2006-08-24, Fun Haus - Toronto, ON

So this was my third time seeing Action League Now! They seem to be holding on to their following that they had since their first show. They played really well on this night, as they have with the previous two times that I saw them. Unfortunately, this was Adam's last show with the band. It will be intersting to see where the band heads without him.

Next up was Buda Funk Munk. This was their last show. It was great to see many of the people dancing it up for them, giving them a great response on their show. With crowd favourite; Dolphins and Gay Rudeboys Unite, people were singing along, and going crazy for them. Hopefully, these guys will continue with music and bless Toronto with more talented bands.

I hadn't seen the Cheap Suits get such an amazing response in along time. It is like a lot of kids in Toronto are closet Cheap Suits' fans, and only come out when they are put on bills that attract a lot of people. In years gone by, the Cheap Suits was the band that attracted all those kids. Hopefully, it is shows like this one that will make them embrace the band a lot more.

This was a sad day for many people, as it was the last time they would be able to see The Makeshift Heroes perform live. I had personally seen them over 20 times, and had gotten to know the band members pretty well. It was a great show to remember. To no one's surprise, the crowd was out in full force, singing and dancing along to every single song. They even brought back older members to play with them, which is a nice thing in my opinion. I can't tell you how glad I am they made a going away album, as each and every song on that album really grew on me, and it would have been a shame not to be able to hear those songs again. With only putting out 3 albums (one being a live one), they picked the best of the best to record. The only other real song I would love to hear again is their cover of Confucius by The Skatalites. With luck we will see a reunion show, only time will tell.

Action League Now!   Buda Funk Munk   Cheap Suits (set 1)   Cheap Suits (set 2)   The Makeshift Heroes (set 1)   The Makeshift Heroes (set 2)  


Comments (10)

(Posted 2006-12-07)

2006-08-19, Reverb - Toronto, ON

Seeing Mitch perform a shorter set in April satisfied a 2 year itch, but only slightly. His performance on this night is the type of set I needed to see. I was also finally able to support him a bit by buying a cd he put together. You Won't Say It is one of my favourite ska songs. Another King Kong Girio favourite of mine is Back to the Playground. It has a great bassline, which I'd love to see live with a backing band.

I saw The Heatskores the previous month at the Edge, and was delighted to hear that they were on this bill. I thought them cover International War Criminal by The Slackers was very fitting for the type of bill that performed tonight. As with every single time I've seen them, I feel like I'm repeating myself, they played with a ton of energy. It was nice to see some people on the dancefloor for them, but they definitely deserved more people to be out there for them.

Next up was The Johnstones. The last time I saw them was when they opened up for The Planet Smashers in May. I don't know what it was about their set, but it did nothing for me. It just seems I've been enjoying their sets, less and less, to the point that I can't really say I enjoyed it other than to hear their song Action. It is not to bash the band at all, as they are really talented, and usually really fun to hear live, seeing the dancefloor at any of their shows will tell you that. It just seems for me, I liked The Johnstones older material more.

There isn't much to say about The Expos, as I, and most of the people at this show had seen them just a short 2 weeks ago. For those of you that haven't heard yet, this turned out to be Big Red's last show with The Expos. It is a real shame, as I liked him a lot, but I wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

King Kong Girio   The Heatskores   The Johnstones   The Expos  


Comments (2)

(Posted 2006-12-04)

2006-08-05, Reverb - Toronto, ON

This was my first time seeing Highschool Heist. I went expecting to hear a young band that was far from perfect, and they met those expectations. They weren't bad, but they need a few more years under their belt. Having Reel Big Fish, Catch 22, Streetlight Manifesto as influences wasn't much of a surprise either. Most bands of their age have the same influences as well, and it can be heard in the band's sound.

Next up was Frankie Foo. I have been wanting them to play to an all ages crowd from the first time I had seen them. It was reassuring to see them get such a great response. They definitely deserve it. They have added a few older songs to their list of songs. They now cover I'm in the Mood for Ska, Phoenix City, and another great that I can't think of off the top of my head. It was great that Ian was able to come back from the East coast for the two shows. He really adds to the band's already impressive sound.

