Buke and Gase The Garrison, Toronto ON, February 18

Just as their homemade instruments have consistently demanded innovation on the parts of their respective woodshedders, in the past, the dynamic directions of Buke and Gase's songs had required entirely seated performances of their keepers — prowling the stage while simultaneously singing, tending to foot-activated percussion and picking at an instrument that doesn't follow traditional tuning or intonation isn't usually an option. But as endearing as it is watching these multi-limbed octopus executions come to life, it's often been to the detriment of their dynamism.
 
Now equipped with a synth, headset mic and sample pads, the freshly updated arsenal the Brooklyn duo brought along for this Toronto visit helped them overcome a logistical problem that's long tethered the freewheeling energy of their recordings to a low ceiling in front of their standing room live audiences. The project's trademark baritone ukulele ("buke") and guitar alternately strung in bass and guitar strings ("gase") remained front-and-centre, of course, and here at Wavelength, these and other DIY favourites — like the self-explanatory "toe-bourine" — were welcomed with applause of their own whenever they were introduced to the abundant alchemy of it all.