Jason Collett September 27th @ The Independent

It's always a risk buying a ticket to a show to see the opener. The set is shorter, the performance can be more restrained, and the crowd tends to be less courteous. For some reason, I keep finding myself undergoing this process for Broken Social Scene and it's many members: I bought a ticket to see BSS when they were opening for Bloc Party, I bought a ticket for Apostle of Hustle opening for Andrew Bird, and now I'm buying a ticket for Jason Collett as he opens for Josh Rouse on the 27th. What gives?

If you haven't heard Collett's 2005 album Idols Of Exile, then you should go grab a copy. The disc is an admirable departure from Collett's work with BSS: it's more acoustically driven and bears more of a heart on the sleeve singer-songwriter vibe while still managing to rock. The songwriting is great, and if (like me) you dig Collett's voice, it's front and center for the whole set. If you're more on board for the BSS vibe, there's that too, with a host of guest appearances by various BSS alumnus. Idols is definitely a record that I listened to once, put aside, and then wound up with its melodies bouncing around in my head two days later. Some of the tracks ("I'll Bring The Sun") wear their BSS influence on their sleeve, while others ("Pavement Puddle Stars") have a more unique vibe. All of them are catchy and leave you wanting more.

In short: Collett plays at the Independent on September 27th, opening for Josh Rouse. The Rouse disc hasn't caught my fancy, but I'll keep trying in preparation for the concert. In the meantime, I'll be buying a ticket for the opener.

mp3: Jason Collett - Pavement Puddle Stars (Live)
Stream: Jason Collett - Idols Of Exile (Under "Music", Full Album)

More live tracks available at The Glorious Hum