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.

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
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


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


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

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
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

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
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
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 @ VirginFestival
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


Flash Lightnin'
Originally uploaded by vasquezr


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.