Travie McCoy + Black Cards + Bad Rabbits @ Le National

We all know Travie McCoy as the front man for the band Gym Class Heroes. Anyone who owns a radio should be familiar with their top-charted 2006 single, "Cupid’s Chokehold," otherwise they should get their radio fixed. Unfortunately, Gym Class Heroes decided to take a hiatus and Travie, who has stated that they haven't broken up, is pursuing a solo career. On June 8, 2010, Travie released his solo album, Lazarus, which includes his hit single "Billionaire," featuring rising star Bruno Mars. He’s currently travelling the world for his Sgt. Schlepper's Who Needs Hearts Club Band Tour. I had the opportunity to attend his stop at Le National here in Montreal.

Since I never learn my lesson, I showed up to the show at the start time indicated on my ticket. But, we all know that shows (at least in Montreal) never start on time for some odd reason. Showing up early does have its perks though, like getting a good spot and being able to observe the crowd; although, I wouldn't suggest it to those with weak legs or to the over dressed girls who decide to come to a concert in heels (I still don't understand that, I guess they believe the artist performing will pick them out of the crowd, swoop them off their feet and take them to a fancy, overpriced restaurant in Old Montreal. But hey, who am I to crush dreams). After about an hour wait the show began.

Bad Rabbits, an energetic band from Boston with a front man whose energy bounces off the walls like those old school red super-balls used to play jacks, were first on stage. Their sound is a combination of new jack swing and late 80’s dance, mixed with an edge. Their performance really compliments their sound; it keeps you on edge and grabs your attention from beginning to end. By the time they got off stage, the crowd was chanting "Bad Rabbits" like they had been friends since high school. I give an A- to their overall performance.

Black Cards, an electronic dance and ska band who were formed by Pete Wentz (former bassist of Fall Out Boy), were next on stage. PETE WENTZ! Cool, a familiar face to add to this fairly new band that was about to perform – that is, if he would have shown up. Apparently Pete had an important issue that needed attending, so he couldn't make it. The band decided to perform an acoustic version of their album. Although lead singer Bebe Rexha has a great, unique, and sometimes high pitch voice, the performance was lackluster. Maybe it was because it felt out of place at a Travie McCoy, someone who is known for being quite crazy, concert, or because they played right after Bad Rabbits’ energetic performance. Whatever it was, it wasn't working. I would have loved to see them with their full roster going full throttle, but I guess not this time.

It was now time for the main event, Travie McCoy. As usual, Travie, as the frontman, was the last member of the band to come on stage, and he did so with a bang; the crowd erupted and we were full on, travelling head first into the Sgt. Schlepper's Who Needs Hearts Club Tour. Just one problem, the sound was terrible. Maybe Travie’s entrance was so dramatic that it knocked out the sound engineers, because someone wasn't doing their job. It was hard to make out what he was saying even when there was no music being played. The crowd didn't seem to mind though; they were still jumping up and down, and side to side. Travie went on to perform every single track on his album, even the very personal "Don't Pretend," a song about his break up with pop star icon Katy Perry, which doesn’t seem to have gone well. In the end, Travie pulled out a breath freshener, stuck his face into the crowd and began to kiss the girls; they reacted like goldfish at feeding time. I can't help but give the overall performance a low grade, mainly because the sound was not the greatest. Shame.

-Brandon C hosts SoReal Radio on Sundays from 12-2pm