Concert Reviews

Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings @ El Salon

By Christopher Bussmann - Bop and Beyond - 04/28/2005

Opening with a funky instrumental set, the Dap-Kings had bodies moving to their grip-tight buggalo, priming the audience for their four-foot, eleven inch soul dynamo front-woman; and when she took the stage the place exploded. Sharon can sing, she can dance, and she can connect with the fans - bringing them on stage to sing-along and dance, telling them stories about 'back in the day' and how each song came about. Sharon Jones is a performer in the true and versatile sense of the word. And she is a star.


HOT HOT HEAT + The Futureheads + Louis XIV @ Metropolis

By Matt - Idle Minds - 04/22/2005

Awful, Excellent, and not the train wreck I was expecting.

Easiest review I ever wrote!

…what? I have to write more? Damnit…

For people who love bands that sound like other bands, last Friday’s show at the Metropolis was a night to remember. And I don’t mean that as a negative... these days, it’s very hard to find a band that doesn’t sound like someone else, or an amalgamation of various bands. The trick is to do it well.


MARTHA WAINWRIGHT @ Main Hall

By Mikaela - Lessons in Lo-Fi - 04/18/2005


THE WONDER STUFF @ Cabaret

By Louis - Hooked On Sonics - 04/08/2005


THE KILLS + Scout Niblett @ Café Campus

By Alex - Losing My Edge - 04/08/2005

If there's anything harder for a gimmick band than releasing a sophomore effort, it's touring for it. While the Kills, to their credit, have managed to create a somewhat interesting sound from their post-White Stripes inception, the burden of proof that they still warrant further attention three years later lies squarely on their shoulders. Armed with generally positive response to their follow-up album No Wow and a drum machine, the confident blues-damaged London-based duo stepped up to the plate in front of a capacity crowd, aiming for the fences.


THE WEAKERTHANS + The Constantines + guests @ Cabaret


By Mikaela - Lessons in Lo-Fi - 03/30/2005

I’ll begin by stating that due to unforeseen circumstances -- as in, I didn’t feel like going -- I missed the first two opening bands for the Constantines/Weakerthans show. I can only comment on their participation in the after-show sing-along, which I shall do later.


TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS + Cutti @ Club Soda

By Tim R - Scarboro Sessions - 03/23/2005

Credited with coining the term Reggae as well as helping to shape its sound during the 60's in Jamaica, Toots and the Maytals are one of the most recognizable names in music today. On this Wednesday night, they would take to the stage at Club Soda. 


JILL SCOTT @ Metropolis

By Kelly Belfo - After Noon Roots - 03/15/2005


EPITAPH RECORDS TOUR: Matchbook Romance + others @ Club Soda

By Mikey B - The Lonesome Stranger - 03/11/2005

Ahhh Epitaph Records… what great bands, albums & tours you’ve given us over the years. Remember when Epitaph Records meant Bad Religion, Pennywise and Rancid? This was the label that put out the Offspring’s Smash in ’94, making it the best-selling indie release of all time! And heck, I bet most of you have at least one Punk-O-Rama album in your CD collection. This is the Epitaph Records that I know; Punk as Fuck, and they always will be.


THE FRAMES + Mark Geary @ Cabaret La Tulipe


By Emilie - The Treefrog - 03/03/2005

I went to see The Frames at Cabaret La Tulipe, an old theatre that makes a very good venue in terms of sound and general ambiance. I had seen The Frames open for Calexico a year or two ago, and I had been impressed by the energy they had on stage. I listened to their live album to learn more about them and despite their similarities to British rock-pop bands like Coldplay and early Radiohead, I grew fond of their songs. The Frames became one of my guilty pleasures and I was looking forward to seeing their live set again.


TASTE OF CHAOS: The Used + My Chemical Romance @ Stade Uniprix

By Nikkie - More Rock Than A Crackhouse - 03/03/2005

Take the essence of the Warped Tour (angry mallrats, merch and overpriced food), add to this too many scenesters and bad hairdos and a stage sponsored by myspace.com and what you get is the Warped Tour’s new sibling, the Taste Of Chaos Tour. Don’t get me wrong, the idea behind Taste Of Chaos was pure genius: a harder, louder, smaller version of the Warped Tour featuring the hottest screamo bands of the moment. The results however… not so hot.


Pages