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SPOTlight: 2007 Hillside Fest Updated Performer list

The latest performer list at Hillside Festival 2007 has been posted. Some AMAZING new acts confirmed since tickets went on sale in May, such as Emily Haines, Besnard Lakes, Ohbijou and Rock Plaza Central.

As of June 6/07:

  • Apostle of Hustle (Saturday)
  • Basia Bulat
  • Bebop Cowboys
  • Beolach (Sunday)
  • The Besnard Lakes
  • Birds of Wales
  • Blackie & The Rodeo Kings
  • Born Ruffians
  • Chumbawamba Acoustic (Friday)
  • The Dears (Saturday)
  • Ani DiFranco (Sunday)
  • Angela Desveaux
  • Do Make Say Think (Saturday)
  • The D’urbervilles
  • Danielle Duval
  • Alejandro Escovedo
  • Melissa Ferrick
  • Forest City Lovers
  • Eliza Gilkyson
  • Habitat
  • Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton (Saturday)
  • David Hickey
  • Zaki Ibrahim
  • Immaculate Machine (Saturday)
  • In Flight Safety (Friday)
  • Lynn Jackson
  • Richard Laviolette
  • Treasa Levasseur (Saturday)
  • Los Campesinos
  • Madviolet
  • Jade McNelis (Saturday)
  • Memphis (Saturday)
  • Mihirangi
  • Mother Mother
  • Justin Nozuka
  • Ohbijou (Sunday)
  • Ndidi Onukwulu
  • The Overtones (Sunday)
  • Elvis Perkins (Sunday)
  • Pat Robitaille
  • Rock Plaza Central
  • Ron Sexsmith
  • Martin Sexton (Friday)
  • Shad
  • Mike Sharp
  • Shout Out Out Out Out (Saturday)
  • Dya Singh
  • Tannis Slimmon, Jude Vadala & Katherine Wheatley
  • The Slip (Saturday)
  • That 1 Guy
  • Vieux Farka Toure (Sunday)
  • Sam Turton
  • Two Hours Traffic
  • Jah Youssouf***More event info here**

    Source: Hillside Festival website

  • Add comment June 13th, 2007

    As Grand As Macy’s Day Parade

    My Chemical Romance
    Air Canada Centre – 05.11.07
    Rating:
    7.5/10

    Let me please explain myself. I was given free tickets, front row, and $400 dollars cash to attend this concert. Ok, so the cash part was false, but in all honesty, I must say that My Chemical Romance was not bad. In fact, if I were only 10 years younger, when I was actually impressionable and untainted by social pressures to stay musically credible, I would have considered MCR a must see. It is unfortunate that age, self-consciousness and my phase of emo-appreciation has passed.

    Right when the lights dimmed, I knew I was at an MCR concert. Why? Girls and prepubescent boys were shrieking at a decibel that could have caused every window in Toronto to explode. It was so loud that the first two songs could not be heard over the screaming fans. In usual MCR fashion, they pulled out theatrics pretentious enough to make the biggest of metal hair performance look like open mic show. The first pinnacle moment of the night was during their first single “Welcome to the Black Parade”. Not only was the drum set rotating, but during the climax four confetti canons were shot from every corner of the stadium. Hell, I would have climaxed myself after experiencing such a grand and elaborate production worthy of presidential campaigns. You name it – pyro machines, sparkling curtains, fog machines, spotlights – this concert had it, and then some.

    From beginning to end, MCR performed the entire Black Parade album with little to no breaks. Lead singer Gerard Way would occasionally yell positive profanity like “We fucking love fucking Toronto” to keep the kids stirred. Decked in the same costumes as their music video, the band kept their energy consistently high throughout all 14 Black Parade songs. Although the concept of a concept album show has been saturating the market, MCR have reinvented the formula by pretending to be “The Black Parade”, then following up with an actual MCR show. Brilliant. Or foolishly cost efficient, since they can now save costs by cutting one opening act.

