I've been trying to remember how I first heard about Silvergun & Spleen, and I've narrowed it down to researching bands that were playing NXNE or researching bands for an Ontario edition of the radio show I used to host. Either way, these ladies and gents were on my radar already when I heard about a show they were playing at the Pyramid back in September. If you get a chance to see S&S live, I highly recommend that you go!
I've had their album, "Semi Truck," on repeat.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
NXNE 2013 Day 2
Similarly to Thursday, Friday was spent mostly in one place.
I started at The Mod Club (lovely venue!) for Wildlife and then local (Winnipeg) favourites Imaginary Cities. I was very pleased to see people around me in the front singing along. I truly enjoy seeing how bands fare in other cities, and it's clear that Toronto loves Imaginary Cities.
Next stop was Cameron House for the Manitoba Music showcase. Sweet Alibi were already on stage when I arrived, but I did not miss my favourite song, "I'll Wait".
Next up was Federal Lights, who have been a favourite of mine since the first time I saw them live a couple of years ago at the Park Theatre. Their sound has grown since Carbon, and I can't wait to hear the new CD.
The Revival played next, and brought the same energy as the night before. Hopefully their new record will get them the attention they deserve with a wider audience.
Ingrid Gatin closed out the night. It was nice to end off with an acoustic set after all the bands.
I started at The Mod Club (lovely venue!) for Wildlife and then local (Winnipeg) favourites Imaginary Cities. I was very pleased to see people around me in the front singing along. I truly enjoy seeing how bands fare in other cities, and it's clear that Toronto loves Imaginary Cities.
Next stop was Cameron House for the Manitoba Music showcase. Sweet Alibi were already on stage when I arrived, but I did not miss my favourite song, "I'll Wait".
Next up was Federal Lights, who have been a favourite of mine since the first time I saw them live a couple of years ago at the Park Theatre. Their sound has grown since Carbon, and I can't wait to hear the new CD.
The Revival played next, and brought the same energy as the night before. Hopefully their new record will get them the attention they deserve with a wider audience.
Ingrid Gatin closed out the night. It was nice to end off with an acoustic set after all the bands.
NXNE 2013 Day #1
I arrived in Toronto on Thursday, June 13 to attend NXNE for the 3rd time--2nd time with MFM. My room at the Hyatt had a balcony (!). It's exciting because it was the first time I'd ever gotten a room with a balcony!
I spent the evening at the Rivoli to see Winnipeggers The Revival. I hadn't seen them play before, but had heard a couple of their songs online. The energy they have when they play live is contagious.
Next up was Cai.ro, a band I'd heard a lot about, but never listened to before. One of the great things about NXNE is that you get to see bands you'd been thinking about checking out and hadn't yet. These guys and girl were great! They were in a weird place, as far as the line-up, but they owned the stage for their 45 minute set. If you've been putting off listening to these guys, as I did, procrastinate no longer!
Miesha and the Spanks played next. I'd seen Miesha before in Winnipeg, and I was happy to have a chance to see her again. There was a guest drummer joining her on stage for this set, and even though there were times that seemed improvised, it never felt sloppy. More women in punk, please! (I'm on a serious quest to listen to more female-fronted/all-girl bands and solo artists, so please leave recommendations in the comments.)
The night ended (for me) with The Bokononists, a Winnipeg rock band that I'd seen a couple of times before. Their set was a high energy good time!
I spent the evening at the Rivoli to see Winnipeggers The Revival. I hadn't seen them play before, but had heard a couple of their songs online. The energy they have when they play live is contagious.
Next up was Cai.ro, a band I'd heard a lot about, but never listened to before. One of the great things about NXNE is that you get to see bands you'd been thinking about checking out and hadn't yet. These guys and girl were great! They were in a weird place, as far as the line-up, but they owned the stage for their 45 minute set. If you've been putting off listening to these guys, as I did, procrastinate no longer!
Miesha and the Spanks played next. I'd seen Miesha before in Winnipeg, and I was happy to have a chance to see her again. There was a guest drummer joining her on stage for this set, and even though there were times that seemed improvised, it never felt sloppy. More women in punk, please! (I'm on a serious quest to listen to more female-fronted/all-girl bands and solo artists, so please leave recommendations in the comments.)
The night ended (for me) with The Bokononists, a Winnipeg rock band that I'd seen a couple of times before. Their set was a high energy good time!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
New Song Alert: Acres of Lions
Acres of Lions is easily one of my favourite bands around right now. They put on a great live show--regardless of attendance--high energy, entertaining banter, stories behind the songs: all the things you'd want from a concert. These guys should be bigger than they are.
The band has released the lead single, "Bright Lights" from their upcoming album "Home(s)" to be released April 2, and it's just such a good song. I can't stress enough how much I love this song! Maybe more exclamation points? !!!!!! It does exactly what lead singles are supposed to do: psych you up for the record while simultaneously reaffirming why you love them for their catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics in the first place.
