Soccer Mommy at Longboat Hall - Concert Photos

I got to see Soccer Mommy at a sold out show at The Great Hall venue Longboat Hall. It was my first time at this space and I loved the warm and inviting hall, with great sight lines and sound. Soccer Mommy were preceded by local band Ellis and Long Beard. Click through for my photos of those bands.

Soccer Mommy is the stage name of Nashville based Sophie Allison. She and the band did a great job playing their personal and evocative music for a very enthusiastic and appreciative crowd. She even threw in a solo cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire".

I loved the band and would see them again in a heartbeat.

Check out some music and go see them live:

"Henry"

"Your Dog"

"Cool"

"Still Clean"

Long Beard at Longboat Hall - Concert Photos

Long Beard were the second band up on Saturday night at Longboat Hall, playing between Ellis and headliners Soccer Mommy. I enjoyed their chill tunes and swirling sounds that featured very cool use of vocal and guitar loops.

Check them out:

"Moths"

"Porch"

"Turkeys"

Ellis at Longboat Hall - Concert Photos

Ellis was the first band to hit the Longboat Hall stage last night for a Saturday filled with emotive and innovative music. They were warming things up for Long Beard and headliners Soccer Mommy. They confessed that they don't have any music available online yet, but are starting to record this week.

I liked their personal and introspective, dynamic and emotional music. I'll be looking forward to their releases and more shows.

Brian Fallon and The Howling Weather at The Danforth Music Hall - Concert Photos

I'm a pretty big Gaslight Anthem fan. I've seen them a bunch of times and photographed them at TURF and at Sound Academy. Click through on those links for those photos.

This time, it was Brian Fallon and The Howling Weather who stormed into Toronto to play at a sold out The Danforth Music Hall. It was a busy week; a point that Brian mentioned when he lamented that he'd missed Afghan Whigs and Built to Spill at that very venue the night before. You an me both, Mr. Fallon. You and me both.

We got a solid set of rock tunes from the band, including tunes from The Horrible Crowes, Brian's solo albums of course, and a solo piano version of The Gaslight Anthem's "The 59 Sound" as the first tune of the encore. We also got a couple of covers; namely a track from a very influential album for Brian, Derek and The Dominos' "Bell Bottom Blues" from the landmark Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and fellow Jersey native Bruce Springsteen's "The Promised Land".

Check out some tunes from the band's set.

"Forget Me Not"

The Horrible Crowes' "Ladykiller"

"Painkillers"

"A Wonderful Life"

Caitlin Rose at The Danforth Music Hall - Concert Photos

I first saw Nashville's Caitlin Rose back in 2014 at TURF. My photos from that show are here. Last week she was in Toronto on The Danforth Music Hall stage getting things warmed up for Brian Fallon and The Howling Weather.

I enjoyed her soothing and easy going tunes including "Nobody's Sweetheart", which she said was like the candy hearts spilled in the rain that she saw earlier that day.

Give her music a listen:

"Shanghai Cigarettes"

"Own Side"

"Piledriver Waltz"

Waxahatchee at The Opera House - Concert Photos

Birmingham, Alabama's Katie Crutchfield is Waxahatchee. Along with her sister Allison and the rest of the band, she played at Toronto's The Opera House last Thursday night. Bedouine and Hurray for the Riff Raff had opening duties. Click through for my pics of them.

Waxahatchee has become one of my favourite artists over the past several years. I was looking forward to this show more than I thought possible. After seeing the band last year, I immediately wanted to experience Katie's powerful tunes in the live environment again. I knew I wanted to be there for this show so much, camera in tow.

Waxahatchee's Lee's Palace show was one of my favourites of 2017, and her latest album Out in the Storm was one of my favourites of 2017. If you're interested, check out the three songs that I put on my Favourite Songs of 2017 list, and where Out in the Storm placed on my Favourite Albums of 2017 list, along with my shots from Lee's here. Ivy Tripp also cracked the top 10 of my Favourite albums of 2015.

So yes, I'm a bit of a fan.

This show was one of those amazingly moving and uplifting shows that my soul needs in order to feel right. Waxahatchee delivered just what I needed and I know I wasn't alone; there were so many enthusiastic fans filling the entire venue, hanging on Katie's every word and the band's every power chord.

While the set was fantastic, and I think I captured most of the songs below, Katie's acoustic solo songs were a definite highlight. First she performed "La Loose" solo acoustic and then for the encore she performed a cover of Great Thunder's "Chapel of Pines" and "Fade" from Out in the Storm to close out the night.

Brilliant.

Amazing.

I can't wait until next time.

Here is a whole bunch of amazing Waxahatchee music:

"Recite Remorse"

"Silver"

"Poison"

"Misery over Dispute"

"8 Ball"

"The Dirt"

"Sparks Fly"

"Never Been Wrong"

"Coast to Coast"

"Peace and Quiet"

"La Loose"

"Under A Rock"

"Chapel of Pines" Great Thunder cover

"Fade"