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 !