    By the time MCR came on as MCR, it was evident that the novelty of their theatrics was beginning to wear thin, and the music platform wasn’t much to stand on. There were two notable clichés during the second set of the night. First, a massive background curtain that spelled “Revenge”, surrounded by several pistols in clock-dial motion. Besides the moderate reference to their last album “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge”, were the pistols really necessary? Second, was Gerard Way’s plead to the audience to not kill themselves, nor resort to violence when depressed. Emo has officially reached a new extreme since my Weezer and Dashboard days in high school.

    To top off the night, MCR played “Helena” that was oh so suitable for the audience and band alike. A tragic single that echoed the grandiose and cheesiness of the band — “So long and goodnight, so long and goodnight” – It couldn’t have been any more appropriate.

    REVIEWED BY: PHIL LEUNG

    1 comment May 22nd, 2007

    SPOTlight: Hillside Festival – July 27-29

    Hillside Festival Tickets Go on Sale May 1 at 10 am!!

    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

    WEBSITE: http://www.hillside.on.ca

    Add comment April 25th, 2007

    SPOTlight: Over the top Festival – May 3-6

    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

    Stacked Crooked: Contemporary Dance Performance

    May 4: 7:30PM
    May 5: 3:30PM

    + more theatre pieces to come

    Add comment April 22nd, 2007

    Ed Banger Records Party Pt. 2 (Click for Video)

    Ed BangerEd Banger Records Party pt. 2 feat. Justice, Sebastian, Busy P, DJ Mehdi
    The Mod Club – 03.30.07
    Rating: 8.5/10

    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.

    Ed BangerHaving 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!

    REVIEWED BY: CRAIG HILL

    1 comment April 10th, 2007

    Chillin’ Down the Language Barrier (Click for Video)

    DJ Champion @Exlcaim! Spring Fling - 04.04.07Exclaim! Spring Fling: DJ Champion, Chromeo, Malajube, You Say Party! We Say Die!
    The Phoenix – 04.04.07
    Rating: 8.5/10

    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.

    We Say Party! You Say Die! @Exclaim! Spring Fling - 04.04.07The 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.

     Malajube @Exclaim! Spring Fling - 04.04.07Québécois 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.

     Chromeo @Exclaim! Spring Fling - 04.04.07The 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 @Exlcaim! Spring Fling - 04.04.07DJ 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.

    DJ Champion @Exlcaim! Spring Fling - 04.04.07The 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.

    DJ Champion: “Two Hoboes”

    DJ Champion: “No Heaven”

    Video clip of Chromeo Live: Click here

    REVIEWED BY: ROBB ENG

    Add comment April 9th, 2007

    The Legendary Roots Crew!!!

    The Roots @Kool Haus - 03.24.07The Roots
    Kool Haus – 03.24.07

    Rating: 10/10!

    Like I’ve said so many times before, you’re usually hard pressed to find a good hip hop show coming through Toronto. Most artists just don’t seem to have the time or enthusiasm for hog-town. But every once in a while, there’s an exception to the rule.

    For anyone who’s a hip-hop, soul, funk, or even rock fan, you’ve probably heard of Philadelphia’s legendary Roots Crew. Hell, you’ve probably even seen them live. If not, what are you waiting for? Last night The Roots made their triumphant return to Toronto in support of their latest release, “The Game Theory”, and man was it a party! Arriving at 10:15 pm to a massive line up around the corner and onto the Queen’s Quay, there was no doubt in my mind that this particular sold out show was going to be one of the best. As soon as we entered the building the fresh scent of ganja and the loud rumble of a sold out crowd filled the air. Finally, a real hip hop show. Opening support, Zaki Ibrahim set the mood properly by singing some slower r&b jams, easing the audience into soulful vibe. The Toronto-based artist played through several joints sounding as sexy and funky as everyone says she does. As we waited for the stage to be set up, DJ Agile of BrassMunk took to the one’s and two’s to set the mood properly, spinning loads of classic old-school like KRS-ONE, A Tribe Called Quest, and of course, the late great J-Dilla.