Listen to the song and then go buy it on iTunes, and check out their tour dates for a show near you!
The band has released the lead single, "Bright Lights" from their upcoming album "Home(s)" to be released April 2, and it's just such a good song. I can't stress enough how much I love this song! Maybe more exclamation points? !!!!!! It does exactly what lead singles are supposed to do: psych you up for the record while simultaneously reaffirming why you love them for their catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics in the first place.
Listen to the song and then go buy it on iTunes, and check out their tour dates for a show near you!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Dare I call it a supergroup?
So this morning my friend posted a video by a new Canadian group called Mounties (so far, they only seem to have Twitter set up). This is a project featuring Hawksley Workman, Steve Bays from Hot Hot Heat, and Ryan Dahle of Limblifter. I gotta say I love this song! I hope an album is in the works.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
New Music: Violent Kin
Saskatoon-based electro-rock duo Violent Kin have released the video for their new single "Talk" from their 2011 release, "People."
Monday, November 19, 2012
Testing Out This Streaming Thing
So I finally signed up for Rdio last week, and so far it's fantastic. I'm not sure of the exact reason I was sort of apprehensive about it, but it probably boils down to me not wanting to be part of the dwindling CD sales problem. Well, that's not an issue; I'll buy CDs until I can't play them on anything anymore (which may not be far away since Apple has stopped putting CD/DVD-ROM drives in their computers, so it's only a matter of time before other manufacturers start doing the same. Are CDs going to start coming with iTunes download cards? HMMM???).
I gotta say, it's pretty sweet having all this music at my fingertips! Or should I say, MORE music at my fingertips! I feel like a kid in a candy store, I'm not even kidding. So far I've only been listening at work, so I've been keeping my choices pretty tame (The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, Royal Wood, Jenn Grant...), and choosing mostly albums I've already heard. I'm looking forward to listening to the new Green Day albums before putting them on my Christmas list (why I've moved Green Day into the "try before I buy" category is a blog post all it's own).
If you're like me, and are on the fence about getting on board with streaming, I like Rdio so far, and I have friends that use Songza, and say that it's also a good way to find new artists.
What streaming services are you using?
I gotta say, it's pretty sweet having all this music at my fingertips! Or should I say, MORE music at my fingertips! I feel like a kid in a candy store, I'm not even kidding. So far I've only been listening at work, so I've been keeping my choices pretty tame (The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, Royal Wood, Jenn Grant...), and choosing mostly albums I've already heard. I'm looking forward to listening to the new Green Day albums before putting them on my Christmas list (why I've moved Green Day into the "try before I buy" category is a blog post all it's own).
If you're like me, and are on the fence about getting on board with streaming, I like Rdio so far, and I have friends that use Songza, and say that it's also a good way to find new artists.
What streaming services are you using?
A Sad Goodbye to 92.9 KICK-FM
This post has been sitting in the "drafts" section too long. I think I wrote it in August. Here it is: my lament for KICK-FM.
I have no pointing fingers, nor conspiracy theories to pass along. I just have a hole on my radio dial where my favourite station used to be.
I started listening to KICK around 2004. I loved it because the music was fresh, and I was (and am) so sick to death of the same-old same-old on Winnipeg radio. KICK renewed my faith in radio as the way to discover new artists. It introduced me to Snow Patrol (the first time I ever heard "Run", I was driving through the intersection of Route 90 north at Silver, on my way home from the U of M), J.P. Hoe, Quinzy, Keane, Bloc Party, Fear Zero, Hard-Fi, Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, and so many more.
Another aspect of KICK that I enjoyed was the DJs, and their obvious love of the music they played. I liked Home Spun and The New Sound, and never missed an episode, if I could help it. KICK was also my primary place to find new local bands that I would then go and check out live.
I had a secret agenda when I enrolled in Creative Communications in the Fall of 2008: I wanted to be involved with the radio station! I hadn't thought of being an on-air personality until I started radio classes, and realized it wasn't so terrifying (I hate public speaking! There, I said it!). No one sees you when you're on the radio. That's public speaking I can handle! Backtracking a little, my OTHER secret agenda was to learn how to run a radio station so that I could grow up one day and manage my own. 'Cause let's face it, Winnipeg radio mostly suuuuucks.
I came to host Home Spun after having noted that for a couple of weeks, there wasn't anyone on-air. I lingered outside Rick the Boss's office for about half an hour trying to build up the nerve to go in and ask him about it. The conversation went something like this: Me, "I noticed there hasn't been anyone on Home Spun for a couple of weeks." Rick, "No, there hasn't. Do you want to do it?" Me, (probably with a bright red face), "Yes." And so I hosted Home Spun for three years. It was awesome because more than anything else, I felt like I was maybe hopefully introducing people to new music, and therefore contributing to what I loved so much about KICK: we were playing different and better music than anyone else in Winnipeg. Thanks for that, Rick the Boss.
