Archive for the ‘Concerts’ Category
Broken Social Scene @ Sound Academy
Tuesday, December 21st, 2010
Four records, a book, Polaris nominations and Juno wins, a couple of side projects, and a movie. Itâd be an understatement to say that Broken Social Scene are an accomplished band. Theyâre much more than that. The Arts & Crafts family band that varies between six and nineteen members have stolen our hearts and are a band weâre proud to call our own. Thursday, December 9th the hometown heroes played the first of their two-night stint at Toronto’s Sound Academy, and the whole gang stopped by to say hi.
The night was a jam-packed mix of songs off all four of their records, with a focus on this yearâs release, Forgiveness Rock Record. After opening with World Sick and Texico Bitches, they kicked into 7/4 (Shoreline) as some more Arts & Crafts friends joined in the fun. This included Metricâs Jimmy Shaw joined in the horn section, darling songstress Leslie Feist danced and belted her heart out, and the very preggers Amy Millan of Stars was as stunning ever.
Filled with conversation, BSS chatted to the crowd about G20, Mayor Rob Ford, and their love of Toronto. With a show that reached about two and a half hours, the songs just kept going and going and the fun didnât stop. The night didnât end until around 1 am (Kevin Drew crowd surfing included).
Care to see the setlists from both Thursday and Friday? Youâre in luck!
Thursday
World Sick
Texico Bitches
7/4 (Shoreline)
Fire Eyeâd Boy
Stars and Sons
All to All
Cause=Time
Sweetest Kill
Forced to Love
Art House Director
Guilty Cubicles
Superconnected
Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl
Lover’s Spit
I Feel It All
Almost Crimes
Ungrateful Little Father
KC Accidental
Water In Hell
Meet Me in the Basement
Encore
Looks Just Like The Sun
It’s All Gonna Break
Major Label Debut
Friday
Pacific Theme
KC Accidental
7/4 (Shoreline)
Texico Bitches
Fired Eyeâd Boy
Cause = Time
All to All
Sweetest Kill
Forced to Love
Art House Director
Hotel
Guilty Cubicles
Superconnected
World Sick
Water In Hell
I Feel It All
Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl
Sentimental Xâs
Ungrateful Little Father
Almost Crimes
Meet Me in the Basement
Encore:
Looks Just Like The Sun
Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)
Major Label Debut
All photos by Kate Millet.
Tags: broken social scene, Feist, metric, stars
Posted in Concerts, Photos | No Comments »
Mumford & Sons @ The Sound Academy
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
This past weekend English folk rockers Mumford & Sons ripped the roof off The Sound Academy with a stellar show. From the opening strings of Sigh No More to the massive sing-along of The Cave the energy of the crowd did not die out once and the guys in Mumford seemed to feed off the energy. No matter if what they were playing was a single or a new track the crowd ate it up with everyone jumping, dancing or bopping their heads.
Heading into the show I knew that Mumford & Sons had a good size fan base but didn’t think they have the fan base they have. The Sound Academy was packed from the front of the floor right to the back where the merch stand was and was nearly impossible to move once the show started. I believe the show was sold out but I have a feeling that they may have oversold the show, but that didn’t matter because the lads from London, England put on one hell of a show.
It all started with the lead track off the album Sigh No More. Although it is not a single the crowd showed that it didn’t matter because they sang along just as if it were on the radio three times a day. After playing a few more tracks they slowly started to play Little Lion Man at which point the crowd kicked it into a higher gear. I can honestly say that I haven’t seen a crowd over power the band during the chorus singing but it was not your fault but mine, and it was your heart on the line, I really f**ked it up this time, didn’t I, my dear? didn’t I, my…. It was amazing to see how involved everyone was and I couldn’t get enough of this. However that was nothing compared to how they ended the show.
After performing for over an hour and starting the encore with members of the opening acts Cadillac Sky & King Charles, Mumford & Sons started The Cave. At this point the crowd went nuts! Throughout the whole song everyone was singing along while jumping with their hands in the air! What a way to end an amazing show. This was definitely one of the best shows Iâve been to this year and for once The Sound Academy sounded good!!
If you haven’t checked them out yet please do and you’ll see why these guys are good.
