Sam Roberts Band makes the most of a small crowd at The Lost Horizon (review)

In the middle of his set on Friday night at The Lost Horizon, Sam Roberts announced that his shoe had come untied.

Without hesitation, a member of his crew leapt onstage to fix it.

"This is how you know you've made it," Roberts told the audience. Several folks in the room laughed.

Roberts' self-deprecation was charming. While he and his band played the room like a stadium -- with passion, grit and what appeared to be sincere appreciation for those fans in attendance -- the Lost, as it's affectionately known in town, felt exceptionally empty on Friday. I counted about 60 heads at the Sam Roberts Band show.

Of course, in terms of a following, the Sam Roberts Band (from Montreal) is not the Dave Matthews Band. Its reach does not seem to extend as far as other rock groups; it is without a doubt a successful Canadian act (Roberts, who has been active since the early 2000s, has been nominated for 14 Juno Awards and won six), but only a moderately successful international act.

Considering this, the turnout in little old Syracuse would have likely never been huge, especially in a club setting.

But that doesn't mean Friday night's show was a bust.

On the contrary, everyone who should have been at this concert was there, and the band made the most of anyone else who may have been unfamiliar and just stuck around after openers All Poets & Heroes and the exciting Maybird.

That's one kind of success -- maybe the most important kind when all is said and done.

Before playing "Bridge To Nowhere," Roberts said, "If you know this one, sing along. If you don't know it, you just sing whatever comes to your mind and we'll make some beautiful chaos together."

Many people in the crowd knew the words; it had been clear from the beginning of the set that there were Sam Roberts Band fans in the audience when Roberts himself dedicated "With A Bullet" to "all the diehards."

Even those who appeared to be Sam Roberts Band virgins seemed invested in the group's material, which is, while easily lumped under "alternative rock" (a label that has, like many labels, strayed from its original sense of autonomy), rhythmically and melodically adventurous, with distinctively bright basslines and A-plus synth work. At times, I heard hooky punk rock ("Rogue Empire"), then some danceable indie surf ("Human Heat"), then easier folk rock ("Bridge To Nowhere") and even a dash of Blondie-era disco punk ("Metal Skin").

Roberts himself is an engaging frontman. He often stepped away from the mic to play downstage, making sure to remind his crowd that this was a party after all, no matter how small. His energy reminded me of The So So Glos, a New York City punk outfit that embraces the raucousness of real rock 'n' roll.

The band's final encore tune, the anthemic "Brother Down," had the bulk of the room singing, "I think my life is passing me by!" Signing off for the evening, Roberts said, "We are going back into the wilderness of Canada now," thanking the "legendary" Lost Horizon.

And he's right. This venue is legendary. In its heyday, it hosted the biggest names in rock: Black Sabbath, The Ramones, Kiss, Fugazi, Slayer, Soundgarden and the list goes on.

While Syracuse may now be an amphitheater town, it is important to remember our still-standing clubs and bars like The Lost Horizon.

Sure, the acts might not always be huge, but if Sam Roberts Band proved anything on Friday night, it's that the live music experience that everyone wants can and will happen in even the most modest of settings.

The Setlist

"Rogue Empire"

"Tourist Trap"

"Human Heat"

"Shapeshifters"

"Fixed To Ruin"

"Roll With The Spirits"

"With A Bullet"

"If You Want It"

"Bridge To Nowhere"

"Never Enough"

"Love At the End of the World"

"Detroit '67"

"Metal Skin"

"We're All In This Together"

Encore:

"Fiend"

"I Feel You"

"Brother Down"

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