AWmusic

To kick off Canadian Music Fest I decided to check out the Tattoo Rock Parlor, my favorite spot in Toronto to head to most weekends to relax, listen to some good rock music, have a couple drinks, and generally have a good time.

The lineup tonight consisted of Bury the Bully, Isles of Thieves, Songs from a Room, and one of my newly favorite purely Canadian bands, Inward Eye. The lineup looked like a solid one and promised to be a full night of entertaining rock and punk rock mixed in with some free food and a couple drinks, I mean where could you go wrong here.

Upon arriving at the Tattoo Rock Parlor I found myself treated to a VIP seating area for the Media and Press which held some perks for the night and made the whole experience that more enjoyable.

The opening band for the night was Bury the Bully all the way from Whitby, Ontario. These four guys were amazing; they were fast paced, had some very nice clean vocals, had a very positive and soothing sound, were lyrically beautiful, and overall had some very nice breakdowns. “Army of Love” was possibly their best song of the night and was played perfectly, with a perfect break down in each verse; it was a mix of fast and slow paced tempos and made for a great opening into Canadian Music Week.

The most anticipated band of the night was by far, Inward Eye, a band that has gone far since they first started up playing their first CMW way back in 2003. They’ve done so many great things since that time, including releasing an EP earlier this year, and going on tour with The Who not that long ago. This was the band I had been waiting on all night, and they definitely did not disappoint. With a sound that hit into both punk, rock, and reggae, they were able to get the crowd moving and excited. They were eclectic, energetic, and sold themselves to the audience as a live show not to miss. They were all over the place, jumping about, they couldn’t stand still, and were totally drenched by the end of their set. They had come to do what they did best, pump up an audience with their Clash-esque sound and drive their catchy tunes into everyone’s heads. Right to this point I still have the song “Shame”, their number one single at the moment, stuck in my head. Their catchy lyrics and fast paced playing helped give them the edge of the night and were the band that made the first night of CMW a night that I’ll hopefully never forget. I got a chance to interview the band a little later on that night and as for day 1 of CMW, I am proud to say that even though this one has just begun, I’m already excited to see what’s in store for next year.

Tags: cmw, concert