Perhaps it was the young wannabe-hipster crowd, or the packed venue, or the gloomy weather, or the hectic touring schedule, but there must be a reason why Tokyo Police Club sounded absolutely horrible live. TPK is a band that I hold so dearly, living my dream of quitting university to start a band in Toronto’s outer suburbs, now making headlines, praised by critics, playing on David Letterman and recently upgraded to large font; on the posters of Virgin Music Festival. But during the fateful night of April 11th, not a bone in my body was enjoying what was coming out of their set. I simply couldn’t pinpoint why.
Could it have been stage presence? Having toured Europe and the US for two months to return to your hometown for two sold out shows must conjure up some feeling of accomplishment. Yet between songs, lead singer Dave Monks was speechless. Nothing other than a few generic phrases like "Glad to be back" and other forgettable one-liners to distract the crowd from the sounds of tuning guitars. There was literally nothing that could have singled out this show as more unique than the next indie rock band.
Could it have been the music? The reason why A Lesson in Crime drew so much attention was the oddity of the entire record. Strange hooks mixed with strange noises made for great music. But when rhythmically displaced, it sounds like a mess. Songs such as Nature of the Experiment and Cheer On sound fantastic on record, but hearing live felt like more like an unpolished rehearsal. Songs were emotionally driven, so much so that the tempo changed erratically throughout a single song.
Despite all the shortfalls, kids in the front simply ate it up, perhaps pretending as hard as the performers were pretending to look entertained. Besides, what’s more hip than spending a weeknight in an indie club, dancing to an indie band and telling your friends about it in chemistry class the next morning?
The only redeeming quality was an opening band called Great Lenin’s Ghost that put on an entertaining performance. Picture Chris Farley in a yellow top on lead vocals singing trance/techno with self-deprecating humor. Oh, and the ticket was $16, so that was a bargain I guess.
The 24th annual Hillside Festival is July 27, 28, 29, 2007, and is held on the island at Guelph Lake Conservation Area. The Hillside Festival is an annual five-stage community event that is more than music. The Festival has hand drumming, spoken word performers, an Aboriginal Circle, community workshops, an international food bazaar, handicrafts, and children’s programming – all in a refreshingly non-commercial environment.
Weekend passes are $75 to $95; day and evening passes are $40 to $60. The Hillside Office is open Monday to Friday 10 am to 5 pm, and until 8 pm, May 1 and May 2.
Early Bird Weekend Pass $75.00 SOLD OUT Regular Weekend Pass $95.00 SOLD OUT Early Bird Evening Ticket $40.00 SOLD OUT Regular Evening Ticket $45.00 Early Bird All Day Ticket $55.00 SOLD OUT Regular All Day Ticket $60.00
Children 12 and under and seniors 65 and over are free and do not require a ticket.
Prices include GST and day admission to Guelph Lake Conservation Area. Applicable service charges extra. There is a $4.00 per ticket service charge for all phone and online orders.
Blocks of tickets will be available:
Online www.hillside.on.ca
By phone 1-866-598-4455 At the Hillside Festival office – 123 Woolwich Street, 2nd Floor, Guelph
And at the following outlets: The Bookshelf, 41 Quebec Street, Guelph Encore Records, 54 Queen Street South, Kitchener Soundscapes, 572 College Street, Toronto
There are over 50 artists scheduled to perform at Hillside 2007. Confirmed performers to date include:
Ani Difranco (Sunday evening) The Dears (Saturday) Chumbawamba Acoustic (Friday) Alejandro Escovedo (Sunday) Do Make Say Think (Saturday) Madviolet Blackie and the Rodeo Kings Martin Sexton Ron Sexsmith Shout Out Out Out Out Memphis Akron/Family Apostle of Hustle
The Over-the-top festival is back, with great bands such as Daniel Johnston, Michael Gira, Mt. Eerie, Flosstradamus, Julie Doiron, Meligrove Band, Japanther, Matt & Kim and more.
I’ve also seen Giant Killer Shark: The musical at the 2006 Fringe Festival. It’s a hilarious musical-comedy rendition based on JAWS, full of scrotom jokes, bad props and and set on a copyright-protected island that cannot reference the name of the film.
May 3:
DD/MM/YYYY w. Ecstatic Sunshine & Rozasia @ Sneaky Dees. 9PM. $8ADV
Julie Doiron w. Pit Er Pat & Reily @ St. Stephen-in-the-Fields Church. 7PM.
