Big Rock Finish… reviews of independent music

August 2, 2008.

Hello Beautiful is not a band I actually know a whole lot about. I’ve heard OF them, and from what the rumours say, they’re a good tight band that’s going to go places. And from seeing bits and pieces of their live show, I’d have to say the rumours are true.

Really, seeing as how I sort of just stumbled across them playing on the same stage as Awaking State a few sets later, I had no expectations and no real knowledge of what I was getting myself into. A part of me just thought “HEY! I have all-access and darn tootin’, I’m gonna use it!” and was able to get some pretty neat shots of the band (and the drummer too!) I’ll have to contact them soon about the photos, I like to show off, and I’m sure Hello Beautiful won’t mind that I use them to show off.

But really, they sounded really good, didn’t sound pretentious at all, genuinely seemed to love their time on stage and were having just a great time. The band loved it and the crowd loved it. I’m really happy I caught a part of their set, because it was really enjoyable.

I would definitely want to see Hello Beautiful again at some point, and maybe this time I won’t be so shy and actually introduce myself!

August 2, 2008.

LONG WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!! Nothing better than spending your long weekend away from your significant other. What? You mean normal people don’t spend 3 day weekends away from their boyfriend/girlfriend and would rather go camping at a rock festival?? Insanity!

So, Awaking State was invited to the Cutting Edge music festival. Something I’d never heard of before until about a week prior to the event. Alright, so it’s in some place called Grand Bend. What?! It’s three to four hours away (depending on who’s driving) and it’s a 4 day long event?? Do you think you’re crazy? I’m a seasoned couch potato (now THAT’s funny) and am not into the whole idea of camping.

Alas, the idea of media passes and all-access was just too thrilling, and I ended up finding myself in a car full of computer and drum equipment (and beer, lets not forget the beer) Friday night heading towards this mythical “Grand Bend” location. All other posting aside, seeing as how I wrote an entry about the event in general, let’s get to the show.

Awaking State was the exact first band to be playing. Good and bad. Good because once the band (and their entourage) is done, they have the entire rest of the festival to enjoy the sights/sounds and overall relax and have a good time. Bad, because they’re the first band playing, there really isn’t a lot of “walk-through” traffic to enjoy the sights and sounds of Awaking State, rather just their hardcore fans, and other bands were likely the ones to take in the music. Which is still good in my opinion.

I liked the set. The stage was MASSIVE. Biggest I’d seen in a while, especially for an independent band. Beer company sponsorship. Go figure. A generally new lineup included previously known Kent on guitar & lead vocals, and Brandon kickin’ it behind… the kicks. Danny was a great comedic lead guitarist, Andrew was one of the most chill bassists I’d ever seen, and all bassists seem really chill, and for the first time, Adam on keys.

Daytime stages are always so different for me personally, seeing as how most of my photography is done in the dark of a dingy back end bar. So it took me a little bit to get used to the idea of sunlight and the great outdoors, including having something burning in my eye for half the set. But my favourites are always the large vein in Kent’s neck that looks like it will burst at any moment. And I think he’s been working out, at least Awaking State-wise, because that vein gets bigger every time I see it.

So the first band at a festival probably isn’t the best spot in the world, but I do know that with their performance this year, they’ve already nailed a slot in next year’s Cutting Edge music festival. So here’s hoping that next year my photos will be more like the photos I always take, shielded from the sun!

July 26, 2008.

Have any of my readers noticed yet that there was an extremely busy weekend that I had at the end of July? I had a birthday/christmas in july party, two bands that same night, then two bands the night after. Neither day did I get home before 4am, and by Sunday I swear I was among the walking dead. Alas, that’s not the point of this entry.

I went to go see BROOMFILLER at James Ratch’s birthday party extravaganza. Because it’s only exciting when it’s fueled by alcoholic sponsorships. In this case Jack Daniels. Equally exciting is the fact that I am now considered “Media” by many of the bands I frequent due to my inability to not show up with a camera.

