Cracker Tickets

we thoroughly enjoyed the evening. cracker was at the height of their powers delivering their classic album "kerosene hat" .one of the many highlights was the incorporation of pink floyd's "interstellar overdrive" into the last tune of the set. if you haven't seen cracker, you haven't seen anything.

Incredible band, I never miss them when they come to Toronto. Johnny is one of the best guitar players. The sound was great, the pink floyd tune, hit the ear drum with some pain. If you have never seen this band, put it on your bucket list.

isaw them last ten years ago at the opera house and they haven't missed a beat. they are seasoned but haven't lost their edge. they invited a heckler on stage ; berated him, and then gave him the " door prize". three hours of fun and music.

Cracker rocked and so did the warmup Camper Van Beethoven. They are a solid crowd pleasing band. Lees Palace is a grueling venue; muddy sound and few seats. Many Cracker fans are a little old for this abuse. Boorish heckler was disposed of and the full-tilt set continued. Too bad they weren't in a better hall with acoustics appropriate to the lyrics and playing. Tough on the audience to stand for three hours. I won't be back to Lees Palace in a hurry, but maybe for Cracker!

Saw Cracker with CVB last night and loved it. I thought Camper Van Beethoven would do a short warm-up set but they did a full hour and a half and were very tight. The fiddle gives them a unique sound. After they had finished I thought I had already got my money's worth but then Cracker came out and rocked the house. They played a good selection from early stuff to their last CD. Eurotrash Girl & Low included of course. David Lowry was quite chatty and it was fun to see him bring a heckler on stage for a dressing down before the guy was "given the door prize". The sound was clear, crisp and loud. Loved it.

Saw them at Lees in June 09. The show was fantastic! These guys really have a lot of fun when they play and you can really feed off the vibe. The music is rockin! I bought the new album and it is great. Why don't I hear any of the songs on the radio?? Anyhow, they play with a lot of energy and it was a lot of fun.

And old favourite swept into Toronto in late June and brought some southern bayou, cali beach, and north college with it. Cracker, the alt-country outfit formed in the early nineties by singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman, captivated onlookers at Lee's Palace with a sample of their twenty-year thick catalogue of songs. In just over two hours and two encores, Cracker exhausted much of the top flight recordings that have made them one of modern music's more frustrating, invigourating, underrated and unappreciated outfits. Being unable to pin down Cracker's music, sensibilities, and the appropriate musical vehicle for Lowery to throw his raspy, tune-bending vocals at, fans and critics and have long been struck by Cracker's propensity to re-shuffle themselves creatively. And at Lee's Palace, Cracker played true to form. Blending the elements of punk, soul, alt-country, riff-rock and bluegrass into their songs and then seamlessly weaving those songs into a coherent set, Cracker satisfied the nearly full venue. For those who remember Lowery and Hickman as the originators of the early nineties college rock incarnation, "Euro-trash Girl," "Teen Angst" and of course, "Low", brought out a euphoric, infectious sing-along, producing some of the biggest smiles and animated posturing from the musicians themselves. Those more interested in the current release "Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey" had the opportunity to sample most of their newer, alt-leaning album, with "Show Me How This Thing Works" and "Turn On,Tune in Drop Out With Me" being their most promising of current tunes. The more seasoned fan, one who witnessed all that came between, had an embarrassment of genres to experience again. The sweet soul of "St.Cajetan," the locomotive "Movie Star" and "1000 Power Maximum," plus the country-western "Mr.Wrong" and ""Lonesome Johnny Blues." All the hum, scratch, and twang were there. And all was not business, either. A cake was ushered onto the stage early on while drummer Frank Funaro grabbed the lead vocals for the bands notable "Happy Birthday To Me" in recognition of his birthday, providing a lighter heart to the whole affair. There were some issues with the performance itself, however. Unfortunately, with only the four players onstage and no keyboard, piano or a gospelish backup vocal arrangement, memorable songs were either scratched ("Big Dipper") or somewhat thinner ("Sweet Thistle Pie"). Furthermore, the absence of songs from their 2002 album Forever, prevented a true retrospective appreciation of the group. Barring that, the performance was truly solid, and a reminder why Cracker still remains on the radar of most serious music experiencers.

The Venue was even better than expected. Held about 500 people, no seating. McCabe and Mrs. Miller opened with an powerful performance that set the tone for the night. Cracker were exceptional, with the set selection of old and newer songs complementing each other perfectly.

This was their only Ontario gig and to me they played way too much off their new CD. Saw them 2 months ago in Pennsylvania at a brew pub and it was amazing. Even old and new. Kind of disappointing.

I have been a Cracker fan for a long time...and this was my first time seeing them live. They are awesome...and their years on the road really shines through in their live performances. Just flawless delivery...great songs... They should have gained far more popularity than they did. However, those in the know were rewarded with a solid show on June 23rd. Thanks for a great night!