Allstar Weekend + Done With Dolls + Action Item @ Corona Theatre

Would I have decided to go to see three pop bands on my own? Not a chance! However, I did what any great mother would do - I decided to take on this task, because my daughter Samantha is a major fan of Allstar Weekend. So this review is a collaborative effort, as Samantha Munroe’s opinions are reflected here too.

When we arrived at the Corona Theatre, I almost had a coronary. There was a line-up of tweens and teens that seemed to go for miles down the street and they were all girls, with the exception of a handful of what was probably teen boyfriends and brothers. There were also, like me, lots of mothers in the line.  Screams rang out as if it was 1966 with John, Paul, George and Ringo running past. I was terrified already!

When we finally got inside, the warmth and charm of the old Corona theatre calmed my nerves at once. The stage looked like any other before a rock show, but somehow, looking around at the young but sparse crowd, I knew this was going to be an experience like no other I had ever encountered.

The first band up was in one word, “tacky.” It was like I time warped back to my high school assembly hall, cringing as my friends tried and failed as a rock band. Action Item knelt down to touch the hands of the young ladies, as if they were rock gods, but that they were not. The lead singer was pitchy on more than one occasion. Samantha also noticed that the guitars were often out of sync. We both could not wait for them to get off the stage.

Done With Dolls were really the band I was excited to see, and they did not disappoint. This all-girl band from Toronto, comprised of 13 and 14 year olds, completely blew me away. They started out a little stiff on stage, probably due to their inexperience, but this became irrelevant as soon as lead singer, Jordan Miller, sang. Her strong and controlled voice did not at all sound like it was coming from a 14 year old.

They played a handful of original tunes, such as “The Story of my Life” and “I Don’t Like,” that made Samantha jump around, but it was really the covers they did, such as Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good” and The Bangles’ “Hazy Shade of Winter,” that impressed me. I believe that this band is the one to watch, or at least I hope so.

The last act, that I will refer to lightly as the headliner, had the crowd on “pins and needles.” There were big signs with “We love you, Allstar Weekend” and girls that had covered themselves in what I hope wasn’t permanent marker, with love notes to the band. When they finally came out on stage, the audience completely lost it. They screamed with their hands up in the air. One girl had to be carried off by security due to illness. It was mad, I say. Mad!

Just when I thought the crowd was calming down, they played “Come Down With Love” and it was mayhem all over again. This was the scene for the rest of the show. Samantha loved them, and I must say, I was impressed with their performance. However, I believe that their days as a rock band are numbered.

All in all, it was a frightening experience that I will not indulge in again anytime soon. Interestingly enough, Samantha felt the same way.

-Co-written by Rebecca M, host of Canucks Kick It every Wednesday from 5-6pm, and her daughter Samantha