the sound has any holes in it.
"I see bands that have three pieces and sound huge. For us, our record [the recently released Half-built Set] has different instrumentation on it, but we're totally comfortable with the four of us."
| See Lister every Sunday at Zaphod Beeblebrox, 27 York St. in the Market. Show begins at 9 p.m. No cover. |
Ultimately, Lister knows their craft. The Lister brothers both have Royal Conservatory training, although Stuart joked about his qualifications.
"You join a rock band and you realize there's only three chords in anysong," he said.
Lister maintains a balanced relationship with the audience both during their set and when considering the audience in the studio, but drummer Marco Rayes insists that this connection is only part of the creative process.
"We do what we like, and it happens to work," explained Rayes. "We don't think this is ready because we can sell it. This song is ready because it's really, really good. We're not creating this brand new, crazy music; we're doing what's been done. Let's do it better - hopefully people respond to it."
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