Concert reviews by our bandwagon cowboy, Ross Gower.

Courtesy of Luke Champion

Sometime shortly after CMW the weather became unusually beautiful and I suddenly woke up a week later realizing I hadn’t accomplished anything. Well, it gave my thoughts some time to stew at least. And during the festival, I’d teamed up with my talented photographer friend Luke Champion hitting the scene hard. Here’s an outline of our adventures.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Wilderness of Manitoba – The Painted Lady
Wednesday night I set out to the Painted Lady to see The Wilderness of Manitoba. I’m not a huge fan of the painted lady for a musical venue; it can get really crowded really fast and can be difficult to move around in. Knowing that, I quickly found a place behind the wall-mounted mixing board and its sound man and settled in. I absolutely love the sound of their acoustic instruments together complimented by vocal harmonies. Their music spoke to a wide range of emotions while keeping up with their own sound. Some of it was quite haunting, in an Elliot Brood sort of way. But part of the uniqueness to their sound, I think, came from the dissonances in some of their vocal harmonies, which had a lasting effect on me.  They did a great job and I was glad to catch their show.

Courtesy of Luke Champion

Rating: 4.5/5

Vivian Girls – Wrongbar
This was a refreshing show to see. It’d been a while since I’d seen a full female band, let alone one that could rock a show like this. But Vivian Girls made most guy bands seem like a bunch of pussies.  Grunge has been gradually re-emerging in different forms during the past few years and here it came with a shiny indie-surf style, often times with late 50’s and early 60’s style drum beats backing it. And yes, I know they’re from Brooklyn, but their sound is undoubtedly West coast influenced in a number of ways. They interacted really well with the crowd, even permitting some drunk ass to continually hop on the mic and puke out a few unintelligible lyrics. The lead singer rewarded her jubilant fans, in proper punk-grunge form, by chugging from a 40 oz. of Jameson whiskey and spitting it all over them. Verdict: awesome.
Rating: 5/5

Courtesy of Luke Champion

Thursday, March 11, 2010
Parlovr  – Sneaky Dees
On Thursday night we were at Sneaky Dees, but not for wings, poutine or their king’s crown nachos. The first band we caught was Everything All The Time, who are amazing. If you haven’t seen them yet go see them already. But I wasn’t there to review them. Our band of interest, Parlovr, hit the stage around 12 a.m.  They were youthful, energetic and fun, and had an admirably animated stage presence; probably the best I saw during CMW. It’s so rare these days to see a live band that doesn’t act like they’re the coolest thing since birth control. Their music matched their presence in quality. It was catchy, melodic, grimy and raw and the energy it created reminded me of being 14 years old, crowd surfing at a grunge concert. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a huge crowd, but that didn’t seem to phase them, a reaction which can be a sign that they’re great performers or an indication that they just love what they were doing. I think it was both.  Fortunately, I know that they played the next night at the El Mocambo to a sold out crowd. If they had also been chugging from a bottle of whiskey I might have to have given them 6/5.
Rating: 5/5

Courtesy of Luke Champion

Friday, March 12, 2010
Diamond Rings – The Silver Dollar Room
Friday was a bit hectic. We found out that no one could get into the Arts & Crafts showcase at Lee’s Palace, so we made our way to The El Mocambo, which also happened to be at capacity. After a number of minutes of listening to people with media passes complain, we headed up the street to the Silver Dollar Room. We lucked out; Diamond Rings was just about to go on. This is the project of one man, John O., and I have to say, I was really impressed by this multi-talented solo performer. His beats and melodies were simple yet composed in such a way as to relate original sounding songs. That being said he certainly has strong influences; the most evident is Bowie, especially with respect to his glam-rock appearance. The music also reminded me of Bowie, mixed with vocal stylings similar to those of Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields. The performance was ‘glamboyant’, yet aggressively energetic and fun. John O. has a great presence. I think that the intensity of his movements somewhat took away from his ability to nail some of his vocals, but it was great.
Rating: 4/5

Courtesy of Luke Champion

The After Party – Magic and Bonjay
At around 2:30 a.m. we hit an after party at an amazing new underground venue called the ‘the syndrome’  in the heart of the Ossington-Queen West party scene. At that point I was wasted, but I feel like I have to say something about what went on there, because it was the most fun I’d had all week. First, Grahmzilla was DJing with Magic hitting the stage after at 4 a.m. followed by Bonjay at around 5 a.m. I won’t get into details, because my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I was so impressed with the music there. Check these artists out. In the future, I’ll make sure to review them when I’m not on another planet.

