Archive for the ‘Concerts’ Category
Sublime with Rome is still Sublime
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Posthumous: arising, occurring, or continuing after one’s death. Sublime find themselves in that all too unique, yet not uncommon situation in music, where the volume of work carries on after the key figure has gone. As a frenetic ball of angst, energy and love that I used to be as a teenager and then young man in University, bands like Sublime very much appealed to me. Not just for the overt references to marijuana culture, but more so for their blatant uproar against authority and societal ills and demons; one of which sadly took the life of their young singer who passed from a heroin overdose. Even as I read the headline on that fateful day back then, it seemed odd to me that someone who could sing with such positive force, especially about such negative topics, could have been using such a thing. So it goes.
As rebellion goes, Sublime made it more palatable than your average say-no-to-authority band. They infused it with an irony and satire unique to them and the reggae/ska overtones made them insta-hits at keggers, dorms and bush and beach parties. They had just reached the plateau of success when the tragedy occurred.
Now fronted by Rome Ramirez, who was roughly 6 or 7 years old when Brad Nowell passed, Sublime stood facing an overly aggressive yet eager crowd at the Kool Haus in Toronto on August 20. I would say with definite certainty that the majority of this crowd never had an opportunity to see Sublime in their original format, as most were likely still wading through the annals of grade school at the time. That being said, no one seemed deterred by it in the least.
Opening act the Dirty Heads, whose hit single Lay Me Down is currently making the rounds on commercial rock radio, opened with authority, unleashing a very crowd friendly infusion of rock/rap/reggae. Albeit a relatively unknown act, their set oozed of experience and the crowd was all too welcoming.
Next up, Sublime…or, Sublime with Rome, as they are titled to prevent further injunctions from the Nowell estate in regards to their defense of Brad’s legacy. Makes sense, but I think we are all glad that it has been put to pasture. It is quite evident why the band chose Rome. He is charismatic, he has stage presence and for better or for worse…he sounds like Brad.
As they wheeled their way through a smashing set of Sublime hits, oddities and even some truly engaging covers, the crowd was eating from the palms of their sweaty hands. At times Rome’s pedigree stood out with his vocal styles encountering some limitations to Nowell’s roots-rich add libs and throw-away signature shouts, which became a stand-out characteristic of Sublime’s music. But in the end, it was more than a good show. It was a culmination of man’s legacy of work from a music scene that Canadian’s have always adored. The California ska-punk-rock movement has shipped a relentless amount of music this way, and for the most part, us north of the border eat up their sun-drenched euphemisms and veiled or unveiled references to lethargic culture and illegal habits.
Whether they were old enough to know or not know Brad Nowell and Sublime, the crowd had no problem chanting every lyric and every phrase. Every call back song line and every shout was echoed en mass by the sweltering and sweaty crowd. You began to picture the Sublime CD in your head and wonder if these adoring fans had ever taken it out of their 5 disc player, their Discman, their Car deck or their IPod…depends on the age of the specific person you were staring at, I suppose.
Regardless of the age, and regardless of the singer, Sublime are allowing the public to revel in their music again and thousands of Nowell and Sublime fans alike are privileged enough to experience the rawness of their sound and style again. It’s music that brings people together and it’s music that makes people smile and dance. This is the power of being Posthumous; may his music live on…and on.
Tags: Concert, Sublime
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Interpol plays for all crowds
Friday, August 13th, 2010
Interpol are one of those acts that you may never fully understand through and through, and for the most part…should likely never try. Their fairly anonymous looking presence on stage is matched steadfastly by their hollow and brooding demeanours; and I actually am a big fan. Truly, when their first record, Turn on the Bright Lights, emerged in 2002, I was in; sign me up, love it. Mistaken often as part of the dreary UK movement of the time, Interpol quite convincingly exudes a proper NYC rock persona.
Standing silhouetted against the drenching Koolhaus lights, they are a band you should have no problems listening to. Fans of the band may or may not have noticed a slight line-up change. Three quarters of the band remain the same, with the bassist Carlos D departing, allowing newcomer David Paio into the fold. The band however, seemed no worse for the wear; and perhaps just to make that point, played an exorbitant amount of material from that aforementioned debut record, which made all the waves.
