Wolf Parade: I Should've Seen the Break Up Coming When They Cancelled Our Date

Son of a...


2 months ago I had the chance to see Wolf Parade play in my town. That may not sound like a big deal, but when you consider that my town is Moscow it becomes considerably more significant. The fact that any band I care about would roll through is in fact a big, big deal. Save for the occasional Top40 artist, not a lot of western acts make it this far east (except A-ha, who by my calculations has played the Olympiisky Arena no fewer than eleventy-four times since I've been here.)


So I had to go. Sure, I had to work and move house that weekend, but I still did every irresponsible thing in my power to try to clear my schedule for it. Unfortunately, when I contacted Club Ikra, the girl told me the show had been cancelled. Figures. But since I'm in and out of Canada often I reasoned I'd catch them there eventually. 


Of course that's not likely to happen now, because Wolf Parade just announced an indefinite hiatus. And that, if we're honest, is really a break up. If you're just taking a break then you just take a break, without the announcement. Just tell it to us straight, Wolf Parade. We're big kids, we can handle it.


It's not all that surprising, really. Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner have always been very into their side projects (Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs, respectively) and right up through their most recent album it was evident that the two songwriters didn't so much meld as they did trade off.  Being shocked by this split would be like being surprised by your parents divorce even though they sleep in separate rooms and see other people. 


Of course they swear they're not broken up. And for anyone in North America they do have plans for one last show at the Sasquach festival next May. But I think that's akin to your parents pulling together a joint Thanksgiving dinner for your benefit. The whole show will be fake smiles and nervous banter until someone gets drunk and throws a turkey off the stage. Mark my words.


And the way I see it this whole thing might not be so bad. For me, I mean. Handsome Furs' Face Control is basically about Russia. Boekner is hip to Eastern Europe. I might be getting a show out of this whole thing after all.


One from the beginning and one from the end:


I'll Believe In Anything (Wolf Parade) by Mr. Shuffleupagus
Little Golden Age (Wolf Parade) by Mr. Shuffleupagus