Chop Suicide @ The Foxx Lounge

Chop Suicide @ The Foxx Lounge
Chop Suicide @ The Foxx Lounge
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Chop Suicide @ The Foxx Lounge
Chop Suicide @ The Foxx Lounge
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Snotty, flirty, in your face rock and roll... this is the description the band uses on their myspace page... and that's exactly what you'll get when you go see Chop Suicide. Last I heard the band consisting of Staci T. Ratt (guitar), Danyell (vocals) and Stephane DeBernardi (bass) were still in between drummers. It is very obvious that this band is out to have fun whenever they hit the stage. Their energy quite easily spills out the crowd and is often followed by Danyell herself who likes to wander to involve members of the audience. Comparisons to Joan Jett & GNR never hurt either. Their tunes are catchy and live show is fun to watch. Photographers will especially love this band as they provide plenty of rock and roll poses. Good fun !

Hail The Villain, Threat Signal @ The Mansion Night Club

Hail The Villain @ The Mansion Night Club
Hail The Villain@ The Mansion Night Club
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Hail The Villain@ The Mansion Night Club
Hail The Villain@ The Mansion Night Club
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Hard rock was brought back to Barrie with the arrival of Hail the Villain.
The Oshawa quartet consisting of Bryan Crouch on vocals, Joseph Stamp guitar, Chad Taylor bass and Drew Dockrill drums grab you by the throat with their raw energy and power and never let go. Although the band has made it to Barrie on a few occasions I had not yet had the pleasure of catching their show. Having listened to songs from their hard hitting album Population:Declining I knew this was a band I could not miss any longer. The album is really good and the live show was just as good. A really good performance, these guys are not to be missed.

Threat Signal
Also on the bill that night were the quintet rockers from Hamilton Threat Signal. They describe themselves to be Melodic Trash Metal and proved to be a lot of fun and quite entertaining. These guys make live music photography a lot of fun, good poses and lots of flying hair. Overall a lot of fun to watch.
Threat Signal @ The Mansion Night Club
Threat Signal @ The Mansion Night Club
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Threat Signal @ The Mansion Night Club
Threat Signal @ The Mansion Night Club
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


It was nice to see hard rock/metal come back to Barrie.

Nu Music Night: Mobile @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern

The Midway State @ Tattoo Rock Parlour
Mobile @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


The Midway State @ Tattoo Rock Parlour
Mobile @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


A great night of music. Nu Music Night featured USS, Mobile and The Waking Eyes. Unfortunately I wasn't able to catch The Waking eyes this time around, but I had seen them in Barrie a few weeks ago and at the Virgin Festival this year. I was however very pleased to be able to see my first ever Mobile set. I've liked these guys for quite some time now and was quite excited to see them live. Mobile did not disappoint. The band played favourites like Montreal Calling, Out of My Head and the latest single The Killer. Although suffering from the flu Mat Joly did well on vocals. Watching him move around the stage I was reminded of a young Bono circa the Boy to War days. Really good set. I'm glad I finally caught their live show.

The Midway State @ Tattoo Rock Parlour

The Midway State @ Tattoo Rock Parlour
The Midway State @ Tattoo Rock Parlour
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


I had been wanting to catch The Midway State since early summer. I had the opportunity to see them play at The Virgin Festival this year and was really impressed so when I found out they were playing @ the Tattoo Rock Parlour in Toronto I made sure to be there. The Midway State are a foursome consisting of, Nathan Ferraro (vocals/piano), Daenen Bramberger (drums) both from ski country Ontario, and Mike Wise (guitar), Mike Kirsh (bass) both from the GTA. The group has been experiencing success with their single "Never Again" from the album Holes released early this year. They started off with Fireflies for the eager Tattoo crowd and played through a few other songs from their album, "Unaware", "Change For You", "Can't Stop Waking Up To You" and others. Being from the Barrie area and spending quite a bit of time in ski country over the last few years I can't help but hear those references in their music about snow coming down and puffy white coats. Although their sound is dominated by Nathan's vocals and piano band mate Mike Wise showed off some skills during the band's cover of No Doubt's "Don't Speak" to the pleasure of their fans.

Sam Roberts Band @ The Danforth Music Hall

Sam Roberts Band @ Danforth Music Hall
Sam Roberts Band @ The Danforth Music Hall
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


The Sam Roberts Band took Toronto by storm playing four nights out of five at the Danforth Music Hall. I had the pleasure of being there for two of the four nights. The first night was mainly photography as I did not have much time to stick around to see much more of the show. However I was lucky enough to catch the whole show on Saturday ( the last night of the stint ).