Links:
Official Site: Mumford & Sons
MySpace: Mumford & Sons
Facebook: Mumford & Sons
Tags: cadillac sky, Concert Review, concert reviews, king charles, little lion man, Mumford and Sons, sigh no more, sound academy, the cave
Posted in Concerts, Reviews | 3 Comments »
Matt & Kim @ The Phoenix
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
On Friday, October 29th, something ridiculously unreal transpired in downtown Toronto. If youâre wondering what went down and youâve heard the names Matt & Kim before, you might be able to fathom up a guess. A concert, maybe? The thing is, though, that youâll never truly understand how outrageously wicked a show the dandy duo put on until you actually go to one. One thousand of Matt & Kimâs most dedicated fans squished into The Phoenix on Friday night to make sure that they would get their fair share of the fun, crazy, dance-y, sweaty amazingness that was sure to ensue.
For those of you readers that have never heard of/listened to Matt & Kim before, to get an idea of how awesome they are, listen to their new album on MuchMusic’s First Spins right here!
Before heading to the show, I thought I had a slight idea of what to expect (jumping, dancing, etc, etc). I was totally wrong to assume that I knew what was going to go down. Matt & Kim took to the stage to some hip-hop tunes at around 10:15 and were welcomed by an ecstatic crowd that had been waiting for the crazy couple since around 8:00. They had previously, via Twitter said that they were going to be playing one of their longest sets ever. So, yeah. The crowd definitely had reason to be excited.
They jumped into their set right away with favourites like âGood Olâ Fashion Nightmareâ, âLessons Learnedâ and âItâs a Fact (Printed Stain)â. AND PEOPLE WERE GOING INSANE! Everyone was jumping, moshing and sweating buckets for every single song… even slow ones, like âTurn This Boat Aroundâ and âLightspeedâ, a song about what Matt claims to be the little bit he knows about baseball. Loved it.
For me, some of the best moments of the night were the epic covers that they played: Sir Mix-A-Lotâs âJump On Itâ, Biz Markieâs âJust a Friendâ. But the best cover of them all was Major Lazerâs âPon De Floorâ, wherein Kim jumped into the crowd and stood on peoplesâ hands. She then, as if we could have expected less from a Matt & Kim show (pshhht…), began booty dancing like no other. Matt egged her on as she got the whole room (and I mean the WHOLE ROOM) cheering through her bootylicious moves.
Here are some things from the show that really capture how great it was:
- Kim throwing balloons out into the crowd for people to blow up and release simultaneously when, during the song âCindersâ, they reached the number 4. One, two three, four!!! *balloons everywhere, crazy balloon dance party ensues*
- Matt & Kim playing the first song they ever wrote, âSilver Tilesâ, which also happens to be on their new record Sidewalks (listen here). Itâs definitely about time for that song to be legitimately released.
- During one of their songs, Matt stood on his seat on one foot and continued to play his keyboard, practically upside-down.
- Matt, upon introducing their hit song, âDaylightâ, told everyone that âIf you had a bad year, shake it out of your fucking fingertips! Shake it out of your fucking hips! 2011 is going to be a good year!â
- Matt & Kim, after playing a pretty freaking long set, admitting/joking that those were the only songs that they could play well. I can deal. They play them so ridiculously well that I think I can forgive them.
After the show was over, a few of us waited by their tour bus for a couple of minutes and low and behold Matt came out! He signed some t-shirts, took pictures and chatted with us for ten minutes or so. Heâs definitely one of the nicest, most decent people youâll ever meet. Just wish Kim had come out too!
To sum up, Fridayâs show pretty much epitomizes how absolutely incredible Matt & Kim are. Theyâre so different from most other bands. Theyâre completely against building a fourth wall during performances. They try to get the crowd into it as much as possible, whether it be by dancing on their hands, throwing balloons at them or just showing how much they appreciate you being there. You can see that theyâre having just as much fun as you and vice versa. If you have the opportunity to see them live… DO IT. Please. Like, I actually beg you. It is one show that you will not soon forget.
Were you there? Have you seen them live before? Leave us a comment below with your thoughts! Oh, and check out some photos I snapped from the pit!
Photos by Matt Shore.
