2007-01-19, Reilly's - Toronto, ON

I decided to go to this show last minute. I wasn't really up for going out, but decided to go anyways. I got to the show with The Pragmatics well into their set. Thankfully, I caught 3 songs, all of which were top notch.

The Big Man Himself didn't play as well as they did at the Oshawa show. It didn't help that the crowd didn't really watch them until their final few songs.

Highschool Heist played a lot better than the Oshawa show. They had a ton more energy, and the crowd was feeding off of it.

Stop, Drop, n' Skank closed off the night nicely. They played a bit better than they did at the Oshawa show. Again, the crowd was loving them a lot. They have an insane Toronto following. I guess that is one of the perks of forming a band while you are in high school, it is easier to bring out your friends.

The Pragmatics   The Big Man Himself   Highschool Heist (set 1)   Highschool Heist (set 2)   Stop, Drop, n' Skank (set 1)   Stop, Drop, n' Skank (set 2)  


Comments (5)

(Posted 2007-02-13)

2007-01-12, Shadow - Guelph, ON

This was the 4th annual Ska Thaw being held at the Shadow. I hadn't seen Explosure in a really long time. I think it was like a year and a half ago. After some line-up changes, and improved song writing, these guys are a completely different band. They are way more talented. It is night and day from how this band use to be. Hopefully, they will just keep on getting better with time.

This was my first time seeing Walk Off the Earth. Half of the band came from the now broken up band Pink Belly. You can definitely hear the Pink Belly sound in their music, but it is a lot more mellower. Definitely music to groove to, and not skank to. It was pretty good. It is normally not my cup of tea, but I was feeling it on this night.

Keepin' 6 picked up right where they left off from the weekend prior. Their live show is what you would expect for a band that plays as often as they do. I definitely appreciate the crowd participation by turning the mic towards the crowd. As an audience member you can't help by get into the music when you know the songs and the band wants you to sing along.

I hadn't seen The Next Best Thing in the longest time. I really, really enjoyed their set. I guess I missed how much I liked seeing these guys live. They put on a great show, and they are really talented as musicians. I will definitely not wait as long to see these guys again.

The last time I saw The Johnstones was at their CD release show in September. I liked them a lot better on this night than at that show. I guess their new songs on growing on me a bit. I still have to say that I'm definitely a bigger fan of their older material though. As always, the crowd was really into them.

Explosure   Walk Off The Earth   Keepin' 6   The Next Best Thing   The Johnstones (set 1)   The Johnstones (set 2)  


Comments (3)

(Posted 2007-02-05)

2007-01-06, Dungeon - Oshawa, ON

This was the first show at the "new" Dungeon. The new owner completely renovated it, and fixed the washrooms...(sort of). This was also my first time seeing about a quarter of the bands. The Pragmatics started off the show. After listening to their songs on MySpace, I was quite excited to hear this band. They didn't disappoint live. The Pragmatics show a lot of promise and will be interesting to see where these guys end up a year from now. It is always really nice to hear a new band start up with 1960's Jamaican influences.

This was my second time seeing Highschool Heist. I wasn't feeling Highschool Heist on this night. The crowd was really digging them though. I don't know what it was, but something just felt like it was missing from their set.

I liked Stop, Drop, n' Skank more than when I saw them last. Having a similar sound to Highschool Heist, the crowd liked them just as much as Highschool Heist. I'm sure this band will only grow on me more with each chance that I get to see them.

This was my first time seeing The Big Man Himself. They started out their set doing a little dance number. Something you would see The Johnstones do. Can't really say that I'm a fan of it. Ska Radio was my favourite tune by them. It is also nice to see a band pay tribute to a man that deserves it (DJ Skip).

This was also my first time seeing The Bagatellies. I came across their recordings awhile ago. Their horns are very Knockouts-ish, but their other instruments are more "harder" sounding. It makes for an interesting mix. I thought it was decent, not stellar. I'm sure if I saw these guys more frequently I'd like them a lot.

The Cheap Suits were the veterns on this bill. They have been together longer than all of the bands before them combined. Their age as a band shows in their performance. The way they work a crowd, in their song writing, and lyrics is just a notch above the other bands on the bill. It is good to see them buidling their fan base back up again.

I wasn't feeling The Knockouts at all. Probably one of the worst sets I've seen them play. Even at their worst, they are still better than some bands, so one can't complain too much.

Skratch 3 played a great set. They were pretty tight. My only real complaint is the lack of new songs since their album has come out. I guess we will just have to wait.

Keepin' 6 rocked the house like you wouldn't believe. The kids just went nuts for them. I'm really diggering their new songs (finally). I can't wait for the new album to drop. If you haven't seen these guys perform in awhile, go see them now. They are more punk sounding, but way more talented.

The Pragmatics   Highschool Heist   Stop, Drop, n' Skank   The Big Man Himself   The Bagatellies   Cheap Suits (set 1)   Cheap Suits (set 2)   The Knockouts   Skratch 3   Keepin' 6  


Comments (9)

(Posted 2007-01-24)