I had seen the band earlier this year @ Bala and have to say I found these shows to have a lot heavier sound and feel to them. The band powered through the set which included the title track to their latest album Love At The End Of The World, With A Bullet, and the bilingual No Sleep. They made sure to play crowd favourites Hard Road, Where Have All the Good People Gone? Don't Walk away Eileen, Bridge To Nowhere and Them Kids. However, the big highlights of the show were the saxophone assisted Brother Down and the full out rock blitz Mind Flood.

The Sam Roberts Band came to show Toronto what Rock n Roll is all about ... now if only we knew how to dance.

The Trews @ The Mansion Night Club, Barrie, ON

The Trews @ The Mansion Night Club
The Trews @ The Mansion Night Club
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


The Trews will be playing a couple of acoustic shows in Japan this week. As a result the people of Barrie were treated to a special warm up acoustic show. The house was packed which was quite nice to see as it was the first time I've ever seen it that full since the renovations. The anticipation was met by a solid intimate set by the east coasters. These guys always put on a great show and the acoustic version was no different. Even acoustically they were able to rock out to crowd favourites like So She's Leaving and Not Ready to Go. Other special highlight were the renditions of the very popular Man of Two Minds and Ishmael & Maggie. Overall a great treat for Barrie.

Liam Finn @ Lee's Palace

Liam Fin @ Lee's Palace
Liam Finn @ Lee's Palace
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


This is the third time I've seen Liam Finn play in Toronto this year. It's nice to see that his following seems to be growing and with good reason. The show was originally scheduled to be at the El Mocambo, the same venue for his show back in May. I suspect it was moved to accommodate all the extra fans he picked up from his show with Eddie Vedder @ Massey Hall. Regrettably I missed that one.

The last show at the El Mocambo featured an intimate acoustic set. This time around the crowd got a chance to see more of what Liam could do playing electric and bashing "the shit" out of some drums. He and EJ played songs off of the I'll Be Lightning album and were joined during the encore by brother Elroy Finn and Chris Garland. Highlights of the show were the Neil Young cover of Old Man, Lead Balloon, This place Is Killing Me and other songs of the album. They've been on tour for a long time and will be taking a break now. Hope to see them again soon.

Barrie New Music Festival 2008

Trophy @ The Barrie New Music Festival 2008
Trophy @ The Barrie New Music Festival 2008
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


The Barrie New Music Festival featured over 50 artists playing some of Barrie's downtown clubs. The festival ran from Oct 2nd - 4th. I was glad to see this type of festival in Barrie. I'm not just saying that because it means I don't have to drive to Toronto for the night(s). I only hope it will continue to grow and that the people of Barrie support these type of events. I was really impressed by the few acts that I was able to catch including: October Sky, Used For Glue, Vanderpark and Trophy.

October Sky @ The Barrie New Music Festival 2008
October Sky @ The Barrie New Music Festival 2008
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Used For Glue @ The Barrie New Music Festival 2008
Used For Glue @ The Barrie New Music Festival 2008
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Vanderpark @ The Barrie New Music Festival 2008
Vanderpark @ The Barrie New Music Festival 2008
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Sweet Thing @ Supermarket

Sweet Thing @ Supermarket
Sweet Thing @ Supermarket
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Da da da da, Da da da da, Da da da da, Da da da da... this "phrase" has taken over my mind. For at least a week after the Sweet Thing show @ The Supermarket "Da" seems to be the only bit of vocabulary I can muster. Can we say catchy ? Sweet Thing seem to have the ability to write very catchy pop songs. Their delivery of said songs is nothing short of engaging. Lead vocalist Owen Carrier does a superb job of involving the audience ensuring everyone has got their clap on. The band played a set including songs from their self titled EP much to the delight of the crowd @ Supermarket. They have since singed with EMI records and I'm very much looking forward to a full length CD. Lots of fun. You'll love seeing these guys even though they will limit your vocabulary for a short time.

Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker @ Phoenix Concert Theatre

Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

It was a crazy night at the Phoenix. I can't recall ever hearing a louder crowd at a smaller venue than I did on this night. USS...USS...USS... these chants are still ringing in my ears. I've seen USS twice now and it is always a lot of fun. Ash and Kebab bring so much energy to their shows that it quickly spills out to their rabid fans. Security had a tough night with what seemed like a constant stream of stage crashers. They've been steadily building up a following that helped them win a couple of casbys (Favourite New Artist and Favourite New Single). They're EP is great their live shows are really making them a hit ! See them again soon @ their XMas show !