The Expos played a mean set. Although Max played a few songs at the last show I saw The Expos, I consider this his true first show. He played the entire set. I think it is great that they have a trumpet player again, as it fits their sound and vibe perfectly. As with all their Toronto shows of the last few months, the dancefloor was packed. Lastly, Yvo looks amazing with curls in her hair.

This was General Rudie's last Toronto show. They have been around forever (1997). They faithfully toured at least once a year, usually in the summer. Toronto was lucky enough to see them just a few short months ago for a solo stint, but this show was part of their summer tour. They ended up playing only one more show in Montreal in early September that I would have loved to have gone to but missed. They didn't announce until near the end of their set that this was their last show, which I was a little surprised about, but the fans were partying hard anyways. They dance and sang, giving the band a great farewell show. I consider myself lucky to have seen these guys as much as I have over the past 3 years. General Rudie will be missed. Hopefully they play many, many reunion shows.

Highschool Heist   Frankie Foo and the Yoyo Smugglers   The Expos   General Rudie (set 1)   General Rudie (set 2)  


Comments (5)

(Posted 2006-11-27)

2006-08-04, The Orbit Room - Toronto, ON

Well, I was a little shocked to see Lord Tanamo start off with his hit song, "I'm in the Mood for Ska." He did an amazing job of it. I couldn't believe how well his voice still sounds after all these years. It is a shame there wasn't more people out to see him perform, but not even I knew that he was performing, so that tells you something. He only performed 4 or 5 songs, which again was a shame, but for me, the cover price alone was worth it to see him sing I'm in the Mood for Ska. It would be just as interesting to see him play some mento music on his rumba box, but I'm not sure if he has the movement he once had. Either way, I was able to cross another name off the list of ska greats I have yet to see.

This was by far The Arsenals best show I have ever seen them play. They covered all old ska songs. Anything you could think of, they probably covered it on this night. It is such a treat to hear these songs performed live, as with some of them you will never hear the original artist do it, as they have either passed on, or will pass on in the coming years. It is a sad reality of liking music from such an era. If you haven't seen The Arsenals yet, make sure you go see them. They play usually monthly at The Orbit Room on College. It is close to Motoretta, so pick up some Fred Perry beforehand.

Lord Tanamo   The Arsenals  


Comments (0)

(Posted 2006-11-18)

2006-08-04, Nathan Phillips Square - Toronto, ON

I showed up really late to this show as I was working in Waterloo. I caught about 3 or 4 songs of The Satalites. They are made up of some great Canadian music veterans. It is a shame I didn't catch more of their set. I will just have to make sure I see them the next time they perform. It is amazing how many awards they have won, and even more amazing that they have been together for over 25 years now.

Inbetween sets I saw Joseph Gordon (aka Lord Tanamo) at the side of the stage. Much to my dismay I discovered he performed early in the night with The Aresenals. Thankfully, He was performing later that night. I was planning to see Frankie Foo, and Skratch 3, but it is not every night to get to see such a legends, so my plans changed that evening.

It is a shame I didn't know more of Leroy Sibbles material before attending the concert. He is a very talented man, with a very extensive resume. He looked surprisingly young for how long he has been performing. His voice is good as ever, and can still get an entire crowd up on its feet to dance and sing along to the music. If you ever get the chance, go see this man perform, it will be worth it.

The Sattalites   Leroy Sibbles  


Comments (0)

(Posted 2006-11-16)

2006-08-02, Reverb - Toronto, ON

This was The Flatliners first time playing Toronto in along time. The crowd went absolutely insane for them. I don't think I have ever seen a crowd be as receptive to them as they were on this night. After touring as much as they have, they have improved their live show by doing the small things right. From enteracting with the crowd, to talking (but not too much) inbetween songs, to going from one song right into another. The Flatliners are going to be around for along time, it isn't that hard to see.

Ever since I started the web site, I have been dying to see the Voodoo Glow Skulls live. I've heard from many people that they suck live, but I've heard from the same amount of people that they have an intense live show, one of the best you'll see. Although, it wasn't the best live show I have ever seen, it was definitely a great live show to see. Their horn secion is killer live, and they all just play with so much energy. It is obvious to see that these guys have been doing this for along time. I can't wait to see these guys again. Hopefully, they won't wait as long to come back.

The Flatliners   Voodoo Glow Skulls (set 1)   Voodoo Glow Skulls (set 2)  


Comments (3)

(Posted 2006-11-10)