Tags: Concerts, Matt & Kim, Review
Posted in Concerts, The New Music | No Comments »
Anberlin @ The Sound Academy
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010
Angst ridden emo-rock has certainly etched itself into the hearts and minds of the modern youth. That much is evident as you see you the throngs of people lining up to get as close to the stage as possible. On a night like tonight you can feel the energy in the room. Mixed parts anticipation, adoration and in some cases, bemusement. The line-up is somewhat complicated, with Civil Twilight, Crash Kings and of course Anberlin.
Civil Twilight were designated openers, finding a much less full room at the tender hour of 8 pm. But it didnât seem to show as the bandâs charisma and sound were more than ample to fill the Sound Academy. A true contender for up-stage of the night, I began to wonder if Anberlin would be able to match the tenacity, passion and even the crispness of their sound and technique. Without a doubt, I would highly recommend seeing this band if you have the chance. Theyâre definitely up for it and I would welcome seeing them at a later hour.
Following hot on their heels was the general upstarts, Crash Kings. Perhaps feeling the push from the previous band, the Crash Kings also found themselves bashing their way through a relatively robust set that included covers of some early classic rock anthems. Riding high on the success of their major hit, “Mountain Man”, the band incredulously decided not to play it. Bold.
And then there was Anberlin. Known for a very jagged emo-rock sound, the word on the street and from all of the music pundits that I care to read, is that this band is in massive mature mode at the moment. In essence, they have found a way to evolve the guitar rock driven mantras they have become famous for. The proof is in the pudding, I guess. Arguably one of the larger artists music savant label Tooth and Nail have at the moment is certainly casting more direct light on the band, and of course, being a Seattle based label tends to draw illusions to their music that may lack a little relevance, but the band holds up well.
Their energy and their routine are tightly wound and passionately executed. This is one of those bands that you would like to say, leaves it all on the stage. Highlights of the show included, âPaper thin Hymnâ, âDismantle. Repairâ and âTake Me (as You Found Me)â. Iâm not sure if itâs their style or the venue, but lead singer Stephen Christian’s voice was often lost audibly on lower tones and then right back on point when elevated. Iâm sure those with both hands in the air found no reason to complain, however.
Having given their earlier material a decent perusal, I will have to agree with the powers that be in the rock kingdom. The band has moved into a better, more grown up and ground down sound. It suits their style and indeed their persona. It was a very good show by a very giving band. You canât ask for more than that.
Photos by Simon Jain.
Tags: Anberlin, Civil Twilight, Concerts, Crash Kings
Posted in Concerts, The New Music | No Comments »
Two Door Cinema Club @ The Phoenix
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
Two Door Cinema Club are an Irish indie-electro-pop band that if youâve yet to fall in love with, you will soon. Made up of Sam Halliday playing guitar, Kevin Barid playing bass, and Alex Trimble as the ginger front man, these Irish young guns stopped by Toronto on Monday night to have some fun at The Phoenix.
Starting the night off early, the audience warmed up to openers Funeral Party (hard hitting LA indie rockers) and Penguin Parade (chill 80s style and grooves). As soon as Two Door Cinema Club hit the stage, the dance party began. Playing songs off their debut album, Tourist History, which came out earlier this year, the night was go go go go go go and oh so great. The energy filled the room without a moment to pause. The only time the band paused was to thank the audience and tell us of their love for Toronto (and local burger stop âBurgerâs Priestâ).
The usual three piece was touring with a fourth, a drummer who kept impeccable beats and tore the night up. The night also served as an opportunity to showcase new songs! Crazy!
Check out the setlistâŠ
Cigarettes In The Theatre
Undercover Martyn
Hands Off My Cash
Do You Want It All?
Something Good Can Work
La Nouvelle Chanson
This Is The Life
Kids
Youâre Not Stubborn
Costume Party
What You Know
Eat That Up, Itâs Good for You
Encore
I Can Talk
Currently touring the States, you should check out their MySpace! Party!
All photos by Kate Millet.
Tags: Concert Review, Two Door Cinema Club
Posted in Concerts | 2 Comments »
Avi Buffalo @ The Horseshoe Tavern
Wednesday, October 20th, 2010
What started off as a solo Myspace project consisting of a guy named Avi (short for Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg) and his guitar has now become a full band, fresh out of high school with a Sub Pop record deal. Based out of Long Beach, California, Avi Buffalo just released their self-titled debut album. Monday night, they came to Torontoâs Horseshoe Tavern to play us some songs.