Virgin Festival Toronto 2008

Noel Gallagher @ Virgin Festival
Oasis @ Virgin Festival
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Well when the dust settled most of the talk was of the attack on Noel Gallagher. This was a most unfortunate way to end of a great festival. This years festival featured Oasis, Foo Fighters, Pigeon Detectives, Paul Weller, Stereophoics, The Kooks and many more great bands. However what most impressed me was the talent at the Oh Henry Stage. This years smallest stage featured bands like We Are The Take, Saint Alvia, Flash Lightnin', Lights, Bad Flirt, The Waking Eyes, Arkells, Shad, The Secret Broadcast and others.

Arkells @ Virgin Festival
Arkells @ Virgin Festival
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

I was most impressed by Arkells performance. They are a great band from the Hamilton area with a great sound and a good bit of soul. I liked these guys so much I made sure to catch their performance at the Sound Academy when they opened up for Bedouin Soundclash. They will be releasing a cd called Jackson Square at the end of October and I can only expect they'll just build on great songs like Champagne Socialist and Oh The Boss is coming.

Saint Alvia @ Virgin Festival
Saint Alvia @ Virgin Festival
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Another band to put on a great performance was Saint Alvia. The guys from Burlington have been getting really good reviews and very well deserved. They have the best punk sound I've heard in quite some time. A comparison to the Clash is almost inevitable as they share some of the same spirit or charm in their sound. They are having a cd release show at the Horseshoe in October. Not to be missed.

Other fun bands I was able to catch were The Waking Eyes, Flash Lightnin' and Lights.
I'll make sure to see then when they play their club shows in Toronto.

The Waking Eyes @ Virgin Festival
The Waking Eyes @ VirginFestival
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Flash Lightnin' @ Virgin Festival
Flash Lightnin'
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Lights @ Virgin Festival
Lights @ Virgin Festival
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


I regret not being able to catch sets by We Are The Take, Bad Flirt and others.
Hard to get them all in when there is so much great music.
Well done Virgin.

Y108 Rock and Roll Picnic, The Trews, Teenage Head... and more

The Trews @ Gage Park
The Trews @ Gage Park
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Teenage Head @ Gage Park
Teenage Head @ Gage Park
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Headed down to Hamilton for the Y108 Rock and Roll Picnic. It was my first time there and I thought it would be spoiled by the weather. Luckily after a bit of a down pour the sky cleared up and everyone was ready for a good time. Unfortunately I missed Age of Daze who played before the big storm. I was lucky enough to catch the next two bands Rides Again and Pride Tiger who warmed up the crowd quite nicely.


Rides Again @ Gage Park
Rides Again @ Gage Park
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Rides Again is a trio out of Oshawa, Ontario. They played a short but really good set which included singles It's too late and the very well recieved Infected. The guys put on a really good show. I'd love to see them in a club setting so I'll be keeping my eyes open to see when they'll be playing in the next little while.

Pride Tiger @ Gage Park
Pride Tiger @ Gage Park
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Pride Tiger took to the stage and grabbed everyone's attention with their fun and energetic brand of rock and roll. Lead by their very entertaining drummer/vocalist Matt Wood the band rocked out tunes including White Witch Woman Blues and my favourite Let 'Em Go. These guys are from East Vancouver so I'm not sure when they'll be around again but they really are worth seeing.

Next up were the "Canadian Ramones" Teenage Head. The Hamilton crowd was very happy to see their own on stage. Teenage Head thrilled their fans with an hour long set during which Frankie Venom invited quite a few of them onto the stage.


The Trews @ Gage Park
The Trews @ Gage Park
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

The crowd was more than warmed up by the time The Trews hit the stage. This is the second time I've seen The Trews live. The first was in a small club in Michigan that I just happened to stumble by on my way to the zoo. What can you say about these guys except that they are true pros and a lot of fun to watch. They played a great set which included fan favourites Not Ready to Go, Ishmael and Maggie, Poor Old Broken Hearted Me, Tired of Waiting as well as a few from their latest album. They were a great choice to cap off a great day of Rock n' Roll.

