Alright, imagine this. A warehouse packed to the rafters with a buzzing crowd soaking in music that will probably never be played on MTV while clutching alien green beer cans. The April 29th edition of the Steam Whistle Unsigned was a celebration like none another.
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| Steam Whistle Swag Bag |
There were no drunken brawls, stage diving or sixteen year old upstarts brandishing fake IDs for kicks. Thankfully, the focus was on the music.
The show began with folk electronic outfit, Freedom or Death who sound better on their record, Ego than live. A quick listen to the songs on their MySpace page suggests that the band can scale the commercial indie heights now firmly ruled by the likes of Metric.
The Darcys came on next – the most hyped band at the concert with their status of “Toronto’s best kept secret” lending them a mystique often reserved for the unknown. Their Jane Austen inspired name notwithstanding, the two songs that I had previously heard were reminiscent of early Radiohead complete with the prog rock sensibilities and Yorke-like falsetto. Much like the Radiohead indie rock god, Jason Couse has to be experienced live to be fully appreciated. The intensity and energy that goes into his performance is complimented by his fellow band mates who do not miss a beat. Lead guitarist Mike le Riche’s backing vocals were hampered by a silent mic but he more than made up for it through some nifty guitar work. The Darcys certainly have promise and their evolution will be watched with interest by indie music lovers.
The highlight of the show was alt rockers, Wildlife whose raucous, bacchanalian performance got the crowd dancing and affirmed that Canada’s indie renaissance which began in 2000 is still in full swing.
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| Wildlife |
Check out the bands at:
Freedom or Death
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