Field Trip 2018: A Compendium of Posts - Concert Photos

Field Trip is always a highlight of the summer festival season. This 2018 edition was extra special. There were so many of my favourite acts that I was either seeing for the first time or was seeing put on some amazing performances. This was my first time seeing Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley, Bahamas, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Haerts, Allan Rayman and more. I experienced great performances from bands I'd already seen before including Metric, Japandroids, Partner, Dizzy and Ellevator.

There were also a number of new discoveries for me; artists I wasn't familiar with going in that I walked away a fan of. These included Middle Kids, Allie X, Liza Anne, Jacob Banks, Pierre Kwenders and Charlotte Cardin. This is absolutely one of my favourite things about music festivals; discovering great new artists.

Please click through on the links below to check out photos of each artist, my thoughts on each performance and music from each artist.

Day 1

Metric

Noname

Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley

Jacob Banks

Bahamas

Middle Kids

The Barr Brothers

Charlotte Cardin

Pierre Kwenders

Reuben and The Dark

Dizzy

Partner

Chris Larocca

Maddee

Day 2

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Allan Rayman

Alvvays

Deer Tick

Japandroids

Cuco

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Haerts

Allie X

Liza Anne

Ellevator

Field Trip 2018: Day 2: Alvvays on the Garrison Stage - Concert Photos

I've seen and photographed Alvvays many times over the years. In my early days of concert photography, they seemed to be at a number of the same shows as I was.

And the indie pop darlings were at Field Trip, too. They put on a crowd-pleasing set of tunes from across their self-titled debut and Antisocialites.

Some tunes:

"Adult Diversion"

"In Undertow"

"Archie, Marry Me"

"Dreams Tonight"

"Next of Kin"

Way Home Festival Line-Up

There's a new festival coming to town. It's called WayHome and it's taking place north of Toronto, near Barrie, in Oro-Medonte, at Burl's Creek, July 24 through 26. All the details are on the festival site. It's put together by Republic Live and AC Entertainment who just happen to be the co-founders and producers of Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, so you know this is going to be a well-run festival. Tickets go on sale today, so check out the great bands that are playing, get excited, choose your camping options, and break out your credit card!

Here are a bunch of the bands that I want to catch at the festival:

Modest Mouse

The Decembrists

Passion Pit

St. Vincent

Vance Joy

Future Islands

The Gaslight Anthem

Walk the Moon

Hey Rosetta!

July Talk

Metz

Alvvays

Yukon Blonde

Broods

Viet Cong

Lowell

Just for starters.

Looking forward to this new addition to the Toronto area festival season.

Pic from Facebook.

New album from Alvvays, out now

I've seen Alvvays perform one, two, three times. I've known about them since before their "w" turned into "vv" and searching for them came up with feminine products.

They just released their eponymous début album. Here's a pair of videos:

"Archie, Marry Me"

"Adult Diversion"

They've also announced a bunch of tour dates, including an August 14 stop in at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern. Then on September 27 they play the Horseshoe again, this time opening a Fucked Up all-ages show. Check 'em out!

Alvvays at The Garrison

I've seen local act Alvvays three times now. First was opening for The Joy Formidable at The Mod Club. The second was opening for Young Galaxy at The Hoxton. The third was January 17 as they opened for Yuck at The Garrison.

Every time I see this band I think I enjoy them more. Their sound is fun and the melodies grow on me more and more. I like the reverb soaked hooks and easy to sway to beats. I'm looking forward to the next time my ears fill with their music and I get to point my camera at them.

"Adult Diversion"

 

Young Galaxy and Alvvays at The Hoxton

On November 22, I caught Young Galaxy and Alvvays at The Hoxton here in Toronto. I had been meaning to see Young Galaxy for a long time and finally got out to a show. I saw Alvvays opening for The Joy Formidable at The Mod Club back in November 2012.

I put up the lead pic on purpose. Not because it's a good pic (it's not) but rather to show how dark Young Galaxy turned the lights for their show. They sounded great but at times all but disappeared on stage. No worries. It's the music we were there for, and the music delivered.

Highlights of the set for me were "Pretty Boy", "Fall For You", "New Summer" and the encore of Erasure's "A Little Respect". That cover was a perfect fit for Young Galaxy. Overall, it was a fun show in a good venue. Then we all shuffled out and made room for the late show of the evening at The Hoxton.

Here are a bunch of great tunes from Young Galaxy for your listening and dancing pleasure:

"Crying My Heart Out"

"Blown Minded"

"Pretty Boy"

"Sleepwalk with Me"

"Fall For You"

"New Summer"

"We Have Everything"

"A Little Respect" by Erasure

Alvvays were into their set when we arrived. They're a Toronto-based, self-described jangle pop band. To me, they sounded more powerful and self-assured than they did at The Mod Club show. Good stuff and I'd surely venture out to see them again.

Here's their official video and another tune:

"Adult Diversion"

"Archie, Marry Me"

Overall, it was a great night of firsts for me: First time seeing Young Galaxy, first gig at The Hoxton and first time using a big DSLR at a show. Definitely learned a lot about the camera by making lots of mistakes. I'll get better with practice...

Can't get enough of The Joy Formidable

I saw The Joy Formidable when they came through Toronto to promote The Big Roar. Then I saw them opening for The Gaslight Anthem. While they were in town for that gig, they put on a headlining, win-to-get-in show at The Mod Club. I was lucky enough to get some passes for myself and some friends. What an amazing night!

Local Toronto band Always opened the show. Unfortunately they have a terrible band name for search engine optimization, leading to lots of sites featuring feminine hygiene products and none featuring a band. I've since been turned on to their web presence: here, here and here. They put on a good show, letting us know that they live just up the street and that they've got some cool, easy-to-listen-to music. They seemed to be happy to be playing to a large audience and were charming in their manner and their music. Chromewaves points out some more about their lineage, "Frontwoman Molly Rankin had/has a burgeoning solo career in addition to being part of Nova Scotia’s most famous musical family, and guitarist Alec O’Hanley toured across the country countless times as part of Two Hours Traffic before departing last year."

The Joy Formidable hit the stage and did what they do best. They bring more bombast, energy and melody than three people have any right to make. It was wonderful. The band were in fine form, the audience was enthusiastic, the sound was superb and the venue was, as always, about as close to perfect as you can get. It was, without a doubt, one of my favourite live show experiences. Ever.

Their set covered much of The Big Roar, a reach back to their A Balloon Called Moaning EP, plus 4 songs from the upcoming Wolf's Law - "Cholla" "This Ladder is Ours" "Maw Maw Song" and "Silent Treatment". Wolf's Law is out January 21-22 and I'll give an early prediction that Wolf's Law will score high on my favourite albums of 2013. I'm sure that some of the new tunes will even make it on this year's list.

"The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade"

"Ostrich" from A Balloon Called Moaning

"Cholla"

"Austere"

"This Ladder is Ours"

"Whirring"

They opened their encore with the quiet "Silent Treatment". What a stupendously gorgeous song with a beautifully composed and delivered melody. Here's a fan-filmed version from a show in London. Breathtaking.

"Silent Treatment"

If you like this band at all and have a chance to see them live, go do it. It will turn like into love. They mentioned that they'll be back to Toronto in the spring to promote Wolf's Law. I'm looking forward to it.

"The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie"

The photos in this post are original pics by me. Not the usual professional pics stolen from some other web site. You can tell the difference original art makes.