Sam Roberts @ The Kee to Bala

Sam Roberts @ The Kee to Bala
Sam Roberts @ The Kee to Bala
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


It's been a few days now but the only thing playing consistently on my ipod has been the Sam Roberts band. This is the second time I've seen Sam Roberts live. The first was @ Live 8 in Barrie (Park Place or Toronto for tv land but that's another story). I quite enjoy the feel of a more intimate setting than the large festival type shows. Of course up to now I've only been way out in the crowd for most of these and haven't had the pleasure of the pit. First off the show was @ The Kee To Bala. Anyone who's ever seen a show @ The Kee can testify that its quite a unique experience. Nestled in the middle of cottage country this place really does get bouncing... literally. And I'm quite certain that most of the patrons, after a day at the cottage, are already feeling pretty good by the time they get to the show. On this night Sam and the band gave us all good reason to feel even better. The band started off with their current single Them Kids to a great reception from the crowd. The band powered through their set with hits like Dead End, Don't Walk Away Eileen and Bridge To Nowhere. Everyone was fully engaged and singing along loudly to the slower songs Taj Mahal and Uprising Down Under. My personal faves for the night were Brother Down and the final song Where Have All the Good People Gone. Great show ! One I'll remember for a while.

Ubiquitos Synergy Seeker @ The Foundation Night Club


Ubiquitos Synergy Seeker @ The Foundation Night Club - 9281
USS @ The Foundation Night Club
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Incredible !! Pure and Total Energy !! I knew we were in for a great show when I saw the guys stretching before the performance. Instantly a smile crept onto my face and for the whole night it didn't fade. I've started looking for shows to go to up here in Barrie and was quite surprised and very pleased when I found out these guys were coming to town. After having seen Les Breastfeeders @ The Horseshoe I've been looking for bands with some energy, excitement and movement to shoot. USS did not fail in this respect. They entertained the crowd with songs like Hollow Point Sniper Hyperbole, 2 and 15 16ths and Drop Around The Clock. Both members were great but Human Kebab is really something else spinning tunes, frantically dancing and without notice running out from behind the turntables and into the crowd and back faster than you can say Hollow Point. The highlight of the show for me was the tandem foot scratching displayed in this photo. The crowd ate it all up. By the end of the show the stage was full of crazed fans. Overall just a great show. A must see !!!

The Hots @ The Mod Club

The Hots @ The Mod Club - 8902
The Hots @ The Mod Club Saturday July 12, 2008
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


They're hot alright ! The Hots were in fine form at the Mod Club Saturday July 12, 2008. It was quite an interesting night. The show was supposed to start at 10:45 pm. However upon arrival The Hots' fans were treated to the end of the Burlesque Ball being held at the club that night. The berlesquers proved to be a good opener for the band as the fans were cheering along with the nights original guests. After a quick clean up the band hit the stage getting their fans up and dancing with the upbeat Ze Germans. The band continued their solid performance with songs like Long Time Caller and Apollo Creed. The set was topped off with an aerialist performing in the middle of the club up a red band of cloth attached to the Mod Club's ceiling. Great show Hots !

The Quarry @ The Foundation Night Club

The Quarry @ The Foundation Night Club - 8629

The Quarry @ The Foundation Night Club
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Barrie's got talent !!! The Quarry were supposed to open for Kris Roe @ The Foundation Night Club. Kris explained that he had a long drive ahead of him and asked The Quarry to switch spots in the line up. I was a little tired after seeing Kris and the band rock and was planning to stick around for just a couple of songs. Then The Quarry hit the stage and I couldn't leave. They were really good and I quite enjoyed the set. That and frontman Jeff Brennan really seemed to like the camera made for quite a fun night. Great job guys !

Les Breastfeeders @ The Horseshoe Tavern

Les Breastfeeders @ The HorseshoeTavern
Les Breastfeeders @ The Horseshoe Tavern
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Headed down to the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern for this show on a recommendation from my brother in law. He told me they were quite energetic and would make for some cool shots. This was my second trip to the Horseshoe and if they were going to be active I thought I should bring my flash with me. They took the stage and rocked the house. Their songs are mostly french so I didn't quite understand everything they were saying. No matter. They were a lot of fun and quite active. The place was packed and rowdy. It was all good fun. I can't wait till they come back to Toronto.

We Are The Take @ The El Mocambo

We Are The Take @ The El Mocambo
We Are The Take @ The El Mocambo
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


As per my previous post I found out about We Are The Take when I was looking for bands to shoot in Toronto. I listened to the music on their myspace page and was quite impressed. So off I went to the El Mocambo for the night. They were the second band to play and performed a great set that kept everyone quite entertained. I'll have to keep an eye on these guys. Would love to seem them live again soon.

The Hots @ The El Mocambo

We Are The Take @ The El Mocambo
The Hots @ The El Mocambo
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

I'm trying to hit the clubs as often as I can to shoot live bands. Had a look @ the El Mocambo website and found three bands playing this night: The Hots, We Are The Take and Bad Flirt. After listening to the myspace pages for these bands there was no question I was going to be there. The Hots were the first band up. The played a really good energetic set. I really enjoyed it and was pleased
to find out they'd be playing again really soon @ The Mod Club.

