Hillside Festival 2016: Pup - Concert Pictures

I've tried to see Pup a handful of times and the only time I've been successful so far is last Friday's Hillside Festival appearance on Guelph Lake Island. The Toronto punk band headlined the Island Stage for the first night of the festival.

I was a big hardcore fan back in my teenage years. This fandom faded as adult feelings replaced teen angst and, frankly, as the fun fell out of a lot of hardcore music. Pup definitely puts that fun back into hardcore. They're one of the current generation of punk bands that put out attitude I can get behind.

I thought that things might get a little fun in the crowd and apparently so did the organizers as they brought out barricades to surround the stage. Unfortunately, they weren't proper concert barricades, so a team of huge security guards had to literally hold the barriers and the crowd back. At one point, one of the security guards requested some classical music to get a moment's respite.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, there was no respite. The band's music is energetic and fun and heavy and relentless and powerful and inspiring. Their set covered much of their 2013 self-titled debut and their new album The Dream Is Over.

Singer Stefan Babcock remarked on the unique make-up of the Hillside Festival crowd by stating that the punks get to be hippies and the hippies get to be punks and that he's never seen so many Misfits t-shirts worn with Birkenstocks. That kinda sums it up, doesn't it?

After a sweaty and powerful set that closed with "Reservoir", they returned to the stage and proclaimed, "Encores are bullshit" as they launched into Weezer's Pinkerton classic "El Scorcho" because they ran out of their own songs that they could play competently. It was a fantastic show and a great live intro to a band I've been waiting to see for quite a while.

Listen to some awesome Pup tunes, following their set list.

Show opener "If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will"

"DVP"

"Dark Days"

"Lionheart"

"Back Against the Wall"

"Guilt Trip"

"Mabu"

Set closing tune "Reservoir"

Hillside Festival 2016: Ought - Concert Pictures

Montreal's Ought has been on my list of bands to see for what seems like a very long time. I finally got my chance last Friday night at Hillside Festival on Guelph Lake Island. Exclaim magazine's Vish Khanna called them one of the greatest rock and roll bands he has ever seen. And with that introduction and appropriately high expectations, Ought took to the stage.

They delivered their unique take on post-rock / post-punk in a solid set that impressed me. The audience on hand were right into it as well. The beats and riffs are relentless while the lyrics and vocal delivery veer from stream-of-consciousness to catchy. Their sound is at once familiar with ambitious influences while having a unique sonic signature.

With this performance, Ought has successfully moved from the "bands to see" list to the "bands to see again" list. Great performance.

Check out some Ought music:

"Sun's Coming Down"

"Beautiful Blue Sky"

"Men for Miles"

Hillside Festival 2016: The Milk Carton Kids - Concert Pictures

The Milk Carton Kids are an indie-folk duo from Eagle Rock, California. I caught their show as the main stage headliners for the first day of this year's Hillside Festival on Guelph Lake Island. They have a very traditional and retro approach to their contemporary folk tunes.

Listen to some music by The Milk Carton Kids:

"Poison Tree"

"The Ash & Clay"

"Snake Eyes"

Hillside Festival 2016: Son Little - Concert Pictures

Philadelphia future soul singer-songwriter Son Little and his band performed on the Hillside Festival main stage last Friday. I enjoyed the band's bluesy rock tunes and the audience's reaction to their music including interpretive dance and a fascinated junior audience member.

Check out some of Son Little's music:

"All Wet"

"Toes"

"Lay Down"

Hillside Festival 2016: Valley - Concert Pictures

I caught part of Toronto pop band Valley's performance on the Lake Stage at Hillside Festival this past Friday on Guelph Lake Island. I enjoyed their upbeat indie pop that features great vocals, danceable beats and crowd pleasing choruses.

Check out some of Valley's music in the form of their latest release This Room is White: