Nothing Broken
Last Friday evening I was on my bike and caught in rush hour traffic as I tried to make it home in time to speak to Kevin Drew, the co-founder of Broken Social Scene, for a scheduled phone interview. As I dodged two-ton bullets (aka yellow cabs) and watched unrepentant drivers block intersections in a bid for pole position, I could feel the road rage rise from the asphalt along with the summer heat. Are other countrys drivers elsewhere as angry as Americans, I wondered?
I decided I should ask Drew, a proud Canadian. He affirmed that, yes, Canadian drivers are angry too. I was surprised. In my experience, our northern neighbors are never anything but nice and polite, disarmingly so. But why?
Well, we have free healthcare, Drew said. That always helps. I can only imagine.
And we were part of the British monarchy, so we know how to say sorry. I believe he was referencing the stereotype that Brits, and presumably their commonwealth descendants, are pathological apologists.
And we grew up with the idea that we werent the number one country. Wow, even his dig at his arrogant neighbors was phrased nicely. But his point seemed to support the idea that nice guys finish last, or at least second. If thats the case, then why are so many Canadian bands, rising to the top these days? Maybe, I suggested, its because Americans are seeing some of that north-of-the-border niceness in their music, and we want some of it to rub off on us. Drew said I might have a point. Disputable nationalistic theories aside, one thing is certain, Kevin Drew is certainly a nice guy. While he may not be as well known as some of his occasional bandmates, such as his girlfriend Feist (who also plays McCarren Park Pool this Wednesday, he perhaps can be credited with helping bring her and others, like Emily Haines (of Metric) and Evan Cranley (of Stars), to our attention. Thats not to say those artists wouldnt have made it on their own, but when Drew and Brendan Canning formed the expando-collective Broken Social Scene, they created an opportunity for their friends to reach a bigger audience.
Drew acknowledges his role as a creative catalyst. I ended up becoming the Tony Robbins of the band, Drew says, the inspirational speaker of Broken Social Scene.
He laughs at himself, but his positive attitude is colored with shades of a motivational guru. Nowhere is this more apparent than when he speaks of his career and his new album Spirit If , which is due to drop on September 17.
Im really looking forward to seeing whats gonna happen next, says Drew. Im trying to go the Sonic Youth way of lifejust keep making records, keep our heads up, not get lost in the idea of wanting more, just being really grateful for what we have and hoping that people will always be attracted to that idea that we push out.
Aug. 29, McCarren Park Pool, Lorimer St. & Bedford Ave., Bklyn; 6, $29.