I really, really, really liked the idea of the Skankin' For Dimes Tour. Pretty much a bunch of bands from different cities got together and toured each of their respective cities, plus a few other surrounding places. It allows for bands to be exposed to different audiences, and usually a pretty decent-sized audience. I was disappointed in Toronto ska fans who had an opportunity to check out bands that they will rarely see, but didn't.

The Red Rockets opened the show with their blend of ska, reggae and punk. Each time I see these guys I like them more and more. With sing-along-songs such as Day In Day Out, it is easy to get caught up in the energy this band produces. I'd love to see this band in front of a big crowd.

Explosure played second. It wasn't one of their best sets, but definitely a really good set when your singer quits your band just days before the show. Apprantly, this was the band's last show with its currently line-up and sound. I can't wait to see what this fun band churns out with their new line-up.

Next up was the high-energy band, The Agency. I have heard this band has a huge hometown following and it is no surprise why. If you have ever seen The Johnstones or Angry Agency you could equate the level of energy to either one of those bands. Where most, if not all the bands members are moving around the entire stage...or even dancefloor, as they belt their tunes out. Definitely a band people should check out if given the opportunity.

Sarnia's Over the Top played the best set I have ever seen them play. I Ask Myself is sure to be hit song among ska fans. One can't help but to be out there skankin' to it...for dimes or pleasure. This band, like many ska bands, just look like they are having an amazing time while performing. I can't wait for their new album which is very close to being done.

Mississauga's The Knockouts were suppose to be on the Skankin' For Dimes Tour but had to cancel last minute. Luckily for the people that attended the concert they ended up still playing the Toronto date. It seems like in recent months I have seen this band playing an insane amount of shows. The Knockouts played a good set as well; full of energy that ska bands are known for. I know DJ Skip is a fan of Peanut Buddha, and I can say I am as well.

Thanks to the bands for coming to Toronto, even if not many kids came out to the show. Any band that is willing to rock out just as hard for 20 people than for say 300, gets my respect. Don't be strangers, I'm sure more Toronto fans would enjoy anyone of your bands.

I was an idiot and forgot my batteries for my flash at home. I had an extra set, but had no idea what amount of charge was left in them. To allow them to last longer I used settings that were very unfavourable (ISO 3200). This is why the pictures aren't as "good". For the first two bands I didn't even use a flash.

So I have been as far south as Sarnia for a show, and now I have been as far north without reaching Barrie as you possibly could. Bradford is a town inbetween Newmarket and Barrie (surprisingly still on Yonge St.). One thing I was immediately surprised with was the amount of kids there right at the start of the show. They seem to like their punk and ska, or they just didn't have anything better to do.

Danny & The Glovers were definitely a punk band but with a little bit of a ska influence at times. I found at times they were a little heavy for my liking.

Vanilla Feedcake played second. It was their CD release as well apparently. Without seeing them before it was hard to get into their set, as I found they were very diverse with their sound. To me, it was almost too diverse, but again, if I had seen them a few times maybe I wouldn't be saying the same thing.

Next up was Septic Tank Disasters. I've been meaning to make it to one of their shows for awhile now. On their myspace they describe themselves as being psychedelic-ska. I find it a very accurate description. There is just something about their sound that is unique and different, something I like a lot. SKambo #5 and South America are two great tunes. I regret not picking up a CD.

The Delegates actually played the very first show I covered for 4th Wave. They are a punk band out of Montreal that play a bit of reggae and ska. You can tell these guys have been together awhile with their polished sound and energy on stage. They always seem to be on the road too. It is a shame they haven't been back to Toronto since that one show either. I can't wait to hear their new album.

The crowd just went nuts for The Donuts. Maybe it was just that they had built up so much energy from the previous bands, but the crowd was really into their set. They took over the "stage" leaving The Donuts little room to play at all. There was even a crowd surfer!!! Why one would crowd surf to trad ska (or any ska for that matter) is a mystery to me. They played a solid set. It was a shame to hear their trumpet player has quit the band, as he, along with the rest of the band, are a bunch of really nice guys.

True Trout finished out the night. It was a long show, starting at 5:30 and going to around 11. True Trout kept the crowd going with their punk sound. I unfortunately had to leave their set early, but heard the majority of it. They are a band I'd like to hear/see again. They too played with an insane amount of energy.

Thanks to The Donuts for getting me back to civilization so I could get home alright.