Personally I found Antics and Our Love to Admire equally as impressive records, and quite often turn to them for listening pleasures still, but the die-hards will always swoon and sway over the first one; it’s simply how die-hards work. Me, I’m easy…just give me a good show and I will be kind.
Seeing as how Interpol’s material is without prejudice, dark and gloomy (for lack of describing it over the course of a 10 paragraph essay) it was surprising to see a crowd not overly saturated with emo-types and people emerging from basement apartments for the first time in weeks. Instead a healthy mish-mash of all the city’s music stereotypes and, dare I say, young professionals.
Over the years you hear all kinds of elusions to their music: a poor man’s Joy Division is by far one of my favourite misnomers. A post-pink NYC outfit like this, usually sharply dressed, does more for me then many bands will ever do. Their lyrics, albeit somewhat moody, carry an air of experience and insight. They are intelligent, but not preachy. Their music is driven, and the guitar hooks, coupled with the ever calming tones of the vocals, fit the part all too well. And on this night, the crowd was treated to a variety of cuts from across the board; at one point it seemed they were playing a track off the debut record every two songs. You can tell a band has a loyal following when newer material such as Lights receives as warm of a welcome as some of their more favoured tunes, like Evil. All in all, the show was truly a majestic foray into the band’s musical legacy, and was well worth the admission for all who attended. As a band they stand to serve their fans with inspiration and their live show fought hard to prove it.
Tags: Concert, Interpol, Review
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Sleigh Bells, Die Antwoord Prove They Know What Bass Is
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
In the middle of Sleigh Bells’ set at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto on Tuesday, lead singer Alexis Krauss lowered herself into the crowd like she was slowly testing out the temperature of a cold pool. One male audience member went in for a kiss with Alexis. She leaned in close as if to reciprocate and then pushed his head back into the crowd while laughing through their song, “Ring, Ring.” By the end of the show the entire audience seemed appreciative enough to go in for a smooch.
When two of the most buzzed bands of 2010, Sleigh Bells and Die Antwoord decide to co-headline a tour, there can be a ton of expectation. Joe Jonas even tweeted about Brooklyn girl/boy duo Sleigh Bells in May. One of my friends once said that Sleigh Bells is everything you can want in a band; gritty guitar riffs, pounding hip hop beats and saccharine girly vocals. This was Sleigh Bell’s third stop in Toronto in only a handful of months, but the city’s fans were still starving for more.
Sleigh Bells took the stage about half an hour after their scheduled set time, but once they opened with “Tell ‘Em” all grudges had passed. Lead singer Alexis took a breath after the first song and said, “Thank you guys for waiting.” The band pounded through song after song with the bass turned up so high it punctured your lungs and rattled your skeleton. “Now is the time to get fucking sweaty,” Alexis ordered the crowd while thrashing her hair around and propelling herself into the crowd. They played most of their songs from their relatively short archive and ended with the audience favourite “Crown on the Ground.”
Tags: Die Antwoord, Phoenix Concert Theatre, Sleigh Bells
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The Gaslight Anthem @ Sound Academy
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem kicked off their tour last week at a packed Sound Academy. The guys are touring in support of their latest album ‘American Slang’ which was released last month.
With Jay-Z’s Empire State Of Mind playing as the back drop music the guys walked on stage and opened the show with their single American Slang. From then on Brian, Alex R, Alex L and Benny put on an amazing show.
They played the majority of ‘American Slang’ including Boxer, Stay Lucky and Bring It On. They also play a bunch of tracks off their sophomore album ‘The 59′ Sound’.
From the start of the show the whole crowd was really energized and into the show. But when they busted out their classic’s Old White Lincoln, The 59′ Sound, Here’s Looking At You Kid and Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts the energy level rose and had every one bobbing their heads or jumping on the spot.
Besides hearing my favourite Gaslight song, Great Expectations the highlight of the night came during the encore when they covered a rare Pearl Jam track State of Love and Trust. Not only did it sound amazing it is amazingly similar to how Eddie Vedder and the guys in Pearl Jam recorded it!
