Lunar Vacation at The Monarch - Concert Photos

Lunar Vacation are based in Atlanta, Georgia. They were in Toronto on June 25 to perform at The Monarch Tavern. It was fun being back at The Monarch, since it was the last place I took in a show before everything first shut down for covid.

There was a good crowd out to catch this night's bands. They bounced and sang along for the band's first Toronto show. The band sounded great, playing their easy-going tunes with soothing melodies, great harmonies and swirling guitars. During their set, Lunar Vacation brought a special guest up on stage; Finn Wolfhard of The Aubreys. They performed "No Offerings" with Finn joining on acoustic guitar and vocals.

Check out some of Lunar Vacation's music below, click on through to my photos of the other two bands who played great sets, The Slaps and Future Crib, and, if you're so inclined, my past coverage of Finn Wolfhard's Calpurnia.

"The Basement"

"No Offerings" with The Aubreys

The Slaps at The Monarch - Concert Photos

Chicago's The Slaps took to the Monarch Tavern stage on June 25, sandwiched between headliners Lunar Vacation and Future Crib.

The Slaps played ambitious and genre-defying tunes for our listening and dancing pleasure. Check out some of their tunes below and click through for the photos I took of Lunar Vacation and Future Crib.

"Where Were You Where They Were Also"

"It's Dense"

Future Crib at The Monarch - Concert Photos

Nashville Tennessee's Future Crib are an indie pop band who were the first band on stage on June 25, warming up the crowd for Lunar Vacation and The Slaps at the Monarch Tavern in Toronto.  

Future Crib played us a widely varied and dynamic set that instantly made me want to hear more from the band. I loved the band's feel-good musical vibes and how they kept things interesting by switching up lead vocal duties.

Check out some of Future Crib's music below and my coverage of Lunar Vacation and The Slaps' sets.

"Our Place"

"Most Likely Never Going to Die"

Waxahatchee at The Danforth Music Hall - Concert Photos

I'm a pretty big Waxahatchee fan. Katie Crutchfield's songs and albums have been all over my best-of lists and I've been lucky enough to cover Waxahatchee shows at The Opera House in 2018 and Lee's Palace in 2017. This past week I got to witness Waxahatchee's Toronto Saint Cloud tour stop at The Danforth Music Hall.

I loved the mellower approach that Waxahatchee took to the feel of this year's show. We heard tunes from albums with bigger, more distorted sounds, and they came across wonderfully at this show, too. Of course, Waxahatchee songs can stand on their own with stripped-down instrumentation; they're such strong songs.

Highlights of the set for me were "Recite Remorse", "Hell", "Silver" (the lyrics of this song, especially the line "I went out in the storm and I'm never returning" were especially impactful to me over the past several years of personal upheaval), "Sparks Fly", "Peace and Quiet", "War", "La Loose" and "Fire". The encore featured another personal favourite in "Under a Rock". Check out the full setlist here.

Chicago's Ohmme opened up the show with a set of ambitious and intricate music. Check out my photos and some tunes here.

"Fire" from Waxahatchee's latest, Saint Cloud

"Silver" from 2017's Out in the Storm

"Under a Rock" from 2015's Ivy Tripp

Ohmme at The Danforth Music Hall - Concert Photos

This past week, I caught Waxahatchee headlining The Danforth Music Hall on their Saint Cloud tour. Chicago rock band Ohmme opened up the show with intricate and ambitious music. 

Their songs flowed with widely varying dynamic shifts, and beautiful vocals and harmonies. The songs were complex and varied, experimental and challenging; dare-I-say-it, progressive. 

Their set featured a cover of Kate Bush's "Cloudbusting". The band did ask the crowd if they were new fans or old fans, alluding to the attention that Bush's "Running Up That Hill" has received after being featured in Stranger Things.

Check out some Ohmme music below and check out my coverage of Waxahatchee's set here.

"3243"

"The Limit"

Preview: Field Trip 2022: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Peach Pit, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Lucy Dacus, The Halluci Nation, Valley, Busty and The Bass, Rheostatics, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Pierre Kwenders and many more

Field Trip is back for the first time since 2018! Field Trip is a fixture of the Toronto music festival season and it's good to see the festival back in action for 2022. They had taken a hiatus for 2019 and of course couldn't come back in 2020 or 2021 due to covid. 

Field Trip returns for 2022 with a one-day festival, taking place on July 9 at Fort York Garrison Commons. I'm looking forward to the full Field Trip experience including a beautiful downtown Toronto venue, a great crowd, good food, lots to experience when not taking in live music, activities for the whole family, including the little ones, and, of course, some of the best artists from Canada and beyond.

It’s a pretty stacked line up with:

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Peach Pit

Kurt Vile & The Violators

Lucy Dacus

The Halluci Nation

Valley

Busty and The Bass

Rheostatics

The Rural Alberta Advantage

Pierre Kwenders

Daisy the Great

Georgia Harmer

Ombilgizi

Get all your ticket information and other details about the festival at the Field Trip official web site. It's sure to be a great return for a Toronto-favourite festival. Grab your tickets, see you there, and watch this space for coverage after the festival.

Here's this year's schedule:

I’ve covered a few of this year's Field Trip artists in the past. Click through on the artist or venue names to check out those shots.

I caught an opening set by now-headliner Nathaniel Rateliff at The Horseshoe Tavern back in 2014.

The Halluci Nation, formerly A Tribe Called Red, performed at Riverfest Elora, Hillside and Field Trip.

Busty and The Bass brought the funk to Hillside and Riverfest Elora.

The Rural Alberta Advantage performed at Riverfest Elora and The Wolf Island Winter Ball.

I've captured intense sets from Haviah Mighty at Royal Mountain Records and Riverfest Elora.

Pierre Kwenders was at Field Trip 2018.

I've also covered Field Trip for several years. Links to all my coverage at the following links:

2018

2017 Day 1

2017 Day 2

2016 Day 1

2016 Day 2

Purity Ring at The Phoenix Concert Theatre - Concert Photos

Purity Ring performed a show at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre that sounded and looked absolutely stunning. From the music, which of course is the main reason we were all there, to the elaborate wardrobe, to the projected visuals, it was all so, so beautiful.

Purity Ring have tried to mount this tour a few times now, and are very cautious about covid since if they get it, that means cancelled shows, disappointed fans, and lost money. Their request was for everyone to wear masks, and most complied.

We heard uplifting, intimate and enchanting music from their latest release, graves, 2020's womb, 2015's Another Eternity, and their 2012 debut, Shrines. It was magical. All my favourites were included. Check out the full setlist here.

It was a gorgeous night of music and visuals. Check out some Purity Ring music below.

Ekkstacy opened up the show. My shots of their set are here.

"stardew"

"begin again"

Ekkstacy at The Phoenix Concert Theatre - Concert Photos

Vancouver's Ekkstacy took to the stage at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre opening for Purity Ring. My photos of Purity Ring's set are here.

Ekkstacy delivered solid indie rock with glimpses of punk attitude and shoegaze guitar lines. Check out some of their music:

"it only gets worse, i promise"

"I Gave You Everything"