I don't know how the station will sound when it starts streaming in the Fall for the new CreComm students, and I don't know who's going to win the coveted 92.9 spot on the FM dial (Please be The Peak!), all I know is that I now subscribe to XM satellite radio because I can't stand the current local offerings (other than CBC, of course). There's a serious need for a station like KICK in this market.
Anyone want to start a radio station with me?
I have no pointing fingers, nor conspiracy theories to pass along. I just have a hole on my radio dial where my favourite station used to be.
I started listening to KICK around 2004. I loved it because the music was fresh, and I was (and am) so sick to death of the same-old same-old on Winnipeg radio. KICK renewed my faith in radio as the way to discover new artists. It introduced me to Snow Patrol (the first time I ever heard "Run", I was driving through the intersection of Route 90 north at Silver, on my way home from the U of M), J.P. Hoe, Quinzy, Keane, Bloc Party, Fear Zero, Hard-Fi, Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, and so many more.
Another aspect of KICK that I enjoyed was the DJs, and their obvious love of the music they played. I liked Home Spun and The New Sound, and never missed an episode, if I could help it. KICK was also my primary place to find new local bands that I would then go and check out live.
I had a secret agenda when I enrolled in Creative Communications in the Fall of 2008: I wanted to be involved with the radio station! I hadn't thought of being an on-air personality until I started radio classes, and realized it wasn't so terrifying (I hate public speaking! There, I said it!). No one sees you when you're on the radio. That's public speaking I can handle! Backtracking a little, my OTHER secret agenda was to learn how to run a radio station so that I could grow up one day and manage my own. 'Cause let's face it, Winnipeg radio mostly suuuuucks.
I came to host Home Spun after having noted that for a couple of weeks, there wasn't anyone on-air. I lingered outside Rick the Boss's office for about half an hour trying to build up the nerve to go in and ask him about it. The conversation went something like this: Me, "I noticed there hasn't been anyone on Home Spun for a couple of weeks." Rick, "No, there hasn't. Do you want to do it?" Me, (probably with a bright red face), "Yes." And so I hosted Home Spun for three years. It was awesome because more than anything else, I felt like I was maybe hopefully introducing people to new music, and therefore contributing to what I loved so much about KICK: we were playing different and better music than anyone else in Winnipeg. Thanks for that, Rick the Boss.
I don't know how the station will sound when it starts streaming in the Fall for the new CreComm students, and I don't know who's going to win the coveted 92.9 spot on the FM dial (Please be The Peak!), all I know is that I now subscribe to XM satellite radio because I can't stand the current local offerings (other than CBC, of course). There's a serious need for a station like KICK in this market.
Anyone want to start a radio station with me?
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Video I Like - Of Monsters and Men
I love this song! Weirdly, CBC Radio 2 always manages to play it between 6:50 and 7:15 am (more commonly known as "the time my alarm goes off" and "the time I actually get out of bed"), so it's become my morning jam. The video reminds me of Monty Python.
And now for something completely different.
And now for something completely different.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Saturday Nights are Alright
It's been awhile since I attended two shows in the same night (and in retrospect, probably could have even done three. Sorry Arkells!).
I started the night at the Cavern, where Lost Weekend (for fans of Dragonette, Foster the People, The Limousines...) served up a healthy dose of danceable pop tunes. The Cavern isn't the greatest place for bustin' a move, but it only took half a song to get people out of their booths and onto the floor. Full disclosure: I don't dance because in my mind it looks something like this:
Second stop was Lo Pub for Enjoy Your Pumas (watch their super awesome video for "Walk it Off"!). The first time I saw the Pumas about five years ago, I was on the fence about them, but they have since grown into one of my favourite local bands. Their live show has gotten way better and Rosie is the picture of a confident frontwoman.
Lost Weekend are currently working on their debut EP, and Enjoy Your Pumas are about to set out on the second leg of their cross-Canada tour.
I started the night at the Cavern, where Lost Weekend (for fans of Dragonette, Foster the People, The Limousines...) served up a healthy dose of danceable pop tunes. The Cavern isn't the greatest place for bustin' a move, but it only took half a song to get people out of their booths and onto the floor. Full disclosure: I don't dance because in my mind it looks something like this:
Second stop was Lo Pub for Enjoy Your Pumas (watch their super awesome video for "Walk it Off"!). The first time I saw the Pumas about five years ago, I was on the fence about them, but they have since grown into one of my favourite local bands. Their live show has gotten way better and Rosie is the picture of a confident frontwoman.
Lost Weekend are currently working on their debut EP, and Enjoy Your Pumas are about to set out on the second leg of their cross-Canada tour.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Quinzy: A little bit taller
WARNING: This post is full of unabashed love.