Not only did their six song encore include a cover, Brian Fallon started the encore by performing a solo version of She Loves You, which sounded amazing! All in all it was a great show for a venue that has had some mixed reviews but Gaslight silenced those reviews since they were great!
Check out the set list below!
Setlist:
American Slang
Casanova Baby!
Old White Lincoln
Stay Lucky
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Bring It On
Boxer
Angry Johnny And The Radio
The Spirit Of Jazz
The Queen of Lower Chelsea
The ‘59 Sound
Boomboxes and Dictionaries
Old Haunts
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Great Expectations
Encore:
She Loves You
The Diamond Church Street Choir
We Came To Dance
State of Love and Trust (Pearl Jam cover)
Here’s Looking At You, Kid
The Backseat
Tags: sound academy, the gaslight anthem
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Kings Go Forth Bring Soul To The ‘Shoe
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
With a 56 year-old soul veteran Black Wolf as their lead singer, Kings Go Forth definitely isn’t a Jonas Brothers-esque group. But last Friday at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, they demanded the audience’s attention like it. Black Wolf, clad in a patterned vibrant two piece jumpsuit with a deep, deep, deep V neck fell to his knees like in spiritual meditation and then lurched forward to be among the crowd as they got low.
Kings Go Forth play music to be listened with Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings and James Brown. Their throwback funk soul sound features layers of instruments to build a wall of sound that controls the audience like dancing puppets. Their song “One Day” is fit for a 1970’s car chase featuring Starsky and Hutch or a 2010 car chase featuring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl… maybe. The 10 member funk collective from Milwaukee have been slowly joining the soul revival after releasing a variety of singles since 2007. Their first album, The Outsiders Are Back was released by Luaka Bop on April 20 and the buzz has been enough to bring a solid crowd out on a Toronto Friday night.
Tags: East End Lovelies, Kings Go Forth, Steamboat
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Concert review: LCD Soundsystem at Kool Haus
Friday, May 28th, 2010
During a week in which his latest album, This Is Happening, received “universal acclaim,” James Murphy brought LCD Soundsystem to Toronto for possibly the last time ever. Recently admitting that his third album will be his last, the Kool Haus was packed with fans both looking to get their sweat on and to bid adieu. And with his six-member band accompanying him, Murphy pieced together a set that made for an unforgettable night.
Front and centre on stage, Murphy was an obliging host, addressing the crowd like he was a lifelong friend, but also acting like an advisor, suggesting all the amateur videographers out there might maximize their fun by turning off the cameras and putting their own enjoyment ahead of YouTube’s. He followed that up by joking, “What do I know? I’m old.” Old by age, maybe, but not by action.
New single “Drunk Girls” certainly fit the venue’s Animal House-like atmosphere, encouraging both sexes with its double entendre to drink up and let go. The effervescent buzz of “Daft Punk Is Playing My House” and “Tribulations” offered up the same kind of release, converting the voluminous warehouse space into a house party that, if you closed your eyes, could very well have been back at Murphy’s place in Brooklyn. And “Movement,” an homage to Murphy’s all-time favourite band The Fall, verged on instigating a mosh pit due to its undulating pulse and raucous crescendos.
But the party vibe didn’t rest entirely on the band’s frat-pleasing rockers. LCD Soundsystem’s strength is in the multi-faceted nature of the music. “Get Innocuous!” and “Yeah” delved into the band’s knack for repetition-fuelled electro, while even the relatively unknown post-punk-centric B-side “Yr City’s A Sucker” kept heads nodding, despite its apparent obscurity.
Where LCD Soundsystem remain an anomaly though is in Murphy’s prowess for pulling out poignant paeans. “Someone Great” might fizz with oscillating synths and gurgling rhythms, but the subterranean bass drops only heighten the sentimentality behind the lyrics. And then there was the titular cousins “All I Want” and “All My Friends,” which Murphy dedicated to Toronto’s queer club king Will Munro, who passed away last week of brain cancer. The former bled with the soaring riff from Bowie’s “Heroes,” while the latter skipped to the piano, giving Murphy the right framework to express his nostalgia.
Closing with the one-two punch of his hipster-baiting signature song “Losing My Edge” and the open letter to his hometown “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” (which now features Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” as an addendum), James Murphy and his Soundsystem crossed every finger in the Kool Haus that it wasn’t their final show in Toronto. Because as he proved on this night, James Murphy certainly hasn’t lost any of that edge yet.
Check out the set list here.
-Cam Lindsay
Tags: James Murphy, LCD Soundsystem
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The Framework @ El Mocambo
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
By Liem Vu
Besides Toronto’s hometown heroes Broken Social Scene, many homegrown bands have become siphoned into indie obscurity. The defining trait of ‘indieness’ that once brought hopeful prospects of reaching the record label promise land soon deteriorates as blog buzz bands an equivalent to yester-year’s one hit wonders.
With filesharing, recession-era meltdowns and the thriving appeal of auto-tune (Sorry, Jay-Z, looks like your declaration of auto-tune’s death may only be in the U.S.), it’s hard not to get jaded when your favourite indie artists don’t get the recognition they deserve beyond the firewalls of the blogosphere.
A little over a year ago I stumbled upon the MySpace for The Framework, a then-unsigned, Toronto-based New Wave/Rock outfit with a synth appeal like no other. With melodic hooks, infectious guitar riffs, killer vocals and stadium-worthy instrumentation, I reached out to them for an interview for a local music e-zine I used to work for.
At the time, they had yet to be signed to Last Gang Records but with an EP-in-tow and a 3rd place ranking in Mix 99.9’s Radiostar contest, they had already worked tirelessly to become regulars on the Toronto live music circuit.
Having previously performed as stripped down, solo-artists (guitarist Chris Graham, keyboard player Rayanne Lepieszo, and lead singer Ryan Isojima aka Chisato Jackson), 2006 marked the year that The Framework became the serendipitous collective that we see today. Well, three-quarters of it, anyways (Bassist Scott Winter and drummer Tobias Smith would join shortly thereafter).
Last Friday, The Framework graced the tiny stage at the El Mocambo for the CD Release of their debut LP, Before Tonight. But while the muted interior of the El Mo ill-compared to previous gigs (i.e. The Mod Club), the energy was palpable as family, friends, and fans of The Framework celebrated the momentous evening that included a #3 ranking on MuchMoreMusic’s Top 10 Countdown.
Although The Framework have toured like clockwork, they showed no sense of complacency as they kicked off the festivities with their first single, “Always Left Behind”, an anthemic tune with an effervescent framework of synths, guitar virtuosity and Jeff Bucklian-resonance from Isojima’s vocals.
“The CD Release show was super exciting for us because we got to debut our whole record for a live audience for the first time…The energy of the crowd was off the hook and we as a band totally fed off of that, so it was a really fun time being on stage. It felt like one big party because because both us as a band and the crowd were having a great time,” explains Framework frontman Ryan Isojima.
With frenetic dance moves and unparalleled charisma, Isojima rarely stopped for a breather during the little over an hour set as he busted out his Brit-Rock inspired swagger. Oftentimes stepping down the small stage and singing to and around the audience, my friend and photographer, Matt C., whispered (well, shouted) to me that it was like a musical marriage had happened between Maximo Park and Jeff Buckley. During “Wasted”, “We Are The Trend”, and “Everything’s Gone”, Chris Graham took to the lead vocals with an equally compelling yet wholly differential energy as he sung with a endearingly coy smile that spoke both of pride but of humility and appreciation for being in that moment.
“I think Chris’ smile onstage really represents what we were all feeling that night. We’re just really happy that people finally get to hear our new record,” says Isojima.
And happy they were, as concertgoers displayed intermittent epileptic bursts of uninhibited dance moves. Unlike many concerts where looking cool is an unspoken rule that creates mass head bobs and chatter, The Framework’s feel good, radio friendly, and positive vibes even caused my photographer to occasionally dive into random spurts of hip-shaking euphoria.
Synth-player Rayanne Lepieszo, stayed stoic and still for most of the set with intermittent of head-bobbing action. But her fierce energy played well against Isojima and the other band members who, as corny as it may sound, fit into the puzzle piece of what makes The Framework, an astounding live band regardless of venue.
With the humidex in the venue rising from jumping bodies, to the delight of The Cure fans, the quartet belted out their own rendition of “Just Like Heaven.” Ending their set with an upcoming b-side, “Into the Sun”, The Framework humbly thanked the crowd as most of the band went to greet fans, family, and friends alike.
Before tonight, many people didn’t know about the band but if the glossy-eyed fella clutching a Framework album beside me was any indication, The Framework have just begun to set the groundwork for something much larger.
Tags: CD releases, Concerts, the framework
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Von Bondies @ Lee’s Palace
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009Last Friday night Detroit indie-punk heroes The Von Bondies rolled into Lee’s Palace like a truck full of fireworks in the middle of a thunderstorm. Yes, their 60 minute show was pretty much that intense. And yes, you missed it again. Damnit, Charlie, you gotta start coming out to these things!
Tags: concert reviews, von bondies
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Glastonbury Line-Up Announced
Monday, May 25th, 2009The line-up for the 32nd edition of Britain’s most coveted (and most drunken) summer music festival has been announced. This morning organizers for the always mud-soaked Glastonbury Festival revealed the massive roster of artists playing this year’s event. The three nights will feature the likes of Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band and Blur as the main headliners on the Pyramid Stage.
The rest of the line-up is rounded out by a mix of both experienced and emerging artists that includes Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and the Prodigy headlining the Other Stage, Doves, Jarvis Cocker and Echo & the Bunnymen closing out the John Peel Stage, and Animal Collective, Bon Iver and Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 topping the bill of the Park Stage.
Other big names playing throughout the weekend include the Specials, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Spinal Tap, Lily Allen, Fleet Foxes, Ting Tings, Lady Gaga, Metric, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Black Eyed Peas, Bat For Lashes, Passion Pit, 2 Many DJs, La Roux, Peaches, M. Ward, Peter Bjorn & John, Glasvegas and Tom Jones.
You can see the entire line-up by clicking here.
Glastonbury 2009 takes place between Friday, June 26th to Sunday, June 28th in the fields of Pilton, England. As usual, the festival is completely sold out, so if you’re thinking of jumping the fence, keep in mind that the 12-foot-tall, $2 million steel “super fence” they installed back in 2002 has made life difficult for fence-jumpers over the last seven years.
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The Vaselines @ Lee’s Palace
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009by Liem Vu
While many of us were fetal positioning in the late 80s (myself included), Glasgow duo, Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, were positioning themselves in a less uterine way as the world’s best songwriters. Indeed, that title was bestowed onto the group by Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain.
Although they disbanded shortly after the release of their first and only full-length, Dum-Dum, The Vaselines slid over the Atlantic and gained notoriety through Nirvana’s covers of “Molly’s Lips” and “Jesus Want Me for a Sunbeam” on their album, Incesticide.
Touring for the first time in 20 years, Kelly and McKee stopped by Lee’s Palace for an impressive and almost comprehensive 19-song setlist that saw them performing the now-famous “Molly’s Lips,” the contemptuous “Monsterpussy,” and the rhyme-happy ditty “Dum-Dum.”
While their pop melodies, psychedlic harmonies and Glasgowian wit were in abudance, The Vaselines’ status as a musical artifact showed signs of age as their opening couple of songs had them readjusting their instruments and sound levels. But it was Frances McKee’s bouts of playful banter with the audience that truly roused (or should I say, aroused?) the gentlemen as she unraveled her flirtatious leer and suggestive words.
“I hear the men in Toronto are sensitive,” said McKee after the first song, “fuck that, we want to play rough.” A collective cheer ensued as McKee launched into the appropriately titled track, “Monsterpussy.”
In the end, the moderately crowded venue offered an intimate and nostalgic evening where fans were able to relive their musical memories live especially after the recent release of Enter The Vaselines, a 2-disc compilation album of remastered tracks and different live/demo tracks.
With Rick of the Skins opening up with their very own offering of pop music, The Vaselines may have very well stepped out of the Cobain shadow and cast a new one for themselves and for future musical artistes. Yes, you heard it. Artistes.
Tags: concert reviews
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