– Ross Gower.

Our Rodeo Rocker reviews Rich Aucoin, Lioness, and Everything All The Time.

Courtesy of Rob Fournier

It was Saturday night, and I’d just finished an incredibly “efficient” business meeting at the Filmores Hotel, followed by chicken curry poutine, followed by a cab straight to the Horseshoe Tavern. Needless to say, the night was starting off well. I waited in the front section of the bar for my friend and photographer Rob Fournier, and watched as the first act took the stage. Once he arrived, we approached the girls guarding the entrance into the back of the bar. Clearly, security was tight for this event.

Unfortunately, these confused girls seemed to think I was full of shit when I told them that I should be on the list, and weren’t helpful in the slightest. After the confusion settled and we were granted access, I mentioned how “I’m really looking forward to this show”. The smug reply I got was “it’s already started”. No shit. It’s ironic that the promotion company for the night was called ‘No Shame’, because if it were my company, I’d be ashamed by the way they initially interacted with us.

I opened with that little story for a reason. An unexpected damper on what had been, immediately before, a lovely evening can dramatically affect how you perceive a show. Let this be a lesson to any organizer: someone who is there to review your show won’t limit him or herself to reviewing just the bands. That being said, the show as a whole was great, so kudos to No Shame for putting together a great line up. I think that anyone who came specifically for one band, most likely enjoyed the others. And thank God Rich Aucoin was on first to help get rid of all that initial tension.

Courtesy of Rob Fournier

The band came out tightly clad in all white, with the exception of a fluorescent pink hat that Rich was wearing with an upturned brim. The music was captivating, and very tight. It’s sort of a mixture of the sounds of Daft Punk, Justice, Arcade Fire, and Talking Heads. To describe it as a whole, one thing’s for certain: there’s a touch of magic in it. Rich Aucoin’s song writing skills are exceptional; not only does he possess tremendous talent in this respect, but he’s also a brilliant musician and performer. Over the years, I’ve seen so many bands play and I can honestly say that Rich interacts with his audience better than most musicians out there. Part of this draws from how melodic and catchy his music is. His on stage visuals and projections encourage the audience to sing along to his memorable lines and he often leaves the stage and joins the audiences in group huddles. It’s an incredibly joyful experience.

Courtesy of Rob Fournier

We were dancing, surrounded by confetti, balloons and smiling faces, and I think everyone there felt like happy little children. Well, drunken ones at least. I thought deep and hard about something I could say about the group’s performance that they could have improved upon. And at the end of the set it finally hit me: the bassist’s pants could have been tighter.  Go check these guys out before you have to pay $30 for a ticket, because they’re on to something really great.
Rich Aucoin – Rating: 5/5

Courtesy of Rob Fournier

The next band was called Lioness. In contrast to Rich Aucoin’s group, they hit the stage dressed in all black, minus the colourful red accent of the lead singer’s boots. All the players were extremely talented and their music had a great groove. Drummer, Jeff Scheven, beat the shit out of the drums and the singer, Vanessa Fischer, was incredible. It was worth it to see them just to hear her show off those pipes. Ronnie Morris’s tone on bass guitar was also a major highlight for me. That bass was raunchy as hell, like a dog dragging its butt on the pavement. I thought they were awesome, but the songs seemed to bleed into one another. Their tunes were mostly restricted to very simple and generally minor dominated chord progressions. And basically my memory of the experience, even right after their performance, was more of the whole, rather than of any specific song.  I would definitely recommend going to see them play, but if they’re hoping to connect with an even larger audience then they’ll have to expand and develop their sound beyond their current boundaries.
Lioness – Rating: 3.5/5

Courtesy of Rob Fournier

Everything All The Time gave me goosebumps during their first song and at several other moments throughout their set. For some reason, I feel like less of a man admitting that, but it’s true. This phenomenon rarely ever happens to me at concerts. Surprised, I looked around the room to see how their music was affecting everyone else and somehow everybody around me seemed as if they’d immediately become friends. It’s a beautiful thing when a guy can look across the room and exchange smiles and glances with complete strangers without being considered some kind of pervert. The lead singer, Alanna Stuart, was mesmerizing, and her voice held the audience in awe while the complex melodies and rhythms continued to force the audience to dance until they began to sweat. It was a wonderful contradiction. If you ever get the chance to see them I highly suggest that you do. I’ll definitely be at their next concert in Toronto. These guys are going to be big.
Everything All The Time – Rating: 5/5

Courtesy of Rob Fournier

– Ross Gower, of the Poisonous Glass.