I remember the first time I saw Quinzy: It was Quinzmas in the old West End Cultural Centre, before they even had to prop up one of the walls. I sat with a friend at stage left to watch the show. My strongest mental image is of the boys sitting on the floor whilst House of Doc covered "Mike! Your House is on Fire!". When Quinzy took to the stage, I was swept up in their catchy songs, great harmonies, and (mostly) witty (sometimes awkward) stage banter. I've been to most Quinzy shows since.
I've been to every Quinzmas since 2006, except last year's *sob*.
I've seen them play a bunch of Elton John covers.
I showed up at someone's birthday party at the Academy once (I thought it was a regular show, honest! They let me in, so I didn't think anything of it until there were speeches! lol).
I even spent an afternoon at the mall.
It's safe to say, without hesitation, that I love Quinzy.
Most recently, they played at Festival du Voyageur, where they performed new songs from "The Flats", their latest EP. All I could think about during their set was how much they've grown as a band since the first time I saw them. I don't have children, but I have a niece and three nephews, and I'm always telling them they've gotten taller since the last time I saw them (a total auntie cliche, I know). Well, watching Quinzy this time made me feel like they'd gotten taller. In the years since "Please baby please baby baby baby please", the lyrics have gotten a little darker and more introspective. The melodies and arrangements have become lusher and more complex. The stage banter's gotten better, too. I wasn't watching a different band; I was watching a more mature band. I cried a little bit. And then I bought a CD and a mug.
Never stop growing, Quinzy. And yes, I did just make a reference to a milk commercial.
I remember the first time I saw Quinzy: It was Quinzmas in the old West End Cultural Centre, before they even had to prop up one of the walls. I sat with a friend at stage left to watch the show. My strongest mental image is of the boys sitting on the floor whilst House of Doc covered "Mike! Your House is on Fire!". When Quinzy took to the stage, I was swept up in their catchy songs, great harmonies, and (mostly) witty (sometimes awkward) stage banter. I've been to most Quinzy shows since.
I've been to every Quinzmas since 2006, except last year's *sob*.
I've seen them play a bunch of Elton John covers.
I showed up at someone's birthday party at the Academy once (I thought it was a regular show, honest! They let me in, so I didn't think anything of it until there were speeches! lol).
I even spent an afternoon at the mall.
It's safe to say, without hesitation, that I love Quinzy.
Most recently, they played at Festival du Voyageur, where they performed new songs from "The Flats", their latest EP. All I could think about during their set was how much they've grown as a band since the first time I saw them. I don't have children, but I have a niece and three nephews, and I'm always telling them they've gotten taller since the last time I saw them (a total auntie cliche, I know). Well, watching Quinzy this time made me feel like they'd gotten taller. In the years since "Please baby please baby baby baby please", the lyrics have gotten a little darker and more introspective. The melodies and arrangements have become lusher and more complex. The stage banter's gotten better, too. I wasn't watching a different band; I was watching a more mature band. I cried a little bit. And then I bought a CD and a mug.
Never stop growing, Quinzy. And yes, I did just make a reference to a milk commercial.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
A new favourite band
Bombay Bicycle Club with The Darcys, and Lucy Rose
West End Cultural Centre
Saturday, February 25, 2012
I really like The Darcys, so naturally, when I saw that they were coming to Winnipeg, I was excited. I knew one Bombay Bicycle Club song ("Shuffle") and liked it enough not to mind seeing the band play live. No joke, this is the thought pattern that led to buying a ticket. My philosophy on concerts most of the time is, "Go for the opening band, stay for the headliner." I also prefer to let the live show sway me on bands because if a band sucks live, I won't spend any more energy on them.
Well.
The WECC was packed by the time Bombay Bicycle Club hit the stage, and I was absorbed by the music immediately. I. Loved. It. Every song was gold. I recognized one other song, too ("Leave It"). "Lights Out, Words Gone" gets played a lot when I get home from work. The weakest link was the vocals, but that could have been tour fatigue. The band was clearly happy to be playing to us, a new and enthusiastic audience for the London, England band. I picked up A Different Kind of Fix at the merch table on my way out, and play it quite a bit.
The Darcys put on a great show and if I had hated Bombay Bicycle Club, I still would have been glad I attended. I was disappointed that The Darcys don't have CDs for sale, only vinyl records or free downloads. I'm not saying I don't like free downloads (I do!), but I refuse to buy vinyl. It's a craze that I can't afford to get into! And I don't have a record player. Maybe I should have handed them ten bucks for the free download...would that have been weird?
Lucy Rose began the night. She sat at the front of the stage with her guitar, and had everyone mesmerized. She kept remarking on how quiet and polite we were. We were listening! Her voice is beautiful. I learned once I got home and was reading the liner notes on Bombay Bicycle Club's CD that she sang back-up on a few of their tunes, so that explained why they took her on tour with them. She also performed with them on a few songs.
Overall, I'd say this was one of the best line-ups I've seen in awhile, and so far the standout concert of the year (the year is young, I know). I hope they all come back soon!
