I came away from the first time I saw The Effens perform live at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern impressed with the band, their tunes and their live show. Click through to see those photos right here. I was pretty pleased when I saw their name on the line-up for this show. I was, of course, interested to see how they had progressed from the last time I saw them.
The Effens have got a powerful sound and magnetic stage presence. The songs feature heavily distorted guitar tones that veer from 90s grunge to post-rock along with tons of energy and attitude. I love the vintage guitars and wild effects. The singer is a commanding figure on stage and his almost miniature 70s vintage department store guitar emphasizes the image.
The band still impressed with their energy, attitude and tunes. They did a great job of warming things up for the amazing bands that followed. Click through to check out my thoughts on and photos of Pony and Charly Bliss.
I’ve been a fan of Cloud Nothings’ recorded output for a while now. I’ve even seen them live before, when they appeared at Field Trip. Sadly, I only caught a bit of that set, although that moment did feature my favourite Cloud Nothings track at that time.
This show at The Opera House on their latest tour supporting the new album Last Building Burning demonstrated just how different a band can come across when playing a headlining show for their fans versus a daytime, festival set for a wide cross-section of music fans.
This show was intense and cathartic. The mood in the venue, the sound of the band, the stance of the musicians, and the behaviour of the audience all stood in marked contrast from that daytime festival show. And it was incredibly good.
Cloud Nothings' set consisted of the band's latest album Last Building Burning played in its entirety and a handful of great tracks from previous albums, plus encore.
Cloud Nothings drummer Jayson Gerycz is absolutely amazing for his intensity and stamina. He's got a frantic energy and rhythmic diversity that is a highlight in all the band's music. Singer Dylan Baldi has crazy vocal intensity and comes across as almost unhinged at times.
The set's intensity dialled back a bit during the noisy and engrossing interlude in the middle of "Dissolution" before they amped up the intensity again as the set continued.
I loved this show and look forward to the next time I can experience Cloud Nothings’ live show.
Detroit nü-metal masters Yükon Blönde played Toronto. Wait. That’s not right.
Kelowna, BC indie rock / power pop band Yukon Blonde played Toronto's Danforth Music Hall with fellow west-coasters The Zolas. That's better.
Make sure you don't miss clicking through for my photos of The Zolas' amazing set here.
I've caught Yukon Blonde several times over the past several years and their always-infectious take on a power pop tune has always hit my ears the right way. I even recall seeing them on this very stage opening for Stars several years before I started shooting bands.
Yukon Blonde seem to be settling in and sprawling out musically on these bigger stages with longer sets, letting their songs expand with long, immersive jams. This set featured a good balance of their early work with new material. Their encore with The Zolas dudes of The Traveling Wilburys classic "Handle With Care" was a cool way to top off the night.
Follow these links to my previous coverage and photos of Yukon Blonde: at Riverfest Elora and at Lee's Palace.
Check out some great Yukon Blonde music:
"Saturday Night"
"I Wanna Be Your Man"
"Feeling Digital"
"Emotional Blackmail"
Joint cover of The Traveling Wilburys' "Handle With Care" with Yukon Blonde
The Zolas have been one of my favourite bands for a while now. Their live show is always tons of fun, the tunes always get me moving and singing along, and the band’s attitude is contagious, spreading across entire audiences in mere moments. For this show, they were on tour with fellow west-coasters Yukon Blonde. My coverage of their set is here.
This Zolas set was strong with favourite tunes, live must-haves and a bunch of well-received new tunes. It was pretty much a perfect Zolas set. If I had to complain I’d just say it wasn’t long enough. But I'd always say that.
Make sure you check out new tune "Bombs Away", which is about being priced out of the housing market in big cities. We also heard a live debut of a song that might be called "Energy's Off" and a tune about throwing your phone away forever. Keep an eye open for the new Zolas album. Personally, I can't wait.
