Like so many other people who work in the service industry, I miss quite a few weekend shows that I would love to attend. If I do get off by eleven, it's usually difficult to make it out to more than one event so needless to say, I was pleased to see that were playing a second show at .
I'd like to see more bands do a couple of shows but I doubt that many would be up to the task. It's kind of like going out Friday when you know you're doing something Saturday; sure you can try to maintain your buzz at a certain level but the odds lean towards a certain amount of weariness beginning to seep in through the cracks of your party-façade.
The first show and I'm sure many people had no doubt the second one was going to be just as good. Massive hype notwithstanding, Ethan Kath and Alice Glass are very, very good at what they do and even though my exposure to the band was limited to , I had that jumpy feeling in my stomach that you get when you know you're about to see a fantastic show.
Things have been heating up at and we have a couple of prize packs to give away to next Thursday's show. headline a night that also features , , and . Want to go? Keep reading for prize info and how to enter the contest.
Update: An open letter has been sent to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care from NDP MPPs France Gelinas and Rosario Marchese on February 26, 2008. The letter is copied below.
It's official. Neither indie accolades nor a can get you health coverage these days. Such is the saga of Toronto's who in a explained how the revoked his health card.
According to Owen, it all started when he went to a local office to renew his health card. After answering a bunch of questions about his touring schedule, family and life as a musician, the non-shower-singing He Poos Clouds government worker said he was no longer eligible for health care coverage.
are one of those bands that somehow keeps everything well-balanced. They're very tuneful and melodic, but their delivery has a nice gritty edge to it, and while their sound definitely packs a punch, they have enough restraint to not turn it up to eleven all the time.
is one of Toronto's top DJs. This former ITF World and Canadian DMC Champion has toured the world and held many residencies in all the high profile Toronto clubs (including Vince Carter's Inside). He also helped warm the crowds up at Russell Peters' two ACC shows last year.
is Flo's new project. It features his well-known turntablist/mixing skills accompanied by live keyboards and drums. They will be performing live remixes of hip hop classics tomorrow night at on Front Street East.
have been building a name for themselves in the UK and Europe for quite some time now. Heard of them? Probably not. Although they're based in Toronto, they remain unsigned here in North America and focus most of their touring across the Atlantic.
With their next record about to be released this spring, it seems that maybe Birds of Wales are about to balance their exposure out a bit on both sides of the pond. They're playing high profile shows next month at and SXSW down in Austin.
They are also playing Tattoo Rock Parlour tonight with DJ sets provided by and Sloan's . I spoke with Morgan Ross from the band about their band name, Barcelona, and slurpees.
is a septet out of L.A playing an Irish folk/punk rock blend. With a touch of the Pogues, the Clash and perhaps some Stiff Little Fingers they have crafted a sound of their own.
On Monday night (Family Day), the Kool Haus was packed. A sold out all-ages show on a weekday must have had something to do with reading week, which may explain all the under-age drinking on the way to and in the parking lot of the venue.
The first thing security told me as I entered the photo pit in front of the stage was if I got a tap on the back to watch out for crowd surfers. Some good advice as Flogging Molly came out and jumped right into Selfish Man off their first studio album Swagger. The bodies came sailing hard and fast. The crowd was hyped and, in addition to the bodies flying, so were the beer cans. A fellow Photographer got one can in the head about 30 seconds into it.
Like any self-respecting cultural hotbed (did I just write that?), Toronto not only has a ridiculous number of great venues to watch live music, but it also has more than a handful of spots to pick up CDs, rare vinyl, electronic music, band merch and other must-haves for the music aficionado, compulsive collector or casual music fan.
Making the cut as a nominee in our recent Best of Toronto poll were ten stores representing a range of different formats and genres. They included /, , Cosmos West Records, , , , , and Kops. But distancing itself at the top of the pack was destination and much-loved .
What's the secret to Soundscapes' success? Keep reading for my interview with store founder to find out.
Describing 's music to the uninitiated used to be like pulling teeth. People used to look at me like I was from Neptune when I tried to tell them about his that he uses to play bass, melody and chords all at the same time. Fortunately, technology has caught up in the meantime, and I can just point people to so they can see for themselves what he's all about.
When I first heard , it was a music geek's dream come true: after years of listening to and waiting for a big-ass hardcore guitar to kick in, someone actually put together the band I'd been yearning for, a perfect blend of Irish folk and American punk.
Photos and writing by guest contributor .