West End Cultural Centre
Saturday, February 25, 2012
I really like The Darcys, so naturally, when I saw that they were coming to Winnipeg, I was excited. I knew one Bombay Bicycle Club song ("Shuffle") and liked it enough not to mind seeing the band play live. No joke, this is the thought pattern that led to buying a ticket. My philosophy on concerts most of the time is, "Go for the opening band, stay for the headliner." I also prefer to let the live show sway me on bands because if a band sucks live, I won't spend any more energy on them.
Well.
The WECC was packed by the time Bombay Bicycle Club hit the stage, and I was absorbed by the music immediately. I. Loved. It. Every song was gold. I recognized one other song, too ("Leave It"). "Lights Out, Words Gone" gets played a lot when I get home from work. The weakest link was the vocals, but that could have been tour fatigue. The band was clearly happy to be playing to us, a new and enthusiastic audience for the London, England band. I picked up A Different Kind of Fix at the merch table on my way out, and play it quite a bit.
The Darcys put on a great show and if I had hated Bombay Bicycle Club, I still would have been glad I attended. I was disappointed that The Darcys don't have CDs for sale, only vinyl records or free downloads. I'm not saying I don't like free downloads (I do!), but I refuse to buy vinyl. It's a craze that I can't afford to get into! And I don't have a record player. Maybe I should have handed them ten bucks for the free download...would that have been weird?
Lucy Rose began the night. She sat at the front of the stage with her guitar, and had everyone mesmerized. She kept remarking on how quiet and polite we were. We were listening! Her voice is beautiful. I learned once I got home and was reading the liner notes on Bombay Bicycle Club's CD that she sang back-up on a few of their tunes, so that explained why they took her on tour with them. She also performed with them on a few songs.
Overall, I'd say this was one of the best line-ups I've seen in awhile, and so far the standout concert of the year (the year is young, I know). I hope they all come back soon!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
It's the memory that dies
On a recent episode of Criminal Minds, Reid said that the music you hear when you're 14 is what sticks with you the most later in life. When I was 14, I listened to a lot of Live's "Secret Samadhi". I saw the band once when they opened for Nickelback (trust me, I wasn't there for Nickelback), and when I found out that Ed Kowalczyk was returning to the 'Peg, I was super excited. What I couldn't figure out was why he was playing at Cowboys. Touring bands rarely play CanadInns bars anymore!
Ed was fantastic. He started the set with "The Distance", and went on to play through some solo tunes. The set was mostly comprised of Live singles, which was awesome! Sadly, tunes from "Secret Samadhi" were totally absent, as were other songs from "The Distance to Here". However, I'm not complaining. Ed's voice was spot on and he was clearly having a good time despite the small crowd (he could barely keep the smile off his face). I hope he comes back, and plays somewhere like The Pyramid.
My real beef with this concert was the opening act. Nothing against Marc Labossiere; he's a good performer and kept the crowd entertained throughout his set of cover songs. However, I find it hard to believe that CanadInns couldn't find an available original band to open the night. In fact, I don't believe they tried (feel free to comment, person who books CanadClubs). All I could think about all through Marc's set was how many bands there are in this city, and which ones would have been better choices. I wasn't even being picky with my choices. The thing is, and maybe this is a crazy old-fashioned idea, it's a big deal for opening acts to get gigs with more established artists. Isn't it?
So WTF to CanadInns for an epic fail in putting any effort into this show.
Ed was fantastic. He started the set with "The Distance", and went on to play through some solo tunes. The set was mostly comprised of Live singles, which was awesome! Sadly, tunes from "Secret Samadhi" were totally absent, as were other songs from "The Distance to Here". However, I'm not complaining. Ed's voice was spot on and he was clearly having a good time despite the small crowd (he could barely keep the smile off his face). I hope he comes back, and plays somewhere like The Pyramid.
My real beef with this concert was the opening act. Nothing against Marc Labossiere; he's a good performer and kept the crowd entertained throughout his set of cover songs. However, I find it hard to believe that CanadInns couldn't find an available original band to open the night. In fact, I don't believe they tried (feel free to comment, person who books CanadClubs). All I could think about all through Marc's set was how many bands there are in this city, and which ones would have been better choices. I wasn't even being picky with my choices. The thing is, and maybe this is a crazy old-fashioned idea, it's a big deal for opening acts to get gigs with more established artists. Isn't it?
So WTF to CanadInns for an epic fail in putting any effort into this show.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Awesomest Thing I Heard Today
I'm not going to lie, I like Lana Del Rey. There's something about her lyrics that I just connect with, especially in "Born to Die". I also love Arkells. Hence why I think this is awesome:
Video Games (Lana Del Rey Cover)
Video Games (Lana Del Rey Cover)
Thursday, February 2, 2012
New name, new direction
Hello Blogosphere!
My blog started out as an assignment while I was in CreComm at Red River College. You will see by scrolling that my posts were rather varied in subject matter. I thought about deleting my past posts, but that's not really fair, is it? Some of those entries were alright.