$13.50ADV
The Hylozoists w. The Explorers Club, Casper & the Cookies @ Tranzac. 8PM. $11ADV
Page France w. Five Blank Pages & Great Bloomers @ Whippersnapper Gallery.
8PM. $10.50ADV
May 4:
Meligrove Band w. Japanther & Matt & Kim @ The Mod Club. 8PM. $10ADV
Michael Gira w. Peter And The Wolf @ Music Gallery. 7PM. $20ADV
Flosstradamus w. Yah Mos Def & The Blankket @ Sneaky Dees. 9PM. $12.50ADV
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone w. Vague Angels & Nick Krgovich (of P:ano)
@ Tranzac. 8PM. $10.50ADV.
Rich Aucoin w. BA Johnston + guests @ Whippersnapper Gallery (on sale soon)
May 5:
Mt. Eerie w. Ghost Hands & Anni Rossi @ St. Stephen-in-the-Fields Church.
7PM. $14ADV
BBQ Matinee @ Tranzac (12:30-4:30PM) w. SPECIAL GUESTS (on sale soon)
Genghis Tron w. Clipd Beaks + guests @ Sneaky Dees (on sale soon)
Bob Wiseman w. The Phonemes & Jason Trachtenberg @ Whippersnapper Gallery.
8PM. $10ADV
Arnold Dreyblatt @ Music Gallery. 7PM. sliding scale of prices, info:
www.musicgallery.org
May 6:
Daniel Johnston w. Mayor McCa @ Mod Club. 7PM. $20ADV
Special Guest Headliner w. Our Brother The Native & Pilotram @ Sneaky Dees
(2-5:30 matinee – on sale soon)
Film:
Times and ticketing forthcoming
Theatre (all performances at the Annex Theatre):
Giant Killer Shark: The Musical
May 3: 7:30 & 9:30PM
May 4: 9:00PM
May 5: 1:30 & 7:30PM
Being an electronica fiend for many years, I’ve been hard-pressed to find a good dance party in this chilly city. So when I heard that the second instalment of the Ed Banger Records Party was coming back to the Mod Club, I knew it would be a party that I couldn’t afford to miss.
For anyone who was walking down College Street last Friday night as early as 9 pm, they would have seen a massive line up curling around the corner at the Mod Club. As all advanced tickets were sold out for this particular party, with only 200 tickets remained for sale at the door. Given the hype of the previous party this label threw, electro house fans were prepared to pay a premium price for a good show.
Having been to many A.D./D. events in Toronto before this one, I knew that there would be lots of drinks, girls, and lots of beats. As I carefully paced myself through each double vodka soda, the time finally came for the Ed Banger Crew to throw down some serious game. EB’s starting line up of DJ Mehdi, Busy P, and Sebastian took the stage around 11 30 to a drunken crowd, and began to spin a wide selection of electro house hits. Although the crowd reacted well, you could tell they were saving their welcoming freak-out for Ed Banger stars, Justice. Luckily enough, Justice came out to join them right away.
Much to the pleasure of the audience, the EB crew all took to the stage at the same time tag teaming behind the decks, spinning an array of danceable rhythms from Justice’s dancefloor # 1 hit “We are your Friends” to Salt and Peppa’s “Push It” and Paul Simon’s “You can call me Al”. There was nothing in this set that you didn’t want to hear, not to mention the fantastic sound and lighting rig at the Mod Club. On this particular night, the EB crew was at the top of their game. The mob of indie rock, electronic and hip hop kids alike danced up a sweaty frenzy to the point that the floors of the Mod Club were literally shaking. Not only were there studded leather Daft Punk jackets throughout the crowd, but also glow sticks and even bubbles falling from the ceiling of the 800+ venue. This was truly one of the best jams I’ve been to all year. The dynamite vibe was partly due to the fact the EB crew was partying with audience, often bringing girls up on stage to dance. They were even crowd-surfing in the front rows while their team mates manned the decks.
Seeing as we all expected this night to be a Justice showcase – which everyone was secretly hoping for – we were all pleasantly surprised to see that the roster on Ed Banger Records could all hold their own and stir the crowd into euphoria. This particular night filled me with high hopes that dance music was ready to make a comeback. It’s not like it ever died; it just seemed to be hibernating during the cold stretch of shitty music that came with the new millennium. Fear not tiny dancers; we will rave again!