Anyone who’s not “in the know” will be thinking the same thing I always think of. “Who the bloody hell is James Ratch, and why does Jack Daniels sponsor his birthday party?” Well to answer your first question, this man happens to be the collections person at Long & McQuaide, a popular music store chain. Secondly… I have no clue. I wish someone would sponsor my birthday parties though. But seeing as how he’s connected into music, it makes sense to throw himself a rock show every year on the year of his birth.

BROOMFILLER was scheduled to play at 12:30am, technically they were playing Sunday, but I’ll not be nit-picky. Gave me enough time to go from The Central when I was watching The Dropjoys to the Kathedral a few blocks away. Of course getting to the venue on time meant some well timed public transport. And when I get there I notice the band on stage, is not only not BROOMFILLER, but they’re also taking a lot longer than they should be. Frustrating to say the least.

But onto the show. Now, in my knowledge, the last band of the night, if playing after midnight, usually is a bad time slot, and in some ways it was. It sucked huge that BROOMFILLER was supposed to be playing a 45 minute set, but it was cut short to 30 minutes. And it sucks that this seemed due in large part to the previous band not only being on stage for longer than they should have been, but also, according to other patrons, started later than they should have. I should think that musicians should have enough respect and common courtesy to do things by the book to make sure everyone gets a fair chance.

Anyways, you expect a rocking good show, and with BROOMFILLER you’ll get a rocking good show. High energy as always, a really tight 3-piece where everyone knows what everyone else is doing, if anything else, they all have the same train of thought sexually while on stage. Not often do you have a drummer who is just as much of a showoff as the lead singer, but I think we’ve found it. A bass player who’s constantly pulling funny faces when he notices a camera is on him, and a guitarist who is daring enough to play a guitar by holding it solely by the neck, after the strap disconnects from the body.

It was more than awesome to see people enjoying the set and hanging out in front of the stage, and while not everyone was someone I would really picture at a rock show, apparently there were a lot of “industry people” out who liked what they saw. I wouldn’t consider myself industry people, seeing as how I’m not, but I liked what I saw. So they must have good taste.

I think BROOMFILLER is taking the rest of the summer off to demo and record, but make sure you stay tuned because I think this winter will be a big one.

July 26, 2008

Alright, first band of the night to actually go see. The last time I saw the members of The Dropjoys, Kevin and Naoko were getting married, and I was one of their photographers. (Congratulations by the way!) They were beautiful, the weather was perfect, and dinner was absolutely divine! Yet… I digress. Well, one more comment. Due to scheduling conflicts and not being able to see them any earlier, I was finally able to get a small wedding gift to the happy couple at this show, which thankfully they loved.

Onto the show. I’ve never been to The Central before. With good reason. It’s tiny. I was expecting something much bigger and grander, but as I’m twisting and winding my way through some narrow passageways, I’m finding myself staring at a stage that is the exact width of one of the “wings” of this establishment. It was interesting to see The Dropjoys, a 5 person band, fit. Dan on drums & Nao on keys in the background, then Steve, Kevin and Carey all standing, for once, very proper and straight, because lord knows if anyone swung the wrong way someone else would have a guitar neck in the eye.

The sound was pretty good in my opinion, seeing as how I know Kevin is a pretty big stickler, he might say otherwise, but I really liked the overall. It was definitely comical to see everyone on such a small stage but everything I think worked quite well. The set list was a bit confusing seeing as how songs jumped from sad to happy to tragic to happy, and by the time I left I could tell everyone who was in the building really loved what they were hearing.

Of course I had to leave early with a secondary engagement, so I’ll leave you all to it!

I think next time The Dropjoys are playing (They played a show August 11th at the Horseshoe) is the Newmarket Ribfest on August 16th. Yet another Rib fest. I’m SO there.

July 25, 2008.

To most people it’s a day to have fun and frolic in the sunshine. To my friend Jana (www.jananas.com) it’s her birthday and she’s going to celebrate it Christmas-in-July-ified! Problem being, this was also the same night that Cousin Alex and Tynur were to celebrate their collective birthdates by throwing a big party at Smiling Buddha Bar including, if anything else, the chance to get up on stage and make fools of themselves in front of all their friends, family and well-wishers.

So what’s a girl to do? I go to both! The fun and exciting part is the fact that it will be a really relaxed environment and the bands are great. Wee Alex is in both which makes for some interesting wardrobe changes, if anything just so the photographers can properly tag which band is on stage at what time.

But seeing as how S.N.A.K. was the first to perform (of which I only caught a portion of their set, being late(!) to the venue) they played to some pretty hip and happening crowds that… for the most part avoided the dance floor like the plague. I avoid it too so I guess I can’t really say anything bad about them. But we get the dancing songs up, and everyone will come up and hang out violating the dreaded Toronto semi-circle.

As Wee Alex changes from a black t-shirt to a white t-shirt, Señor Kasio hits the stage with lots of fun songs about… lots of subjects. We have tattoos, bloody noses, stolen cars and Iraq or Afghanistan or something to do with fake turkeys. Midway through THAT set, of course you have Cousin Alex of S.N.A.K. and Steve of Señor Kasio doing the just-married intertwined-arm shooters, some bump and grind dancing between the both overly-sweaty gentlemen, before more members of S.N.A.K. start hitting the stage in funny sunglasses and overall crowding the very small centre of attention.

I have to admit, I had my doubts that the stage at Smiling Buddha Bar would be able to hold the collective members of both bands, and I was right! Tynur was off the stage the entire time, and Dave! and Steve both were running into the crowd to dance like the fools they pretend to be.

And I think my favourite of the night was the encore of “I Wanna Fuck” if all else, because it was requested by women in the crowd shouting “We wanna fuck again!”

Alright. It’s a holiday Monday, I’m sitting at home, dehydrated, not at all on a normal sleep schedule, sunburnt to the tits (actually, to be perfectly honest my tits are the one part of my body NOT sunburnt) and wondering “what the hell happened 72 hours ago?” I was at the Cutting Edge Music Festival.

I went there with no more than the intentions to take photos of Awaking State while they were on stage, off stage, and everything in between. Mission accomplished. I also saw a few other bands that I enjoyed, some I recognized, some I didn’t. Since Awaking State was the first band of the event to perform, it meant that after that it was just party time until it was time to go home.

Friday night all four vehicles of Awaking State arrived, picked a camp ground and proceeded to drink until it started pouring crazy rain that disallowed any more tent setup. As I slept quite uncomfortably in the van, I wondered how everyone was doing in tent city since they were not allowed to have their cars at the campsite (artists were allowed).

Saturday was Awaking State’s set, which was awesome, and a lot of my wandering around the festival afterwards checking out the vendors, taking photos of other bands, using my media pass to it’s fullest advantages. Just hung out really. Found out we weren’t even in the right camp ground (which explains why no one else was there. Although I find it surprising that the entire Awaking State group was directed to one area, while everyone else was pointed in the complete opposite direction) and we had to move campsites.

Saturday night I was dead tired and generally feeling a little burnt, drank some and wanted to sleep early. Completely repacked the travelling van so I had room to lay down in the back, and promptly fell asleep while the headlining act was playing about 500 feet to my right.

Sunday we had a mix of security issues, no hot water, and my giving up on a shower and just toweling myself off in a still generally clean washroom. Waited 3 hours for something to eat for breakfast since the boys were driving off into town, this being after about an hour and a half of trying to jumpstart a car with a dead battery. Finally after eating, we drank some more so I was able to finish off my alcohol, and more sitting and chilling, and finally packing of the van so we could leave. The rest of the group stayed until today from my understanding (Monday afternoon) but I had to leave early, so we did!

I liked it. I wouldn’t mind doing it again. I’m just going to make sure I bring less clothes (I totally overpacked in the clothing department) and more food & booze to not have to pay outrageous prices at the event.

Give me a few more days when typing no longer hurts my sunburnt shoulders, and I’ll tell you more about the bands.