I've decided to take this blogging thing a little more seriously, hence the name change from "Bonnie's (Mostly) Music Blog" to "Concert Goers Anonymous". I go to A LOT of concerts. How much is A LOT? Check out my Flickr page. My new goal is to write reviews of the gigs I attend, and maybe throw in some CD reviews, and music recommendations. We'll see. I know this isn't highly original content; every music blog is about reviews. I'm adding my voice to the conversation.
Welcome! I hope you enjoy my ramblings!
And away we go.
~Bonnie
My blog started out as an assignment while I was in CreComm at Red River College. You will see by scrolling that my posts were rather varied in subject matter. I thought about deleting my past posts, but that's not really fair, is it? Some of those entries were alright.
I've decided to take this blogging thing a little more seriously, hence the name change from "Bonnie's (Mostly) Music Blog" to "Concert Goers Anonymous". I go to A LOT of concerts. How much is A LOT? Check out my Flickr page. My new goal is to write reviews of the gigs I attend, and maybe throw in some CD reviews, and music recommendations. We'll see. I know this isn't highly original content; every music blog is about reviews. I'm adding my voice to the conversation.
Welcome! I hope you enjoy my ramblings!
And away we go.
~Bonnie
Sunday, July 4, 2010
NXNE Day the Last
Since there weren't any conferences on Sunday, C and I went to see "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" to kill the afternoon. I liked it; I'm a huge fan of the games, so I was biased. C's words were, "It wasn't as bad as I expected," so that's saying something!
We went to Rancho Relaxo to catch The Withouts. They were alright; very Scratching Post-esque.
After The Withouts, we headed over to the El Mocambo for Rah Rah and England's Ten Bears. As I mentioned in the previous post, I thoroughly enjoyed Rah Rah the second time. They were full of energy and their songs felt fresher in the bigger venue. Plus, they all fit on stage, rather than spilling into the aisles of the record store.
Ten Bears were fantastic. I had them marked down as a "must-see" after listening to their MySpace page. I was disappointed that they weren't selling any merch; I would have bought their CD even before their set! iTunes only has one song available from them, so I guess they're still working on a full-length.
Thus concludes a crazy awesome NXNE experience! Would I go again? In a heartbeat. I wish I had been able to see more bands, but a) there were so many! and b) I hate leaving in the middle of a set! I also wish there had been a merch table set up in the Hiatt-Regency (where all the conferences were) for all the bands to sell their CDs. There were a lot of acts that I would have bought albums from, even though I didn't get to see them. Maybe someone will read this and agree that it's a good idea for next year.
All of my pictures can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lastsparkfades/
We went to Rancho Relaxo to catch The Withouts. They were alright; very Scratching Post-esque.
After The Withouts, we headed over to the El Mocambo for Rah Rah and England's Ten Bears. As I mentioned in the previous post, I thoroughly enjoyed Rah Rah the second time. They were full of energy and their songs felt fresher in the bigger venue. Plus, they all fit on stage, rather than spilling into the aisles of the record store.
Ten Bears were fantastic. I had them marked down as a "must-see" after listening to their MySpace page. I was disappointed that they weren't selling any merch; I would have bought their CD even before their set! iTunes only has one song available from them, so I guess they're still working on a full-length.
Thus concludes a crazy awesome NXNE experience! Would I go again? In a heartbeat. I wish I had been able to see more bands, but a) there were so many! and b) I hate leaving in the middle of a set! I also wish there had been a merch table set up in the Hiatt-Regency (where all the conferences were) for all the bands to sell their CDs. There were a lot of acts that I would have bought albums from, even though I didn't get to see them. Maybe someone will read this and agree that it's a good idea for next year.
All of my pictures can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lastsparkfades/
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Watching legends OR NXNE Day #4
First off, I can't believe this was over a week ago already!
Saturday dawned with impending thunderstorms to wash out Iggy & The Stooges from Yonge-Dundas Square. Naturally, this was a cause for concern, so on our way to a conference on how to get your band onto summer festival line-ups, C and I stopped at two Shoppers Drugmarts in search of rain ponchos. Weirdly, we found none.
After the conference, we went for lunch and then to Sunrise Records to catch Holly McNarland's set. We were early enough to see Colleen Brown and Rah Rah prior. It's funny to note that there were (apparently) 650 bands playing NXNE shows, and we saw hardly any, and I wanted to see so many, and we managed to see Colleen Brown THREE times! Anyhow, I was less than enthusiastic about Rah Rah's set; I enjoyed the tunes, but something just wasn't right (turns out it was just the venue. Rah Rah were great when we saw them on Sunday at the El Mocambo. I bought both of their CDs).
Holly's drummer didn't make it to the gig, so she played an acoustic set consisting of "Water" and "Beautiful Blue", and a bunch of new songs that I hadn't heard before. As usual, her voice and stage presence were mesmerizing.