Rob Dickinson @ The Mod Club

Rob Dickinson @ The Mod Club
Rob Dickinson @ The Mod Club
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


I had been looking forward to this show for a long time. I've always been a very big Catherine Wheel fan since the first time I saw the Black Metallic video on Much late some Friday night. I think it was a much loud epi. Anyway I saw Rob Dickinson opening for the Neverending Whie Lights @ the Danforth Music Hall back in April. I thought it was great to hear the old Wheel songs acoustically. The set was really good and I regretted not even bringing a point & shoot. It was at that moment as I cursed at myself that I decided to try my hand at live music photography. Fast forward to June 18 @ The Mod Club. Rob and his band played through a good mix of old Catherine Wheel Songs and some of his solo stuff from Fresh Wine For The Horses. Overall a great show. Favourites were of course Crank, Masolituda and of course Future Boy. Awesome lighting @ the mod club.

Evan Dando @ The Horseshoe Tavern NXNE 2008

Evan Dando @ The Horseshoe Tavern NXNE 2008
Evan Dando @ The Horseshoe Tavern NXNE 2008
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


After the Spades show in Mississauga I headed down to the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern to catch Evan Dando's NXNE show. This was a solo acoustic show and it was great. Evan played a set mainly comprised of all the old Lemonheads classics. My faves were Being Around, Buddy and Hannah & Gabi. The lighting at The Horseshoe was interesting to say the least. Challenging but fun. Gonna have to keep an eye out to see who's playing here. I kind of like challenges. Hey.. If I was a dance floor ...

TheSpades @ the Mississauga Waterfront Festival


The Spades @ The Mississauga Waterfront Festival
The Spades @ The Mississauga Waterfront Festival
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Busy day on Friday. Headed over to the Mississauga Waterfront Festival after work and some shopping. Having seen The Spades in Barrie a few days before I took the opportunity to see them again in Mississauga. Great show once again. This show was actually my first time in a pit. I found it to be quite different to the front row position I usually take up in the clubs.

The Spades @ The Roxx, Barrie, ON

The Spades @ The Roxx, Barrie, ON
The Spades @ The Roxx, Barrie, ON
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Matthew Good and his band were playing @ The Roxx in Barrie last night. I had called up and asked if I could bring my camera. I was told it was fine. Just no video. I was pretty excited. Not too long after being there I was called out and told I couldn't shoot the band. I could however shoot the opening act: The Spades. So I was a little disappointed and hoped for the best. These guys rocked !!! Can't wait to see them again. They'll be playing on Friday @ the Mississauga Waterfront Festival. I hope I can make it.

The Trews @ Magic Bag - Ferndale, MI


The Trews @ Magic Bag - Ferndale, MI
The Trews @ Magic Bag - Ferndale, MI
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


I hadn't planned on shooting this one. Drove my girlfriend to Michigan for work. I was gonna check out the zoo and do some cross border shopping. After a few wrong turns on our way to the zoo we found our way on to Woodward Ave. Then Nick points out that the Trews are playing @ a local club. At first I didn't believe her. Went back later that night and caught the show hoping they'd let me in with my camera. Overall it was a pretty good venue(Magic Bag). Lighting was tough...well maybe just for me. Alternate Routes opened the show and did a great job. Then The Trews came on and rocked the place out. John-Angus MacDonald helped me out a bit by jumping into some light for a couple guitar solos. This shot is the result of one of them.

Liam Finn - El Mocambo May 24, 2008

Liam Finn @ the El Mocambo
Liam Finn @ the El Mocambo
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Headed down to the El Mocambo this night to catch Liam Finn.
I was looking forward to seeing this show for a while. My first exposure to
Liam was when he in town with his old man Neil from Crowded House @ Massey Hall. He opened up with a pretty cool one man band set impressed the early crowd. Having enjoyed the performance I downloaded his album form itunes and viewed the Letterman performance and was again quite impressed. On this night Liam played The El Mo with EJ Barnes in last show of their North American tour. They played a great set which included the crowd pleasers Better To Be, Second Chance, and Energy Spent, but he grabbed the hearts of the Canadian crowd with a great cover of Neil Young's Old Man. Another highlight of the night was the excitingly animated version of Lead Balloon. Overall a great performance that quite pleased the crowded house @ The El Mo. Liam has since come back to Toronto opening up for Eddie Vedder @ Massey Hall and will once again be playing in Toronto @ Lee's Palace on Oct 4th, 2008. This show is not to be missed.