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

The Trews @ Gage Park
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


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
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
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
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
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

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 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
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 !