    The Roots @Kool Haus - 03.24.07After 15 minutes, the lights went down and eyes gazed towards the stage. Only the Roots weren’t entering onto the stage, but rather, they were marching through the audience playing their instruments to a funky afro-induced jam-out led by ?uestlove. As the Roots slithered their way to the stage, the audience erupted with a warm embrace as our favourite hip hop group was getting ready to knock our hoodies off. Right from the get go, the Roots launched us into a full on funk assault playing classics like “Mellow My Man”, “Proceed”, and “You Got Me”. In between songs, Black Thought took his time to introduce each band member, allowing them to take their spot light and wow the crowd with a solo. This time around, the Roots were also supported by a marching band quartet called “Brass Heavens” who added a bounce to everyone’s step. In total, the crew consisted of about 11 members and even had choreographed dance moves to go along with every song.

    It was clear that this was not just a tight band, but each were spectacular musicians who had all mastered their craft. They even took the time to play cover songs of rock classics like the Police’s “Roxanne” – as sung by ?uestlove – and Bob Dylan’s “Masters of war”. The Roots are truly professionals who can play any type of music dabbling in a little bit of soul, funk, afrobeat, classic rock, and even a short rendition of “Sexy Back”. After wearing the crowd out with a 2 ½ hour set, they finally called it quits just before last call with a jammed-out version of ‘The Seed’.

    This was certainly a treat for Toronto from the legendary Roots Crew. I’m not usually one to give a show a perfect rating, but this particular concert had everything you could want; a show full of theatrics and bounce from the best funk, soul, afrobeat, r&b, and rock band I’ve ever seen. If you haven’t checked these guys out, be sure you do. You will not be disappointed.

    REVIEWED BY: CRAIG HILL

    Add comment March 26th, 2007

    The Good, The Bad, and The Pre-school Magician (Click for Video)

    TGTGATQ @Mod Club - 11.03.07The Good, The Bad and The Queen
    Mod Club – 03.11.07
    Rating: 7/10

    Last Sunday was a night of anticipation for all Blur/Gorillaz, Verve, Clash and Fela fans alike. Given the odd falling of The Good The Bad and The Queen’s North American debut on a Sunday, it was interesting to see a packed audience at the Kool Haus on a cold night. For people like myself, excitement filled the air even as the show began with an extended vaudeville magician opening act. Yelps of “you suck,’ and ‘start the show already’ spewed from the crowd as the magician successfully bored the crowd with childish mind-tricks. The brainchild of Albarn? Most definitely.

    Having heard about a tired magician opener in the UK prior, it seemed like Damon Albarn was on a bit of an ego trip and had decided he could do whatever he wanted. Once the dreadfulness was over, TGTBTQ finally took stage at 10:30. The crowd erupted as Paul Simonon of the Clash was the first to enter the stage. Finally Clash fans from all over the GTA had a chance to see this living legend in action, and even better, beside our favourite songwriter of the 21st century, Mr. Albarn. As the band began to play through their short set of songs, it seemed like the concert was waiting for a liftoff that never came.

    Although each song sounded great, they would build up to the The Good The Bad The Queen @Mod Club - 11.03.07point where something had to happen, and never did (a lot like the album). This left the crowd frustrated, even though each song was accompanied by a hefty applause afterwards. Songs like “Herculean” and “The Good the Bad and the Queen” were definitely the stand out tracks; Albarn manned the grand piano at the center of the stage and commanded the audience while conducting the band of Simonon, Tong, and Allen. The banter with the audience was limited between songs, once where Albarn wanted to tell a story about his real, legitimate top-hat, but instead fell asleep at the wheel as hundreds of fans were left disappointed.

    The lack of energy and excitement of an otherwise good performance was a let down, since they were the newest ‘Supergroup’ to hit the buzz charts. As for Paul Simonon, it looked like he was just waiting to rock out like the old days with the Clash. Unfortunately for him, Albarn’s strange brew of songwriting for this particular album prevented the rest of the band from doing what they do best; play as great musicians.

    The show came to an abrupt end at 11:20, where they came back on stage and performed a b-side from the album that sounded like they’d never played the song live before. Too bad. Although it was nice to finally see Albarn “do his thing”, the music from this particular album left me wondering why such a great line up of musicians left us with such an unimpressive performance. My heart was broken. But maybe it’s just a case of the band members being too old to perform that way anymore, although Mr. Simonon still showed some signs of life. 7/10 is being generous, but I love these guys too much for what they’ve done on their own to give the show any lower of a rating.

    REVIEWED BY: CRAIG HILL

    6 comments March 19th, 2007

    S(candinavian) Music Week Rocks Mod Club! (Click for Video)

    Ohbijou @Mod Club - 03.08.07Ohbijou, Frida Hyvonen and Under Byen (EYE Weekly CMW Music Showcase)
    The Mod Club – 03.08.07
    Rating: 8/10


    Ohbijou
    , Frida Hyvonen
    and Under Byen made up the three acts who performed last Thursday at the Mod Club for Canadian Music Week. The festival, which was established in 1960 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the birth of then Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Associations was renamed Canada Music Week in 1961 and brought together various Music Teachers’ Associations from across the provinces to promote and celebrate the beauty of musical pedagogy. If that doesn’t blow your mind, the whole thing used to be held in November to coincide with St. Cecilia Day, a day that honours the Patron Saint of Church Music. Thankfully, registration requirements have subsequently expanded and not only were two thirds of this particular showcase Scandinavian, it was also a great opportunity to be exposed to a gratifying albeit decidedly unCanadian sonic experience.

    Frida Hyvonen @Mod Club - 03.08.07Hyvonen, a singer songwriter from northern Sweden, Umea to be exact, the hometown of fellow indie act Sahara Hotnights, gave a relatively mellow and heartfelt performance. Sitting entirely at a piano with her back turned to the audience, her music and physical appearance gave the impression of a damaged china doll, an indie Courtney Love in vintage dress and heavy makeup, performing with significantly less arrogance and perhaps more talent (Billy Corgan doesn’t write her songs). The audience was certainly receptive and Hyvonen playful as her sense of humour punctuated quiet moments of banter while she acknowledged the obvious absurd juxtaposition plugging her record while singing otherwise painfully emotive songs on love, relationships, and other things pressing to young Swedish pianists.

    Following Hyvonen, Under Byen (pronounced Oh’nah-Boon), the Danish ‘sensations’ that have been garnering great reviews in the popular press, most notably from Rolling Stone’s David Fricke, whose oft cited soundbyte “Welcome to the best band in Denmark, probably the best band in the world”, has graced nearly every bio published on the band, took the stage as the final act. Currently on tour to promote their new album, Samme Stof Som Stof (which despite provoking an immediate desire to translate phonetically as a statement on existential boredom, actually means a more perplexing Same Fabric As Fabric), the band has been compared alternately to Portishead, Bjork, Mogwai and Sigur Ros. While each of these comparisons is certainly warranted and musically detectable, the band put on an absolutely scorching display of their own brand of experimental space rock with everything from slow trip-hoppy jams to absolute mind-melting psychedelic freakouts featuring, among other things, a distortion filled electric-saw solo. Excellent Under Byen @Mod Club - 03.08.07attention to lighting props and projected kaleidoscopic visuals accentuated an intense performance that also featured violins and horns among the usual rock instrumentation. Nils Grondahl, in particular, the aforementioned electric-saw virtuoso reminds of Johnny Greenwood, playing what seems like nearly everything, that it’s a surprise to discover he is neither songwriter nor an original founding member of the band.