Skratch 3 impressed me just as much as the last time I had seen them. They even busted out a steel drum this time around, which made for a very unique sound among the bands I typically see. It isn't just a gimmick either, and adds to their songs. I can definitely say I'm really looking forward to their upcoming cd.

Usual Bunch of Idiots played really well. The crowd really got into them, which is always nice to see for a band that is from out-of-town. They do ska-punk justice and have a fun time doing it; something I really enjoy seeing in band. I'd really like to see a cd from these guys sometime in the future.

Keepin' 6 is a really tight band. If you haven't seen these guys yet, you better go see them the next chance you get. The crowd continued where they left off and danced throughout Keepin' 6's set. If you haven't guessed by now, watching Keepin' 6 play is always a good time.

I couldn't believe it when The Johnstones told me they hadn't played a show in 3 months. It didn't seem like it had been that long. Much to my delight, they said in that time they also had the opportunity to write 5 new songs. The Johnstones played the best set I had ever had ever seen them play, which is just amazing for a band that hasn't played a show in 3 months. It was nice to see them finish off the night at the last Ajax show for awhile.

It had been over 2 months since I had seen the Cheap Suits at NXNE. It is nice to see them play a few Toronto shows, as it seems they haven't been playing here as much as they use to last year. The Edge ended up being filled with people, which was nice to see their following still willing to come out. They played many songs from their upcoming album (bring it out already!!!), and played a few older songs which pleased the crowd. Can't really say I'm a huge fan of the older stuff, but as a band one has to please their interests I guess.

So when I heard Wakestock was being moved to Toronto, I figured I'd try and get a press pass, especially with this year's lineup.

I'm not going to review all the bands I took pictures of but will say Protest the Hero was a non-ska band worth checking out. They played really well and I hear their new cd is just amazing.

This was my third time seeing The Salads. My first time was in 2000 before they had made it "big", my second time was when they opened for Fishbone in May. They played many new songs, which not knowing their material that well to begin with, made it hard for me to get into their set. They did play really well, but I was just hoping for more of a familiar set. Lots of people turned out for them, so they seem to be doing something right.

This was actually my first time seeing Goldfinger. I hear the Goldfinger of old is a much better experience. Goldfinger is just getting up there in age, and although they still put on a good show, it would be interesting to see them 5-10 years ago.

I was really excited to see Reel Big Fish, especially since they seemed to have skip over Toronto when they did their tour after releasing their latest cd. They did a nice job of fitting in many of their older classics while throwing in a few newer songs into their very limited one-hour set (which was longer than any other band). The only real disappointment from seeing them would be their length of their set. Next time around I hope they play a show where they can play for longer.

Over the Top played a decent set. They seemed to get better the further they got into their set. There was many people watching, but unfortunately not many were dancing. Great bunch of guys and can't wait for them to play Toronto, so that I can see them more often. They finished off their set covering Keasby Nights by Catch 22 and did a good job of it.

The last time I saw Explosure they had shown so much more growth and talent as a band. Unfortunately, tonight they seemed to have taken a slight step backward. I think it partially has to do with the size of the crowd for this band to be into it. I'd really like to see them in front of 100+ kids and see what they can do. They didn't play horribly, just not as good as the last time I saw them.

The Makeshift Heroes played, not surprisingly, a great set. They got the crowd into it and onto the dancefloor. Even won over a friend of mine, who was just seeing them for the first time. This will be my last time seeing them for a long time, unfortunately.

This was the best set I had ever seen Baked Fresh Daily play. The seemed to nail each song. I was really disappointed that people had gone outside when they came on, as they missed a really good set by these guys. I look forward to the next time I see them play.

The Next Best Thing also played one of their better sets I've seen them play. They seemed to be really into on this night. They too brought out the people onto the dancefloor and closed off the evening nicely. It is no surprise they are getting known around Guelph with the amount of shows they play there.

A HUGE thanks goes out to Jeff from Explosure for letting me crash at his house.

Every year the City of Toronto has bands come and play Nathan Phillips Square, while they have restaurants set up stations to get good deals on food. This year on one of the dates they happened to pick The Liquidaires.

They seemed to pick up right from where they left off at Healey's. Having the opportunity to play two 45 minute sets allowed for them to play a similar show that they usually put on when they play their monthly gig at Cervejaria. It was really nice to see some kids that I see at local ska shows come out to show some support. With the amount of time they spent dancing, you could tell they were grooving to the music. I liked the feel of the outdoor show and wish there was more opportunities to go to shows like this one.