{Caption} Pop Montréal Live: The Unbearables KATACOMBES - OCTOBER 4 - Maria Giuliani - Having read up on The Unbearables in advance, I was really excited to hear what this band was all about. Specifically, I wanted to hear songs from their newest album, Just One Bite: Selections from "Bitten!: a Zombie Rock Odyssey", described as a zombie rock-opera concept album. The scene, Katacombes, seemed appropriate with its brick walls covered in skeleton-themed artwork and protruding hands. The band, a group of guys and gals from Austin, Texas, mingled with the crowd before their set, introducing themselves and explaining their set list. The showmanship was something I appreciated, and as such, I was disappointed for them once their show began. Picture it: a flute, trumpet, tambourines, keys, guitars, bass, drums and nine people, most of whom also sing, all on a tiny box of a stage. It's hard for a band to be at their best when they have to situate themselves according to depth instead of horizontal alignment, let alone having to step between — and move — each others' mic stands as they try to move around mid-song. I'm sure that they're used to playing in cramped quarters, but a band of this size would have been better suited to a more open environment. They had no control over the where, but they did over the what, and I have no complaints when it comes to their music. What harmonies! And although they played a mixture of old and new material, the Zombie songs — full-sounding and melodic — were my favourite. Having nine musicians and singers on a stage can get pretty loud at times, but it was an amazing kind of loud that blew me away. One or two members were obviously uncomfortable on stage, which was a bit of a distraction, but at the end of the day, the talent was there, so that's all I can say.