Our Rodeo Rocker discusses the rare innocence found in the popular San Fran band: ‘Girls’.

Courtesy of Renée Rodenkirchen

It’s no secret these days that, with the emergence and domination of indie band culture, the nature of the term has been ironically exploited into mainstream culture (with major labels practically manufacturing bands on an assembly line). But what’s worse is that the kids who’ve been exposed to this garbage have begun imitating these corporate-produced, synthetic versions of indie rock. It’s as if they truly believe that throwing on a pair of tightly tapered jeans, and staring at their feet like a dick will turn them into a rock star.

But whether it’s the imitation or just a desire to give in to the demands of the corporate market, there’s a naivety within both; and it’s something that can never qualify as genuine innocence.  Why is innocence important? Well, because good indie bands possess the spirit of this genuine innocence and the freedom associated with it – and I think ‘Girls’ has got it.

Together since 2007, the San Francisco band recently released their debut album, sardonically titled “Album.”  They decided to make a stop on their North American tour in Toronto on Tuesday at the El Mocambo, and were happily greeted by a sold out crowd. Given the cramped circumstances, we decided that the best views for us would be had by climbing up on the long bench that runs along the northern wall of the venue. This new perspective revealed to us a male dominated crowd; lots of guys here to see Girls – which made sense I guess. But anyone unfamiliar with the group might have been confused when four young men: Christopher Owens, Chet “JR” White, John Anderson, and Garett Godard walked out onto the stage.

Courtesy of Renée Rodenkirchen

Their lead singer, Owens, sports long greasy hair combed over most of his face; as if he were timidly hiding behind an old curtain…a very hairy, very greasy old curtain. It’s a great look, nevertheless, and one which seemed to dominate the audience’s attention. When they began to play I was at a loss with how to describe their music in a couple of words. The best I could do was to keep it under ten:  west-coast-surfer-style-indie-pop-grunge-rock.  Their tone was fantastic; with their Fender Telecaster and Rickenbacker guitars worn high in proper Beatles form, and they played a perfected shimmery tremolo in fine west coast fashion.

Some performance highlights were their intensity while ending  “Hellhole Ratrace”, which, by the way, has one of the best videos I’ve ever seen. Also, one could not deny feeling the audience’s energy rise when they played “Lust for Life”. But in my strong opinion, that should have been one of their last songs as opposed to having been placed mid-set.

Apart from a few glitches, (i.e., one botched ending, an unfortunate cord pop-out during an important transition and an acoustic electric feeding back) the performance was solid. Moreover, given their mind state, they did really well. Some members were obviously lacking in sobriety, partly, I’m sure, due to the continual consumption of a mystery liquid on stage – but this wins points with me. I love a band that drinks on stage; if drinking is part of the inspiration for their songs then it’s not only natural, but also best that it be a part of the live experience too.

There was an endearing innocence about these guys; quiet ‘thank yous’ were spoken between each song and the words “Um … I don’t know what to say” slipped out of Christopher Owens mouth when they were confronted with a few moments of silence, which was followed by the collective laughter of the crowd. They had a diffidence that, for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to criticize. Their songs and their presence spoke to a certain freedom of youth that made me want to get drunk and run around naked on a beach. What I experienced was what I thought to be the music of authentically free, innocent individuals, which can be a rarity these days. Often times, music that has lost the spirit of this innocence either takes on a blatant pessimistic cynicism or an ironic cynicism, or they conform to the demands of the industry. Thank god this hasn’t happened to these guys yet.

VERDICT:
4.5 / 5

– Ross Gower.

Here are the Cowgirls! Question is, what are they doing trotting about Toronto?

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Here’s the scoop: Mushy Pony is unabashedly geared towards the young, smart, untamed urbanites of Toronto. We cover the hottest bands, artists, events etc. that mainstream media all too frequently fail to catch.

In our many interviews, we chat-up the pacesetter ponies who truly create the pulse of this city: Dan Levy, Jesse Labelle, Nikki Payne, Jeff Batchelor and more — but that’s just the beginning. There are recipes for those who can’t cook, sport tips for those who can’t get off the couch, and sex stories for those who can’t get off, period. We’ve also got a live-in veterinarian (local G.P.), so after all those steamy stories, she’ll tell you where you can grab free condoms downtown.

Toronto may have its share of blogs already, but Mushy Pony taps into a segment of the city’s population who are creative, driven, and about to take over the reins. Quite frankly, we’re the best bucking blog ever.

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