Going Live: Jim James
In love with the sound of music, JIM JAMES is a rebellious poet. His Wednesday night gig at the Phoenix Concert Theatre not only showed how much control he has over a major market like Toronto, but it also – to an extreme – shined a light on how comfortable he is with defying the standards of alternative. Witnessing the soon to be 35-year-old wrestle his debut solo album is almost like watching a man throw blows with his past as James... Read More
Going Live: Parkway Drive, The Word Alive
Because spring cleaning’s always better with a strain of metal, PARKWAY DRIVE and their current supporting cast – THE WORD ALIVE, VEIL OF MAYA and WHILE SHE SLEEPS – didn’t stand down from pummeling Toronto into a bloody pulp. In fact, their pact to destroy on a Tuesday night couldn’t have been more clear as the Phoenix Concert Theatre almost dropped a few feet into the ground thanks to a mix of Epitaph, Fearless and... Read More
Going Live: The Joy Formidable
In support of their latest full-length, Wolf’s Law, Welsh three-piece THE JOY FORMIDABLE paid a visit to Toronto this past Friday and proved that a solid dosage of alternative can knock you off your feet. Not only were the group wading in blinding intensity at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, but they did everything a band should do with a 14-track set. They got physical, let guitars scream like they were at Coachella, and even at a moment’s... Read More
Going Live: Local Natives, Superhumanoids
When LOCAL NATIVES released their second album, Hummingbird, this past January, many speculated where the L.A. quartet would fall in the indie rock realm. Would they be underrated prodigies like Grizzly Bear? Or would their popularity burst at the seams and spill over to a create a Young The Giant-type year? Though either would shove them onto the center stage they deserve, Local Natives proved at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre that their... Read More
Going Live: Quicksand, Single Mothers
QUICKSAND, SINGLE MOTHERS PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE, TORONTO / JANUARY 9TH Although a QUICKSAND reunion has seemed unlikely for quite some time (is “forever” a poor word choice?), the band didn’t enforce the demeanour of an ageing group with no real grasp on the rigidity to present-day alternative. Instead, the New York four-piece made amps come to life. Walter Schreifels and co. tore into a set spanning 1993′s Slip and 1995′s... Read More
GOING LIVE: Tegan And Sara
TEGAN AND SARA PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE, TORONTO / DECEMBER 15TH Unboxing their entire catalogue at Saturday’s last-minute gig, TEGAN AND SARA proved that they still hold a mesmerizing touch to their sound despite the evolution of music. The indie pop vets dug into rich compositions off of albums such as The Con and So Jealous and even managed to let the 2002 cut, “Not Tonight, ricochet with sheer fury. Friends were made, moments flourished... Read More
GOING LIVE: Sum 41
SUM 41 PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE, TORONTO / NOVEMBER 8TH We’re not afraid to admit it: Does This Look Infected? and the rest of 2002 were a pretty big deal in our lives as we prepped for “teenagedom” and a life full of East Coast alternative and Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Most of all, it was a massive intro to the bottomless pit that is music and SUM 41′s riff-friendly show in Toronto was a clear reminder as the Ajax punks ripped... Read More
GOING LIVE: The Wallflowers
THE WALLFLOWERS PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE, TORONTO / NOVEMBER 6TH Unveiling a whole new cylinder of radio rock, Jakob Dylan and THE WALLFLOWERS played the Phoenix Concert Theatre this past Tuesday night and they didn’t lose a step in showing how much of an emotional place Los Angeles can be. Their set was simple and enthusiastic but in the live environment of Toronto, it showed a surprising side of blues. Every note shuddered allowing Dylan’s... Read More
GOING LIVE: Lagwagon, The Flatliners
LAGWAGON, THE FLATLINERS PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE, TORONTO / OCTOBER 13TH While elderly punks and broke students exploited a chance to let loose, LAGWAGON and THE FLATLINERS slammed coasts of punk against each other at the Phoenix Concert Theatre to keep everyone on their toes. Speakers went AWOL, pits churned with heavy hearted sing-a-longs and between the skin-shredding guitars and Chris Cresswell’s angst-ridden vocal display, Joey Cape’s... Read More
GOING LIVE: Propagandhi, Comeback Kid
PROPAGANDHI, COMEBACK KID, BURNING LOVE PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE, TORONTO / SEPTEMBER 26TH Unfurling a vast collection of shin-kicking material, Winnipeg icons PROPAGANDHI slammed into a 23-song set at their headlining show in Toronto like it was 1992. Alongside COMEBACK KID and locals BURNING LOVE, the intensity inside of the downtown venue conceived the perfect setting for sheer chaos. Crowd surfs, oblivious freak outs and wrapped numbing works such... Read More