All good things come to an end. Thus is the harsh reality for Oh No Forest Fires and their fans. For the last couple of years this band has been tearing up the local stages with their intense and energetic live show.
I'll steal a quote from my brother in law once again to express how much I've enjoyed seeing Rajiv Thavanathan the rock-n-roll tornado on stage no matter how hard it might be to capture him in a mid air spin on camera. To go along with their lively shows Oh No Forest Fires had released a seven song EP called "The War on Geometry" in late 2008 which had some wonderful tracks on it and received some very good reviews. Its such a great shame we won't be seeing these guys any longer considering that on the eve of their last show they put out a second seven song release called "Wants To Try Something" which I just can't seem to stop playing at home. This stellar release is a power packed collection of songs I find even better than "The War on Geometry". The band came out all dressed in suits for their last performance which started with a new song "Real Talk for Manhunter: Know your Land, Know Your Prey" that featured drummer Adam Nimmo banging away on the drums with more fervour than I've ever seen. The rest of the band Rajiv (vocals/guitar), Brock Swanek (guitar) and Matt Del Buono (bass) came out and played a set consisting of songs from the new album as well as old crowd favourites. They ditched the ties and jackets by the third song and proceeded to play a great goodbye show. Oh No Forest Fires will be missed!
Arietta:
This was the second time I've seen Arrieta live. They released their debut album "Migration" in late April of last year and have received some good reviews. My faves being "Northearned" and "A Prolonged Sense of Longing". The band consists of Tyler Johnston (vocals), Sean Ramesbottom (guitar), Brian Craig, (guitar), Kyle Smith (bass) and Shehzaad Jiwani (drums). They put on a lively energetic set and are always fun to watch. They are playing a show @ Sneaky Dee's on February 18th. Swing by Arietta @ myspace for a listen.
Songs From A Room:
I first had the pleasure of catching Songs From A Room live in Barrie when they opened up for a sold out show @ The Mansion Nightclub headlined by Hamilton's Arkells. I was immediately blown away by their energy, raw sound and emotion. Playing songs like "Believing", "Revival" and "The Black That We Clad" Songs From A Room are a joy to watch live. Check out their myspace page.
The Darcys:
This was the first time I've seen The Darcy's live. I was compelled to see them on the strength of the songs I heard on their myspace page. They've been described as "Thom Yorke Does Crazy Horse" which is somewhat fitting once you hear their music. My faves being "House Built Around Your Voice", "When We Were A Wilderness" and the wonderful Owen Pallet cover "The CN Tower Belongs To The Dead". The Darcys played a wonderful set and are currently playing some shows around Ontario.