After energetic opener Allie Hughes, Avi took the stage alongside drummer Sheridan Riley and a second guitar player. Avi explained to the crowd that their bass player couldnât make it due to passport issues. Nonetheless, the set was nothing short of great.
While Pitchfork calls the band âShins-yâ, the set was less acoustic and more electric, with a pinch of experimental improv playing around with guitar pedals. With songs like âSummer Cumâ and âRemember Last Timeâ, it was the single âWhatâs In It For?â that had the audience singing along.
Currently touring North America, Avi Buffalo will be at Vancouverâs The Biltmore October 29th. Check their website for more info.
All photos by Kate Millet.
Tags: Avi Buffalo
Posted in Concerts | No Comments »
The Drums @ The Mod Club
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
The Drums were quite busy on Saturday night in Toronto. At 7pm they were at Soundscapes for an in-store and by 8:30 The Drums were on stage at The MOD Club.
The Drums, if youâve yet to fall in love with them, are a Brooklyn-based band that channel the basic pop mentalities of the The Supremes mixed with a pinch of mid-80s new wave. Their songs are catchy with lyrics that you canât help but sing along to. We posted this quote just last week when we wrote about their music video for âBest Friendâ, but itâs worth quoting once more.
“We only write about two feelings: one is the first day of summer when you and all of your friends are standing on the edge of a cliff watching the sun set and being overcome with all of your hopes and dreams at once. The other is when you’re walking alone in the rain and realize you will be alone forever.” - The Drums
With only an hour to play (they had to be off by 9:30pm) they kicked it into full gear straight from the start. With Ian Curtis-like dance moves and dramatic posing, front man Jonathan Pierceâs stage presence was off the charts in the best of ways. Shaking and shimmying along with every song, the crowd couldnât help but join in on the fun. And what would he do when a slower song was played? Pose, take off his jacket, and pose with said jacket (in many various ways).
Thereâs no doubt that The Drums donât want to be taken too seriously. Halfway through the show Jonathan paused to speak, âFor those of you that are still confused, itâs just pop music. Donât try to dissect it.â
Playing songs off their summer release self-titled debut record such as âForever and Ever, Amenâ and âBest Friendâ, the set was short but sweet. The crowd went crazy for their whistle-filled, Obama-inspired single âLetâs Go Surfingâ and the theatrical encore of âDown by the Waterâ.
Just finishing up a leg of North American shows, theyâre about to embark on a European tour. Check out their Myspace for more!
Have you seen The Drums live? Love their record? Let us know in the comments!
All photos by Kate Millet.
Tags: The Drums
Posted in Concerts | No Comments »
Miike Snow @ Kool Haus
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
Heâs not Jack Frostâs cousin, but if he was you wouldnât be surprised. Miike Snow aka Andrew Wyatt is a Swedish, bearded, electro-pop making man who (with the help of producers Bloodshy & Avant) knows how to start a dance party.
And Saturday night he showed up at Torontoâs Kool Haus to do just that.
Set to hit the stage at 10:40pm, there was no sight of Snow. Due to the doors opening late he didnât in fact hit the stage until an hour later. But when he did, the crowd went crazy. Antlers decorated the stage, as masked percussionists first appeared on stage in darkness (darkness darkness), smoke machines began to go off with no sight of stopping! There was so much dry ice, you could hardly see anything! Exhibit A: photo of smoke
Finally, Snow emerged from the smoke wearing a mask. Having recently been played on 90210, Gossip Girl, and Jersey Shore, the all ages crowd came out to sing along and party. From midnight til 1am, Miike Snow brought it, playing through the 2009 eponymous debut album. “Burial”, “Silvia”, and “Animal” all were welcomed with cheers. The real treat? An encore featuring a cover of Vampire Weekendâs âThe Kids Donât Stand A Chanceâ all performed in flashing vests. Check it out on YouTube!
While the tour is coming to an end, do hop on any chance you ha to see Miike Snow live. Itâs a dance party you won’t regret.
All photos by Kate Millet.
