GOING LIVE: K.Flay
K.FLAY WRONGBAR, TORONTO / JULY 7th Fresh off her three-set appearance at Bonnaroo last month, K.FLAY visited Toronto with the intentions of any aspiring MC ready to perform in the northern city – grab the mic and let go. The 26-year-old Stanford U standout got intimate at the west end spot Wrongbar, switching between dense layers of electronica while snapping with her trigger-happy rhymes that instilled a mix of Chi-Town flows and nonchalant... Read More
GOING LIVE: Keane
KEANE, MYSTERY JETS SOUND ACADEMY, TORONTO / JUNE 19th Nestled in the city’s docks, East Sussex alt vets KEANE ripped open the familiar stage at the Sound Academy during their latest trek to Toronto. In support of the impractical Strangeland alongside MYSTERY JETS, the four-piece were on target with every six-string tear, drum snap and sharp vocal cue that danced along the venue’s ceiling and catapulted itself towards the crowd below whenever... Read More
GOING LIVE: Dave Matthews Band
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND MOLSON AMPHITHEATRE, TORONTO / JUNE 2ND Performing for more than two hours while keeping an audience fish-hooked is a rarity today but the 1990s’ bred DAVE MATTHEWS BAND made it look simple as their stop in Toronto could have easily powered through until morning. The group, led by the 45-year-old songwriter and a troupe of musicians, never really broke a sweat in-between their clash of jazz and funk and even new recordings... Read More
GOING LIVE: Thrice
THRICE, O’BROTHER KOOL HAUS, TORONTO / MAY 30TH Some may take a farewell show for granted but the emotions it stirs with every therapeutic punchline and grating rhythm is a grappling hook that hits you directly in the back of the neck. The entire crowd at the Kool Haus related to that feeling as alternative four-piece THRICE performed their final set in Toronto. The air was electric and every drum tap, bass line, guitar rip and vocal burst... Read More
GOING LIVE: Garbage
GARBAGE PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE, TORONTO / MAY 28TH If there was any doubt retro alt rockers GARBAGE could wrap fans around their fingers – nearly seven years after their last major tour – it was erased within a matter of seconds as the band confronted Toronto. In front of a sold-out crowd at a sweaty, grunge-heavy Phoenix Concert Theatre, the group skirted through their post-rock pop collection, letting old gems (“Stupid Girl”,... Read More
GOING LIVE: The Early November, The Wonder Years
THE EARLY NOVEMBER, THE WONDER YEARS THE SWELLERS, YOUNG STATUES THE OPERA HOUSE, TORONTO / MAY 27TH Heart-blistering Drive-Thru era rock and mind-numbing pop punk – it’s what’s the kids are into these days and it’s what THE EARLY NOVEMBER, YOUNG STATUES, THE SWELLERS and THE WONDER YEARS couldn’t help but use to rip through The Opera House. Toronto crowds are usually unstable, but the Sunday night audience continued... Read More
GOING LIVE: Gogol Bordello
GOGOL BORDELLO SOUND ACADEMY, TORONTO / MAY 27TH Manhattan eight-piece GOGOL BORDELLO made their return to the city of Toronto and even with it being two years since their raucous effort Trans-Continental Hustle, Eugene Hütz and company rattled their audience at the Sound Academy with visionary bursts of gypsy punk that never lost muscle, intensity or colour. The style is far from being a “thing”, as it’s a bold breed of music... Read More
GOING LIVE: Santigold
SANTIGOLD, THEOPHILUS LONDON KOOL HAUS, TORONTO / MAY 15TH From the boom of the new dancehall snarl “GO!”, it was clear at her Toronto gig that SANTIGOLD is on a mission. It may be claimed as a strong attempt to stir up radio’s short-term memory attitude but it’s really to make noise through individuality which her performance did through footwork slamming pop, synth-tinged dub and sentiments drugged out on redemption and dominance.... Read More
GOING LIVE: Mark Lanegan
MARK LANEGAN THE MOD CLUB, TORONTO / MAY 15TH MARK LANEGAN’s grizzled voice box is a force of nature. Many songwriters who hold stained voices have graced stages over the year, but the Seattle vet decapitates with a certain level of direct approach that it slithers around the ear and sweeps in the chilling bite to his voice, much like his recent solo flicker Blues Funeral. At The Mod Club in Toronto, it was on full display, tearing through... Read More
GOING LIVE: Ty Segall, White Fence
TY SEGALL, WHITE FENCE, THE STRANGE BOYS, TEENANGER THE HORSESHOE TAVERN, TORONTO / MAY 12TH The highlight of a chaotic mess of a Saturday night in Toronto – “Who the hell moshes to folk rock?”. Garage punks do and The Horseshoe Tavern was full of them as a swarm of locals held the venue hostage as San Fran rock n’ rollers TY SEGALL and WHITE FENCE induced ear and foot blisters with a swallowing sold-out set. The atmosphere... Read More