Words: Miljan Milekić
Four years ago, the world was a different place. Corona was a beer, Canada was a country far away, and we were watching Tiny Moving Parts play in the small room of AB Concerts in Brussels, Belgium, on their European tour with Microwaves and Lizzy Farrall. Fast forward to 2023, and here we are, at the Black Cat Tavern in Saskatoon, catching the band on their new tour, and the first-ever show in the city. This time, with their new, 2020’s self-released, self-titled album.
The opening slot on the stage of the Black Cat Tavern was given to Highwind from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. This was my first encounter with the band, and I gotta say that I liked what I heard. They play high-energy music, rooted in punk rock, with influences from everything – from pop to emo to hardcore. On paper, that may sound forced or unnatural, but in reality, Highwind are able to create something cohesive that works so well. To my understanding, this was their first show with this lineup, as well as a four-piece, and while it did sound like they could use a few more gigs before everything clicked together, they’re definitely not too far from it.
The second band of the night was GreenWing – the local heroes from Saskatoon. I’ve heard from a few different people how good of a live band they are, and I was ready to test that statement at the Lagwagon show back in June, but it, unfortunately, got canceled. But here we are, and I can confirm that pretty much all I heard is true. Musically, they are not my cup of tea, with their combination of rock and roll, punk rock, and a sprinkle of stoner, but they delivered a fast-paced, energetic, and tight set, making quite a few people in the crowd happy. With the reputation they have, I wouldn’t be surprised if we meet again, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens quickly.
The moment Tiny Moving Parts stepped on a stage, the room shrunk, the temperature got higher, and the crowd went crazy. The band kicked off strongly, with ‘The Midwest Sky,’ before quickly sliding into ‘Applause,’ revoking some flashbacks from four years ago, and the Brussels show. The crowd accepted the game, kicking into singalongs, with occasional mosh pits. The trio touched on all phases of their career, including newer tracks like ‘Decibel,’ ‘North Shore,’ or my favorite – ‘Day Drunk,’ to which I am still flabbergasted that it didn’t blow up like some other songs.
And speaking of ones that did – songs like ‘Vertebrae,’ and ‘Bloody Nose,’ are still as strong heavy-hitters as they were around the release of ‘breathe,’ and there is no indication that will change anytime soon. During the whole show, the exchange between the band and the crowd was amazing. Not the craziest I’ve seen, but for sure it didn’t seem like it was the band’s first show in town. Singer Dylan Mattheisen was flying around the stage and even came down in the crowd on a few occasions while maintaining his insane signature guitar melodies.
As expected, the band saved their biggest songs for the very end, firing up ‘Birdhouse,’ ‘Sundress,’ and the absolute masterpiece of emo revival – ‘Caution.’ The funniest, 30-second fake encore followed right after, with another massive track in ‘Medicine.’ The band themselves seemed like they had lots of fun on the stage, and the show being sold-out certainly helped. They themselves took a chance to say it more than once, and truth be told, I couldn’t agree more. There was hardly a better way to spend this Wednesday night in Saskatoon.