Tags: Miike Snow
Posted in Concerts | 9 Comments »
The xx @ Massey Hall
Monday, October 4th, 2010
Fresh off of their 2010 Mercury Prize win, The xx popped by Massey Hall on September 29 to play a short, but very sweet set. For months prior to the show people were questioning their ability to jump from a venue like the Phoenix to an almost 3,000 person venue. But like achieving global fame, playing a fairly massive venue like Massey only came naturally to the trio.
Draped in their usual black, the indie pop trio made their way to centre stage and opened with their hit âCrystalizedâ. In response to its wondrous beauty, the audience instantly acknowledged that no, this wasnât going to be one of those âget up and danceâ shows, but rather one that will leave you dumbfounded by just how pleasant the music is to listen to.
Singer and guitarist, Jamie Smith, offered a whispered âthank youâ after every couple of songs while Oliver Sim, also on vocals and bass, interacted and joked with the crowd, at one point sharing his delight of the fact that this was their very first North American tour where they were all 21 (legal drinking age). âIâd like to say cheers to that,â joked Sim.
The band worked their way through their full self-titled record, including fan favourites âVCRâ, âBasic Spaceâ and âIslandsâ.
One thing that The xx does noticeably well is keep the audience on their toes. With the melancholy-pop that they play itâs only natural that they may lose people’s attention. With this band, though, that didnât seem to be the case in the slightest. In fact, in contrast to their musical style, a solid number of people were on their feet dancing, clapping, jumping and singing.
The xx, though not absolutely matured to what they have the potential to be, are a delight to listen to. Think they sound good on vinyl or digitally? Theyâre a band that you must see live. Again, donât arrive expecting to get out of your seat and dance… or for the bandâs members to be overly skittish. Arrive knowing that when you leave, youâll have a smile on your face. A smile that reflects a take on music that hasnât really been attempted before. Music that gets you in that comfortably numb sort of feeling, yet derives an insane amount of emotion from you. Hard to explain and easy to feel. The xx puts on a very natural, very wondrous show.
Setlist (from what I recall … it was a captivating show):
Intro
Crystalised
Heart Skipped a Beat
Basic Space
Fantasy
Shelter
VCR
Islands
Night Time
Infinity
Stars
*Teardrops (Womack & Womack Cover)
Rating: 4/5
Tags: the xx
Posted in Concerts | No Comments »
Mystery Jets @ The Horseshoe Tavern
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
Mondays. Garfield,as well as a large percentage of the population, hate them. But every now and then, a Monday like this week’s involves a Mystery Jets show, proving that they should be given a chance. Seeing as the whimsical gentlemen from across the pond havenât preformed in Toronto since 2007, the crowd was more than excited to welcome them back and put the fact that it was a Monday night (insert collective groan here) aside. As soon as the four dapper musicians took the stage, it was all worth it.
Now for those of your who arenât familiar, Mystery Jets is usually a five-piece. The band is comprised of Kapil Trivedi on drums, Kai Fish (yes, he has the coolest name) on bass, William Rees on guitar and vocals, Blaine Harrison on keyboards and vocals, and his father Henry Harrison also on guitar. While Henry is still quite involved with the band, he no longer tours with them. His absence was noticed, but the show was still a hit, what with Blaine talking to the crowd about Clamato juice and Kai trying to feed William beer. The energy was alive and everyone was having fun.
The nightâs set showed off their recent July released record Serotonin, with a handful of favourites from their 2008 record Twenty One sprinkled in. No songs off of their 2006 debut Making Dens, or their US release Zootime made it into the set, but the audience was pleased nonetheless. They swayed along to the airy dreamy Flakes, bopped along to Young Love, and melted for Melt. So many gems! Look at the setlist yourself!
Setlist
Alice Springs
Half in Love With Elizabeth
Serotonin
Waiting on a Miracle
Young Love
Flakes
Hideaway
Show Me the Light
Flash a Hungry Smile
Melt
Two Doors Down
Behind the Bunhouse
Encore
Dreaming of Another World
The Mystery Jets are currently touring about, but due to some work Visa issues the upcoming dates are murky. Check their website and Myspace, and keep your ear to the ground for hopefully good news.
Photos by Kate Millet.
Tags: Mystery Jets
Posted in Concerts, The New Music | No Comments »
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
