CMW Day 3 @ The Kathedral, El Mocambo, and The Bovine Sex Club
Starting off day 3 of Canadian Music Week I was not too sure how my night would fare, as the previous night held quite a bit of disappointment, but nonetheless I was excited since two of my favourite bands were playing that night. Ten Second Epic and The Johnstones were set to perform during the night and I was also excited to check out what Dead and Devine had going for them later on that night as well.
To start things off that night I headed to the place where I had finished off day 2 of Canadian Music Week. The Kathedral was playing host to Ten Second Epic that night and even though they were not the headlining act that night, I definitely felt that they should have been. So before going on stage I was able to get an interview with guitarist Dan Carriere who gave me a better look into the band, which will be posted at a later date.
Ten Second Epic, if you ever get the chance are a band who should not be missed. Throughout the first half of the night at the Kathedral, the crowd was nowhere to be found, but as soon as Ten Second Epic hit the floor, people came flooding in and they got going. The band plays a very sort of pop rock sort of sound with a lot of tunes that you catch on to and want to sing along with. They ended up playing a lot of new songs of their latest album “Hometown” which had just been released a couple weeks earlier. They all looked like they were having an amazing time on stage, which is the main aspect of being in a band, if you can’t have fun playing on stage then why bother to form a band in the first place. They were very solid in their performance, with songs that were very motivating , vibrant and energetic. They had totally pumped me up and had me forgetting what a lousy night I had the previous day. The vocals had a distinct sound to them, were very clear and the backup vocals added a nice touch and complimented the lead vocals. Andrew(vocals) was always moving and jumping about as always which always adds a good atmosphere to any live show, the more a band is moving and alive, the more the crowd is going to get going, which really worked out well in the end. There a band that really stood out among the rest of the bands that I had gone to see in the 3 days that I had been covering Canadian Music Week, there’s just something about them that makes them unique from most other bands and because of this, they’re going to keep getting farther and farther in the industry. They even put on a cover of “Thin Lizzy’s”, The Boys Are Back In Town which was actually executed very well. Although I didn’t think the lead vocals totally fit into the song, everything else was nailed bang on including the backup vocals. Overall it was a performance I entirely enjoyed and I actually can’t wait until they’re back in Toronto again.
Right after their set had finished I had to rush myself over to the El Mocambo because in just an hour or so, The Johnstones were going to set stage, and they have been the band that I have been waiting all week to see. If I missed them at all, I don’t know what I would have done, they’re just a phenomenal band that seems to change up their live performance each and every time and puts on one of the best live shows that I have seen to date.
Took me a bit of walking to get from The Kathedral to the El Mocambo venue, but I made it. I actually made it in time to get my interview done with The Johnstones bassist Brent Marks who gave me one of the best interviews I’ve had with any band. He was insightful, honest, and overall just fun to talk to, and the interview should be up along with all the others in the next week or so.
Soon as it was time for The Johnstones to come on stage they had some intro music for their run onto the stage, and what would you know, they came on stage half naked. They’re so unpredictable and you can never really know what to expect from them, but one thing you can always be sure of is a good time and lots of laughs. This guys pull the biggest antics onstage, pushing each other around, getting in each others faces, they do stuff that most other bands wouldn’t do, which makes their live show all that much more better and fun to watch. In my honest opinion, watching The Johnstones live is even better than listening to one of their albums, which is saying a lot since I love their EP’s. They’re just not like any other band out there to date, they have their own sound, and have their own stamp on music. You can’t not feel upbeat around these guys, they’re music is just so happy and bouncing, that if you’re not smiling during the show, there is something definitely wrong with you. All the crazy stuff they do on stage also shows how into the band and performance they really are, they love music and have fun with it and the audience around them. They act like one huge family and it adds to the syncopation and enjoyment of their music. The vocals are intoxicating, each song can basically be sung along to, there is basically nothing you can’t love about The Johnstones. Ryan Long even took the stage for a couple minutes for an outrageous and amazing drum solo. They are one of my favorite bands for a reason, and getting another chance to hear all my favorite songs by them live was the icing on the cake for me of Canadian Music Week, and I really absolutely can’t wait to see them again sometime soon.
Last show of the night was walk in the opposite direction heading back near the Kathedral again but this time heading over to The Bovine Sex Club to check out Dead and Devine who had already played a show earlier that night at the Opera House, going on just before Silverstein.
Dead and Devine are another great band to get into, they play loud and everyone loves it. The only disappointment here was that they only played 3 or 4 songs that night. It was totally understandable though, they had played a show earlier that night, and now playing at 2 in the morning, well anybody can understand that they would be pretty tired at that point. The Bovine really seemed to look like it suited the bands look, they just really suited the atmosphere and look of the Bovine, and just looked right at home there. There hardcore vocals were solid, loud and intense, and for the most part each song was nailed pretty well, although the vocalist did sort of look muddled at points but again its totally understandable due to the nature of the night. The crowd got angry and rambunctious at one point just because the set they played was so short, they went on asking and cursing for more to no avail. Dead and Devine, coming all the way from Burlington had also just finished their new album “Machines We Are” which will be released sometime during the summer, where they played at least one new song off the album to quench the curiosity of their fans. Overall they were pretty solid, but I think it would have been a lot better to have seen them when they had been in their prime that night at The Opera House, but oh well beggars can’t be choosers.
Overall day 3 of Canadian Music week had been the best night yet so far, with interviews galore, a couple of my favorite bands going on stage that night, what more could a guy ask for. It was a solid night that I’m not ever going to forget and I really doubt day 4 will be able to top the amazing success that day 3 held that day. I will just have to wait and see what day 4 holds in store for me as I attend The 9th Annual Independent Music Awards, with guests Anvil, Hey Rosetta, USS, and more.
Lifetimes by Ten Second Epic
Bank by The Johnstones
Third Times The Charm Right by Dead and Devine