Despite the frigid weather haunting Toronto in early April, the Exclaim! Spring Fling lit up the Phoenix last Wednesday. Each year, the editors of Exclaim! Magazine, Canada’s biggest independent music publication, carefully debates (err.. bickers ) and selects rising Canadian indie acts to perform in a highflying tour across Canada. Following the resounding success from previous Flings with Stars and The Organ, the editors had set a high bar to meet.
The line up of acts ranged from ass-shaking indie rock to funk electro-pimp to electro-rock. You Say Party! We Say Die! kicked off the evening to a thawing crowd. After their explosive high energy dance-travaganza at CMW, it was surprising that YSP!WSD! weren’t able to get this crowd to barely move a foot. The early 8:30 PM start was a tough time slot to work with and the lack of lighting support didn’t help either; the group were however able to get a few heads bopping and even some hands clapping to their funky rhythms by the end of their 45-minute set. Lead singer Becky Ninkovic did work the stage with her rendition of the running-man and bopping around like it was 1975. Their sequenced vocals, funky crowd-delivered clap rhythms, hammer lines and rapid drums gave ingredients of what could have been a hot set, but unfortunately failed to deliver this time out.
Québécois sensation Malajube followed and come out rocking…the crowd was finally beginning to warm up. After breaking into the Anglo-spotlight as a nominee for the Polaris Music Prize – a prize selected by a panel of music journalists and broadcasters striving to find the best Canadian album of the year “irrespective of genre of sales” – Majaube was poised to rock the house. Their slow/fast tempo changes, lead vocalist Mineau’s supersonic banshee screams and wicked instrumental rock sequences finally jolted the crowd to life. It was amazing to witness Malajube was break the language barrier (all their songs are in French) and speak to the crowd through their music.
The final half of the night shifted from rock to electronic, starting off with the funk-electro-punk sounds of Chromeo. Best friends since childhood, self described as “the only successful Arab/Jewish collaboration since the beginning of time.” Despite being a 2-piece, Pee Thugg and Dave 1 brought their own backlighting (take note YSP!), a percussion station on wheels and laptop fill out their sound. Thugg provided the lead vocals and guitars while Dave 1 held the fort with his casio beats, bass guitar and heavy use of vocoder. Feeling a mix of LCD Soundsystem, Daft Punk, Cheap Trick and bit of Fresh Prince, Chromeo synthesized funk, geek punk and dance had the crowd jumping by the end of the set. It was time for DJ Champion to bring it all home.
DJ Champion (Maxime Morin) walked on stage solo and fought technical problems to begin with the set with the hollow basic downbeat from Tawoumga, off of their breakout CD “Chill ‘em all.” He casually conducted each raggedy rocker to enter the stage, one guitarist at a time, with each G-string layering their guitar line above the last. The sould slowly filled out and took shape. Champion was more of a conductor than a DJ, cueing his orchestra and meticulously keeping them layers on beat – throughout the whole night, he kept the non-stop (there were no breaks between songs) electro-rock party train on the right track. The members were well trained to keep their eye on Champion, ready to respond to his flailing arm signals. Shortly after, the whole crowd was also responding to his beck and call.
The set went nuclear once vocalist Betty Bonifassi came on stage to sing To Hoboes (see video below). Champion’s throbbing beats and intensely layered guitars reacted with Bonifassi’s attacking soul vocals to ignite a limitless dance-rock bomb into the crowd. There was no going back. The energy was hot, intense and tireless – fans were dancing and even Champion’s shirt came off. All we needed were some glowsticks and we’d be in for an all night rave-rock party!
Bonifassi sang in English, French and even splashes of Croation, proving that great music can speak to anyone. Ending the set with their radio hit No Heaven, Champion left the crowd dancing well past midnight, still with an encore to go.
Although the crowd at first felt as cold as the frigid outdoor weather, the night went white hot by the end of the night. My initial worries about mixing djs and funk-punk beats with indie rock in one night were quickly thwarted. It was a multi-dimensional show, playing 6-degrees of musical separation by seamlessly moving from one related genre to the next. And by the last degree, the crowd was ready to dance and Champion had the nitros to rocket us there. Forget about genres, the language barrier, or the brutal weather. Tonight it was all about appreciating great independent music.