    Although much has been said about the excellence of the Mod Club as a concert venue, and the acoustics and atmosphere were no different this time around, I feel compelled to remark on the early open doors time which caused at least this writer to miss the first and only Canadian act, Ohbijou. While the other two acts entirely proved the value of the experience, the fact that such a noted venue feels required to start shows early and forcing opening bands to play to relatively sparse crowds, compounded by a need to evacuate the premises in time for a live-to-air popular music show, it certainly calls attention to a lack of commitment in showcasing live music during CMW. Hopefully in the future exceptions can be made during promotional events so that all those who filled out the crowd for our Scandinavian friends can also enjoy some local homegrown talent, for whom the festival was historically created.

    REVIEWED BY: JAMES O’SULLIVAN

    3 comments March 14th, 2007

    It Ain’t A Party ‘Till The Tits Come Out (Click for Video)

    Scissor Sisters @Kool Haus - 03.07.07Scissor Sisters
    Kool Haus – 03.07.07
    Rating: 9/10

    Anytime there’s a Scissor Sisters concert, you’re guaranteed to find the gay men and fag hags out from the woodworks. The show at Kool Haus did not disappoint – with over-the-top theatrics, on-stage stripping and go-go dancing, this campy and sassy group of fashionistas came out with all the bells the whistles. Literally.

    The fans were eager to see the Fab 5 after they postponed their October show because of a back injury to drummer Paddy Boom during a show at MSG. With openers named “Wigs on sticks” and a DJ spinning anything from a remixed version of Depeche Modes’ “Personal Jesus” to deep house/diva circuit beats, the lines were blurred between Glam Rock Show and All-Night Gay Circuit Party. The fans were dressed to the nines, with boas, sailor suits, and fag hags to match, which made the pockets of ‘girls night out’ soccer mom groups a tad uneasy…. was this is the same Elton John disco revival band they’ve been hearing on Mix 99.9? OH yes, my dear!

    Gracing the stage to Kiki Dee’s “I’ve got the music in me”, the Sisters kicked the evening off in style. Lead singer/songwriter Jack Sears was his usual glitzy femme self, sporting Disney pants, a chest open Mickey Mouse jacket and Mickey Mouse visor. But despite the built up energy upon their arrival, the first few songs fell a bit flat; the Sisters were not ready for this comatose Toronto concert crowd. In an effort to get the fans dancing (this IS the Scissor Sisters!), ‘Mistress of Ceremonies’ Ana Metronic taunted the crowd:

    “So we were just at the Montreal show and they were some hot bitches! Are you as good as them? You look like you’re taking notes for a thesis paper…Show us what you got! Cause when you give, we give and when you give more we give more, and we give and give and give and give…Cause it aint a party will the tits come out!”

    Perhaps it was the stab about Montreal, or perhaps it was the fact that it was a perfect segway to “Tits on the Radio”, but the venue erupted. In the middle of the song, Metronic pulled out a mini rocket launcher and rocketed bras into the crowd. How could you NOT get pumped about that?

    Scissor Sisters @Kool Haus - 03.07.07It was no turning back when they broke out to “Filthy/Georgeous” – it was a feeling of unlimited energy that I hadn’t experienced in a long time at a show. Throughout the night, Sears stripped down to just his pants, go-go dancing, grinding with Metronic and running laps around the stage a-la-Mick Jagger/Robbie Williams on a pink pill – signs of a born frontman entertainer!

    The Sisters closed the night with “Take Your Mama” and “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing,” (video clip below) leaving the crowd wanting more.

    You’ve got to give credit to this band; despite the lack of traction and distain from the US (incl. in their NYC hometown), they’re doing what they do best. Sure, Sears turns to bathroom shower falsettos more than actually singing. Sure, some of their experimental numbers can get a little out-of-space. Sure, their dance/pop cover of Comfortably Numb caused ear-plosions among Floyd purists. But these fashionistas put on a great high-energy sexualized show, reminiscent of the Elton John/Queen/Ziggy Stardust theatrics we don’t seem to have much of anymore. Afterall, their name is slag for a lesbian sex position! Go Sisters go!

    REVIEWED BY: ROBB ENG

    Add comment March 11th, 2007

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