Our next stop took us to Yonge-Dundas Square for The Raveonettes, who absolutely rocked! I only knew a couple of songs going into the show, and I came out wishing they had brought merch with them. Iggy & The Stooges were up next, and the crowd was insane. People were spilling out into the street (which thankfully was blocked off for two blocks or so in every direction). The crowdsurfing started two songs in. I stayed near the front for five songs and then I made my way out--not because of the crowd, but because C and I had to leave before the set was over to get to The Rivoli for Holly McNarland's set. We skipped Iggy's encore, which I'm sure consisted of "Lust for Life," and made our way to the next venue.
Colleen Brown Band hadn't yet started when we arrived, so we got to see her plugged in. I'm still torn as to how I prefer her music live. She has a very Sarah McLachlanesque voice, so she was drowned out by the drums and guitar, but the added instruments didn't hurt the songs' melodies at all, and I do tend toward the heavier side of things (how kickass is that new Against Me! single???).
Holly was awesome, but I was disappointed that she only got a 40-minute set, which left no room for old favourites from Stuff or Home is Where my Feet Are.
We saw two songs by Kulas, didn't like them, and left for Parks & Rec at the Painted Lady. Tiniest. Venue. Ever! It was packed with people--because the band is fantastic. Honestly, I only saw two bands that I didn't like during the whole festival, so forgive the broken record of "this band was awesome!" That's why you do research before you go, Kids.
Up next is a recap of NXNE Day the Last.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Capturing a moment OR NXNE Day #3
Think back to the first time you saw your favourite band or were absolutely floored by a band you'd never heard of before live. Remember the tingling in your spine, the joy in your heart, that you'd really found something special. I had this experience on Friday, and I'll tell you about it a little later.
C and I's first engagement was a conference about touring in the U.S.. It was an interesting discussion on where and how to get gigs along the East Coast, and when Schubas was mentioned, I got to lean over and say "I've been there!"
Said the Whale were the first band at Yonge-Dundas Square. These guys are one of my favourite bands (yes I do say that a lot...I have about 100 Top 10 Favourite Bands), and I loved their set. I've said it before, and I'll say it again right now: "Camilo" has one of the cutest music videos EVER. Next up was K-OS; I'm not much of a fan, but his set was decent. Highlights for me were "Crabbuckit" and "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman". We watched about half of Sloan's set before heading into the Hard Rock Cafe for --
MY NEW FAVOURITE BAND: Amos the Transparent! This band kicks ass. They have such intensity on stage, and they really connect with the audience (and I'm not just saying that because they hauled half the audience on stage for one song, either). I could tell they really love playing music. Even the bass player was singing along and trying to get the crowd into it.
After Amos, we saw a few of Hollerado's songs (thankfully including my fave, "Juliette." Super Spike is going to be so awesome!!!), before heading tot he Horseshoe Tavern for Mudhoney. Honestly, how could we not see Mudhoney, right? C went back to the apartment we rented instead of sticking around, but I had a blast. That band's still got it...whatever it is. I had hoped to catch Spirits afterwards, but due to a power outtage all along Queen Street, Mudhoney's set started at 2am instead of 1am and went til almost 3:30.
Needless to say, I was exhausted when I got home with my largest CD stash of the week.
C and I's first engagement was a conference about touring in the U.S.. It was an interesting discussion on where and how to get gigs along the East Coast, and when Schubas was mentioned, I got to lean over and say "I've been there!"
Said the Whale were the first band at Yonge-Dundas Square. These guys are one of my favourite bands (yes I do say that a lot...I have about 100 Top 10 Favourite Bands), and I loved their set. I've said it before, and I'll say it again right now: "Camilo" has one of the cutest music videos EVER. Next up was K-OS; I'm not much of a fan, but his set was decent. Highlights for me were "Crabbuckit" and "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman". We watched about half of Sloan's set before heading into the Hard Rock Cafe for --
MY NEW FAVOURITE BAND: Amos the Transparent! This band kicks ass. They have such intensity on stage, and they really connect with the audience (and I'm not just saying that because they hauled half the audience on stage for one song, either). I could tell they really love playing music. Even the bass player was singing along and trying to get the crowd into it.
After Amos, we saw a few of Hollerado's songs (thankfully including my fave, "Juliette." Super Spike is going to be so awesome!!!), before heading tot he Horseshoe Tavern for Mudhoney. Honestly, how could we not see Mudhoney, right? C went back to the apartment we rented instead of sticking around, but I had a blast. That band's still got it...whatever it is. I had hoped to catch Spirits afterwards, but due to a power outtage all along Queen Street, Mudhoney's set started at 2am instead of 1am and went til almost 3:30.
Needless to say, I was exhausted when I got home with my largest CD stash of the week.
Outlaws and Gunslingers OR NXNE Day #2
Thursday (June 17) began with an interesting panel about US radio formats. Those in attendance were given rate cards, and then a song was played. When it was done, everyone held up a number from one to ten, depending on how much you liked the song (I also played the Guess the Artist Game in my head lol. My apologies to The Arcade Fire for calling them just another band that sounds like The Arcade Fire!).
