It seems that every NXNE unveils a new band or two for me to drool all over. While this was a rather light year of concert-going (relatively speaking), that didn't stop me from stumbling across a few new gems. There's the obvious answer of The Public Animal who I will impatiently await to release anything - mp3s, CDs, vinyls, 8-tracks, a tin cup with a string and someone screaming into the other end - and subsequently give them all of my money.
However, sometimes there's too much ground to cover, too much rock to be rolled and to much love to give. For situations like this, I've got people like my coworker Jayar who introduced me to one of his picks of the festival, Saskatchewan's own Shooting Guns. This instrumental 5-piece generates a massive wall of slow-moving, grimy, distorted stoner metal that feels heavy enough to stop a bull moose in it's tracks. This stuff is kind of like the rock n roll version of molasses, if molasses were as hard as fucking nails and cooler than all of your friends put together.
And yes, to answer your next question, said molasses would make the most badass gingerbread cookies ever.
Their debut 12", Born to Deal in Magic: 1952-1976, made the Polaris prize long list and is VERY much worth the $5 to pick it up here.
-Surround yourself in a layer of hope to keep you warm at night
It was after a healthy round of beer infused softball that I made my way home, showered, changed, swung by Ben's for a drink and finally slunk my way into Lee's on a Friday night.
I arrived just as We are Scientists were taking to the stage. While not really my style, I did actually enjoy their catchy indie pop a fair bit (maybe it was the air, maybe it was the beer). And, though they may have taken it a bit overboard, their stage banter was some of the most hilarious band interactions I'd heard in ages - often the good sign of a band that understands their role less as 'artists' and more as 'entertainers' - which these guys did very well.
Then... we waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Jordan, I love you... but lordy how we waited.
After a ridiculously long setup, Jordan Cook took the stage joined by Joseph Braley and the mysterious Stitch: a man who spent the bulk of the set playing bass on a 4 string guitar through an octaver. This was my umpteenth bazillion time seeing Cook, but the first time under his Reignwolf project. You could tell the guys had been on the road a fair bit - seasoned veterans of the stage they seamlessly rocked their way around a tangled mess of chords, pedals and drums. Cook's playing had never been more ferocious and in-your-face.
However, this wasn't my favourite performance yet. What Jordan brought to the stage in intensity and swagger, he lost a bit in technicality. Perhaps what hurt the most was knowing what this young Sasquatch was capable of after seeing him tear paint off the walls so many times, and yet only being allowed a glimpse into that world. Don't get me wrong, Reignwolf was mind blowing and one hell of an experience... it just left me wanting more.
Though I guess that's not a bad thing, is it?
-I tear through the fields of the souls that you never did touch
I'm old now. I'm busy with work. I love music, but I've become picky and jaded with time. But fine... I still do a bit of NXNE this year. However, not for the conference's sake, but for the bands... for the music.
Even if it means I'm paying $15 a venue to see the bands that I could see for $5 on any other night since I'm refusing to brand myself with a bracelet.
I digress... while a tame night from my perspective (and by comparison to my previous NXNE outings), the sound emanating from the bands I saw was anything but tame.
After basically drooling all over The Blue Stone's album last fall and coming just short of proposing to them, it became a damnable shame that I would miss every TO show they had for the longest time due to work, travel or some other asinine thing. However, finally, I was able to descend upon the Windsor duo at the Hard Luck bar. I'll get the negatives out of the way first - the evening's sound guy was apparently a deaf man mid-seizure and I was sad to see the guys only play 1 or 2 songs from the album which I coveted so. HOWEVER, for a 2 piece, these guys still churned out a solid set of groovy, sexy-infused, heavy blues tracks that had an early night, sober Toronto crowd still nodding their heads in elated satisfaction.
Immediately following, Little Foot Long Foot took the stage. While once again pushing through sound tech issues, it was good to hear how LFLF's sound had evolved since the edition of Jeff Heisholt on the keys. I had some initial concerns about the new lineup, however, it's just taking time for the new 3 piece to find their sound together, write together and evolve together.
However, my evening was made when I sprinted up to Lee's to see the inaugeral show of Sir Blurton's new project, Public Animal. An unholy combination of C'Mon, Tricky Woo, Bella Clava and the Lying Cheats - Public Animal may have become my favourite new band within about 3 minutes of having my eardrums pounded by a wall of sound. I won't say anymore - just go see them tonight at the Bovine at 1am.
When people ask me what my greatest show of all time is, I am fortunate to have a knee-jerk reaction response. In 2007, I saw a Pop Montreal line-up at Bar St. Laurent 2 that set the bar for live music for years to come. It was the combination of incredible bands, a great space, lots of beer and an X factor on the night that just made it incredible. While I need to give it a few days to settle in, last night's NXNE showcase at the Bovine is currently in competitive form to take down my long front-runner.
The night opened with Romeo Liquor Store, a band I'd been following for 2 or 3 years since stumbling upon them online. They've been around for almost a decade and I had thought they weren't gigging any more. Having to carry the load of an early set and a smaller crowd, RLS still put up a high energy set of in-your-face, no bullshit rock. Throwing in a Misfits cover and playing songs from their old and new repertoire, the Bovine's cherry was thoroughly popped for the night and she was ready for an evening she wouldn't soon forget.
Organ Thieves took over at 10pm, and were a decent surprise. I'd heard their name floating around for a while and had probably even listened to some of their recorded stuff, but this was my first time seeing them live. They had a solid gritty rock sound that made me think of the Gaslight Anthem. Songs were great and you could tell by their tightness that that this was a band who'd put in their dues playing live. That said, what impressed me the most was the chops of their lead guitarist, Dave.
Oh and how the fun continued once The Mercy Now took over. Every time I see this band live, their sound gets tighter, their songs get better and their stage presence gets even more over the top. Kidnapping two girls who can't have been legally allowed in that bar, the boys rocked their way around, and off the stage with go-go dancers in tow. Russ' voice sounded like he'd been eating sandpaper and still amazingly keeping on key, the dual flanking of David Viva and Adam Burnett ripped through the air all the while with Lee Rogers struggling to hold this force of a band together with his mighty crashes. It was beautiful, it was loud, it was rock.
Now, what favourite show of mine would be complete without the blues rocking of Little Foot Long Foot? The trio was as together as I'd ever heard them and Joan managed to play through an entire set without breaking her guitar over the head of the moron who was gangster-dancing along on stage. As Iain put it, "if you're too dumb to realize you're being mocked...get off the stage." Still, dancers aside LFLF brought the rock and lifted the room with the powerful duo of Joan and Caitlin's sirenesque voices. Don't worry Isaac, you still kicked ass and destroyed many ear drums.
AND LET THE BOOGIE BEGIN! Ladies and gentlemen, Flash Lightnin. Please allow your jaws to ease onto the floor. No matter how many times I see this band live, 2 things always happen: my body looses control to the boogie beat emanating off the stage and I get the urge to give up playing guitar after watching what front-man Darren Glover can do with the thing. He doesn't so much solo as he does dance with his guitar musically through each song and physically around the bar. Friends were wanting to leave, but I insisted we stayed to the end, knowing full well that FL would close with an ever-changing version of Hobo that always leaves me wanting more.
At 2pm there was a secret band.... but I didn't care. I wasn't about to let some wild card ruin my night of rock, so we left, grabbed late night lunch next door at Shanghai Cowgirl and cabbed our drunk asses home. Yeah, that was damned good night.
-Pure and unconditional; feels so untraditional; help me get my feet back down
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