The Ex & Brass Unbound Concert Event Review at Lee's Palace

Dutch anarcho-punk outfit, The Ex were in town yesterday at Lee’s Palace with their newly experimental outfit comprising experimental jazz quintet, Brass Unbound. The punk collective have undergone several lineup changes over the years with a revolving door of avante garde musicians and jazz artists. The effect is a breathtaking arrangement of classic punk, jazzy improvisations and Ethiopian folk music resulting in a high octane show that had the crowd clamoring for two encores. 

The Ex

The opening act, Toronto’s The Swyves were well appreciated by the crowd for some nifty punk-jazz creations that stretched the limits of their instruments. This is music that has to experienced live and while their long and drawn out creations can be testing for the casual listener, their uniqueness and the pure joy of their performance is infectious. 

The Swyves

The Ex + Brass Unbound were successful in actually getting the crowd to dance to some obscure Ethiopian folk tracks supplemented by killer punk riffs and the collective blaring of trumpet, clarinet, sax and trombone. Sadly, music of this nature will only find its way into the collection of those with eclectic tastes and a disregard for the bilge being played on mainstream radio.