C and I spent the evening at Lee's Palace for the Outlaws and Gunslingers showcase, which featured artists from Six Shooter Records. Andy Kim started the night with a decent set, but while I think he's a great singer, I wasn't moved by his original songs; his cover of "Sugar, Sugar" was easily the best tune in his set.
The next three sets consisted of three artists playing three songs each (yeah, I know). First up was Danny Michel, Justin Rutledge, and Oh Susanna. I had never heard any of Oh Susanna's stuff, but Danny and Justin are favourites of mine, and it was cool to hear them play on each other's songs.
Royal Wood, Andy Maize of the Skydiggers, and Amelia Curran were next. My second favourite part of the night was Amelia dancing spastically like Andy. To an outsider, one might think she was mocking him, but she opened for the Skydiggers on their recent cross-Canada tour, so it was done out of fun.
My favourite set of the night came from Hawksley Workman, Jim Cuddy, and Colleen Brown, and here's why: Jim Cuddy sang along with "Warhol's Protrait of Gretzky", eff words and all and it was great. Now, I also get to brag that while I was in Ottawa, we went to the art gallery and purchased postcards of Warhol's Portrait of Gretzky, and after the show I met Sir Workman and he merrily autographed said postcard. Best piece of memorabilia ever. It's okay if you're jealous.
The Beauties were up next with their raucous rockabilly set. I had never heard of them before, and I actually liked them a lot. We left after their set for some zzzs.
Day #3 featuring Said the Whale, Sloan, and my new favourite band is on deck...
Sorry this isn't from the show, but dangit, it's awesome.
C and I spent the evening at Lee's Palace for the Outlaws and Gunslingers showcase, which featured artists from Six Shooter Records. Andy Kim started the night with a decent set, but while I think he's a great singer, I wasn't moved by his original songs; his cover of "Sugar, Sugar" was easily the best tune in his set.
The next three sets consisted of three artists playing three songs each (yeah, I know). First up was Danny Michel, Justin Rutledge, and Oh Susanna. I had never heard any of Oh Susanna's stuff, but Danny and Justin are favourites of mine, and it was cool to hear them play on each other's songs.
Royal Wood, Andy Maize of the Skydiggers, and Amelia Curran were next. My second favourite part of the night was Amelia dancing spastically like Andy. To an outsider, one might think she was mocking him, but she opened for the Skydiggers on their recent cross-Canada tour, so it was done out of fun.
My favourite set of the night came from Hawksley Workman, Jim Cuddy, and Colleen Brown, and here's why: Jim Cuddy sang along with "Warhol's Protrait of Gretzky", eff words and all and it was great. Now, I also get to brag that while I was in Ottawa, we went to the art gallery and purchased postcards of Warhol's Portrait of Gretzky, and after the show I met Sir Workman and he merrily autographed said postcard. Best piece of memorabilia ever. It's okay if you're jealous.
The Beauties were up next with their raucous rockabilly set. I had never heard of them before, and I actually liked them a lot. We left after their set for some zzzs.
Day #3 featuring Said the Whale, Sloan, and my new favourite band is on deck...
Sorry this isn't from the show, but dangit, it's awesome.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Not as planned, but just as good
Every June, North by Northeast (NXNE) takes over downtown Toronto, filling its venues with live bands of all genres from around the globe. I spent a good three days going through the original line-up list, giving checkmarks and exmarks and asterisks to the bands I liked, didn't like, or loved. I was pumped when The Meligrove Band finally got slotted in for today (Wednesday) at the CN Tower. The Balconies were also on the bill, a group I'd heard good things about, and Hollerado, whom I love (and whom are playing Super-Spike this year with Social Code).
Sadly, after walking around the CN Tower looking for an outdoor stage of any kind, I found out that the concert was in the Tower's restaurant AND that I had to pre-register to attend it. Disappointed, I decided to return to the apartment I'm sharing with my friend for the week and figure out what to do instead.
Looking through the guide we were giving upon picking up our passes, I saw that Kathleen Edwards and Arkells were supposed to be playing at The Courthouse BUT when I looked online for confirmation, I couldn't find any.
Finally, I agreed to go to the Karen Elson concert at the El Mocambo. This was not a NXNE show at all, but it probably should have been. Afterall, the opening act was from Hamilton, and she's British. This is definitely in line with the festival. I was quite impressed with San Sebastian; they could easily tour with the likes of Social Code or Marianas Trench. I was most impressed with Karen's vocals. She's fantastic. I wasn't sure what to expect, seeing as how Jack White is her husband and she's a model, but she kept the crowd engaged and kept telling us we were "too sweet."
Tomorrow we're off to see Danny Michel, Hawksley Workman, Justin Rutledge, Amelia Curran, and many many more. Stay tuned!
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