Concert Photos and Review: Fox Jaws @ Lee's Palace - 09.25.2009

Ok so I tend to follow Barrie area bands somewhat. What can I say I know the reality of having to make the trip up the 400 hiway daily and there is always a special place in my heart for those bands from the region. Having missed their cd release show at El Mocambo last month I was definitely looking forward to catching Fox Jaws @ Lee's Palace this time around. The last time I saw them play in Toronto was in October. Now I already liked Fox Jaws at the time but it was the first time I had chance to hear Carleigh Aikins voice in its raspy splendour at a venue with half decent sound.

Hey Rosetta! @ Lee's Palace

Hey Rosetta! @ Lee's Palace
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Hey Rosetta! @ Lee's Palace
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

I could hardly wait to see Hey Rosetta! play Lee's. I had been listening to their latest release "Into Your Lungs" at all times and still can't get enough. I made a point to be there at any cost after having missed their CMW appearance. What can I say I happen to be a sucker for that big layered sound that includes a violin and cello.
There is a consistent build up to most Hey Rosetta! songs that seems to draw the crowd in magnificently. From the quiet beginnings of "Black Heart" building with a gripping anticipation and what a great feeling it is to finally burst into song "I just want, oh oh oh, Someone to lean on...".
From listening to crowd conversations it was quite evident that I was not the only Hey Rosetta! live virgin in the crowd. I think it is pretty safe to assume that most will be back for more. If you haven't heard any Hey Rosetta! please do check out their site www.heyrosetta.com or their myspace page http://www.myspace.com/heyrosetta and check out their video for There's an Arc which I thought was really well done and just plain cool.
I have to say for me this has been the show of the year. Ok... so I haven't been doing this for too long, but I can't remember Lee's Palace ever being louder.
I enjoyed this show so much that if they had their Hamilton and London dates switched around I would have been in Hamilton the next night to catch that one too.
Hey, Hey Rosetta! We wanna thank you so much !


Hey Rosetta! @ Lee's Palace
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Oh No Forest Fires , Dinosaur Bones, Still Life Still, Arietta @ Lee's Palace

Oh No Forest Fires @ Lee's Palace
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Great night of local rock bands. Lee's Palace hosted a Friday night with four local indie rock bands.

Oh No Forest Fires:
Ok, let me start off by saying that I really, really, really, really, really like this band. So I hope this doesn't come of as being too over the top. Oh No Forest Fires consists of Rajiv Thavanathan, Brock Swanek, Matt Del Buono and Adam Nimmo (and friends, to many to list) out of Toronto. Their sound is some kind of indie math pop rock fusion filled with starts, stops, edgy hooks and sweet slow melodies that grow and build leaving you entertained and fully engaged.
Their live show is that and much more. Frontman Rajiv Thavanathan possesses the boundless energy of a dancing electron. My brother in law once described him as a Rock n' Roll Tornado and I quite agree. What's more by the end of the show the rest of the band seem to catch the fever and the chaos ensues. They're a fun band with great sound. And a must see.
On a side note: I've been listening to their EP "A War On Geometry" alot as of late.
There is a special place in my heart for "New Cove Road Back Home" not only because I love the violin in it, but also because I live in Barrie and work in Toronto and quite often it feels like I spend all day on the 400 highway too.

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Dinosaur Bones:

Dinosaur Bones @ Lee's Palace
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

This is a band I just seem to keep missing. I was glad to catch them playing Lee's this night. I wasn't able to stay for the whole set but what I did hear was quite promising and I'll make sure to catch them again soon.

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Still Life Still:

Still Life Still @ Lee's Palace
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

I had seen Still Life Still once before opening for The Kaiser Chiefs @ The Mod Club. Having heard a few songs on their myspace page I was quite excited to see them live. Their sound seemed to be off and was not quite indicative of what I thought they could be like live. On the strength of their myspace songs and being on a great local band bill I was quite glad to give them another chance. I found this performance to be a hell of a lot better and quite entertaining. Their vocals remind me of some early Sloan back when I liked them more. I'm quite eager to see and hear more from them.

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Arietta:

Arietta @ Lee's Palace
Originally uploaded by vasquezr

Another band with a great track on myspace "We Were All Invincible". They played a solid set. I'll be looking for their release and next shows.

Liam Finn @ 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.