David Usher – he’s still around? YES, and judging from the packed crowd at the Mod Club on Saturday, he never really left. David Usher has this strange allure and great talent that unites the "back in the day", ripped jeans, long-haired grundgies, now late twenty-something yuppies, with a crowd of musically unsure teenage (mostly) females. This was evident from the fact that the first three rows were packed with the latter demographic and the dedicated Moist fans (they’re easy to spot) were perched quietly at the back of the club, waiting patiently to rock out to 90’s hits Silver or Tangerine.
Doors opened at a decent time and after picking up my tickets at the will-call, my group rushed for our secret "best seat in the house" spot (sorry, if I told you, I’d have to…). NLX opened and quite honestly, every song sounded the same. They played for about half an hour and managed to sneak a Depeche Mode cover. After their forgettable set, David User hit the stage.
The energy in the band and the crowd was synchronous – those on stage did not miss a beat, nor did those on the floor. It was amazing to see the electricity and energy of the crowd rocking out to Black Black Heart, Devil by my Side, Jesus was My Girl, among many others.
David Usher was a true showman, occasionally stepping off stage and chatting with the crowd between songs, and frequently walked into the crowd mid-song to sing with. The highlight of the night was during his last song, where after inviting one girl to sit on stage, dozens of teenage Usher lovers followed suit. While he was setting up the last song, someone yelled “F Train” and suddenly the guitarist strummed the chords and ripped into the song. After the song finished to a roaring crowd, Usher broke back into the finale, St. Lawrence River. The deafening singing from the crowd almost drowned out Usher’s heartfelt acoustic rendition.
So has David Usher lost it? Perhaps he lost traction with his last album “If God Had Curves,” but I think he’s redeemed himself, and at least definitely still knows how to pull off a rockin’ show. We ended up picking up the latest album “Strange Birds” after the show and from what I saw on stage, I don’t think it will disappoint.
What was advertised as a headliner with two opening acts felt more like three headliners and no opener. Much was riding on every performance for each act: Sebastian Grainger was to debut his solo effort post Death From Above 1979; Albert Hammond Jr. had to convince the crowd that his solo work was equally, if not better than his previous occupation as guitarist for The Strokes; and the much anticipated Bloc Party had to disprove scathing critical assaults from their sophomore release to just about everyone. It is safe to say, by the end of the night, all three groups lived up to expectations, and often at times exceeding them.
Before the show even started, the Kool Haus was oddly at near to full capacity. T-shirts were still sold at ridiculously high prices, except for a makeshift booth that had Sebastian Grainger personally selling his own. Although pleasant to see the work ethic of Sebastian, his enthusiasm and acknowledgement to fans was less then a high school fast-food employee. Perhaps he was reserving it for his performance because what followed was material that required screaming vocals and a feel for off-beat patterns. His myspace page cited “Prince” and “Thin Lizzy” as influences that, oddly to say, made a great combination. No longer was Sebastian behind the drums but rather, he pulled a Dave Grohl and took helms comfortably with guitar on hand.
By the time Albert Hammond Jr. approached stage, one out of every ten audience members were sporting a “Strokes” t-shirt. Almost all his band mates wore similar business casual attire, along with the patented curly fro. Hammond must be riding high in confidence because his opening remarks were “I need to take a shit”, before they broke into “In Transit.” The sound was tight, and although he may hate the moniker of “The Strokes sound”, it was in fact a good thing.
Followed by the background music of Justin Timberlake remixes during set change, Bloc Party finally opened their set with “Songs for Clay”. The entire performance was full of energy peppered with memorable moments that made this Toronto show unique. During “So Here We Are”, Kevin Drew (from Broken Social Scene) joined in and sang the final leg of the song. Condoms that were given away prior to the show were blown into balloons and battered around like beach balls at a summer festival. For “Sunday”, a second identical drum set was used to deliver more complex rhythms (which felt more for show than a necessity). Although it was a great set, a few crowd favourites such as “On” and “Luno” were not performed to the dismay of the fans.
Similar to the critics, I was disappointed with A Weekend in the City. But after hearing “SRXT” and “Hunting for Witches” live, I found a new appreciation for the sound and was compelled to pull out the album again and give it a second chance. It could just be an “it grows on you” album; only time will tell.
Tokyo Police Club, Cold War Kids, Great Lenin’s Ghost
Ed Banger Records Party pt. 2 feat. Justice, Sebastian, Busy P, DJ Mehdi
Exclaim! Spring Fling: DJ Champion, Chromeo, Malajube, You Say Party! We Say Die!
