Sunday, June 24, 2012
We love St. Catharines’ S.C.E.N.E. Music Festival. It’s incredible how easily you can run around from venue to venue, so incredible that we couldn’t resist making this our mission for the day. We decided to take advantage of the closeness of the many participating venues and see as many of our favourite bands as possible. This isn’t normally how we approach a festival, but we were on festival overload after NXNE and just wanted a fun day full of music. And that’s exactly what we got out of SCENEfest.
The Sweet Mack – 2:20PM @ Rockford’s (stage 2)
We got into St. Catharines later than expected, but we thought it’d be nice to start off our day with The Sweet Mack. We’re quite familiar with this GTA-based 4-piece comprised of Mattie Leon (vocals, bass), Adam Montgomery (guitar, vocals), Andrew Slomka (guitar, keys) and Mike Leon (drums). There’s an undeniable upbeat feel to The Sweet Mack’s sound. There is the summery sounding “Landslide,” while “Ivory Coast” has me singing “c-c-c-coast” along with the fellas. The latest single “Zoe” makes me want to dance (if dancing was my thing). But the band isn’t afraid to turn up the rock and roll with “Ladycat” and “Over Achiever.”
Members of Topanga were present to enjoy the show, occasionally heckling Montgomery by yelling “green shorts!” To be fair, he was wearing pretty snazzy green shorts. We keep seeing The Sweet Mack because they’re just so much fun and it seems as though we’re not alone in feeling this way. | CL
Topanga – 3:15PM @ Patrick Sheehan’s Irish Pub
I said we started off our day with The Sweet Mack, but that was partially a lie. We caught the tail end of Topanga’s Busking 4 Change (War Child) set. It’s safe to say that their acoustic set (with Nestor Chumak, usually on bass, playing triangle!) is nothing like their amplified set. It wasn’t surprising to see Topanga pack Patrick Sheehan’s and the crowd was feeding off the energy from the stage. Frontman Stefan Babcock was all over the stage, while Steve Sladkowski showed his proficiency on guitar and Zack Mykula absolutely destroyed the drums. The highlight of the set had to be new, heavier song “Guilt Trip,” but a close second would be Chumak busting out the triangle again. I mean, why not, right? | CL
The Wooden Sky – 3:50PM @ Market Square (Pabst Blue Ribbon Stage)
We didn’t catch much of The Wooden Sky’s set on the outdoor Pabst Blue Ribbon Stage in Market Square, but I did manage hear “North Dakota,” a personal favourite of mine from the band’s debut full-length. There’s something about this warm country-tinged folk, with Gavin Gardiner‘s voice at the forefront, that has the potential to envelope the listener. | CL
Bravestation – 4:05PM @ Cache (Exclaim! – outside)
When we arrived at the Cache for Bravestation’s set, we were surprised to see such a sparse crowd. We’re used to crazy, fun crowds at Bravestation shows in Toronto. But the small crowd that did make it to Bravestation’s set was treated to a set full of mostly newer songs from Giants & Dreamers, including “Future Love,” a slower tune that had Devin Wilson putting the bass down. Wilson admitted that the band was still testing it live, but the serenading of the crowd seemed to work. The band closed out the set with one of our favourites, “White Wolves.” | CL
Julianna Riolino – 4:10 @ Strega Café
I headed over to an already crowded Strega to catch folk-rocker Julianna Riolino. Possessing a voice that will knock you over, this Welland gal has been a local favourite for quite some time and word of her seems to finally be spreading through the indie music community beyond the region’s limits. She may have been taken to Emergency a few nights prior after falling and hitting her head but she once again delivered an all-powerful performance, wailing away and making it all look so effortless. Look for her on tour with Hinindar this month. | CD
Souls – 4:20 @ L3 (downstairs)
I luckily managed to catch the last bit of six-piece Souls’ set. This band has one of the most uniquely heavy folk-rock sounds I’ve come across. There is a real and raw sense of anguish held within singer Dave Fontaine as he belts into an old-fashioned microphone. This is combined with the force that is Trevor Speechly on bass, Andrew Brandes on guitar and Charles Kyer on drums. There is even intensity brewing in the cello and keys! The result is a live performance that truly gets “under your skin” and all but consumes you. | CD
Sandman Viper Command – 5:00PM @ Rockford’s (stage 2)
We decided to pop in to Rockford’s to check out some of Sandman Viper Command’s set. It was a quick stop, but I must say that I am continuously impressed with how this band just gets tighter every time I see them. I’m looking forward to the band’s next Feel Is Good 7″. | CL
Said The Whale – 5:10PM @ Market Square (Pabst Blue Ribbon Stage)
Market Square was a little busier during Said The Whale’s set compared to what I had seen for The Wooden Sky earlier. The Vancouver-based 5-piece joked that they were playing some of their louder songs because they knew the heavier music was more their scene. While that’s probably true, the crowd was singing along gratefully and loving the whole set. Some highlights of the set include “Heavy Ceiling” and “Jesse, AR,” both from Little Mountain that was released earlier this year. For those who missed out on this set, Said The Whale will be back in Toronto for Edgefest on July 14th, so be sure to catch them then! | CL
Elk – 5:40PM @ L3 (downstairs)
We caught some of Elk’s set at L3 and, not surprisingly, it got pretty busy pretty quickly for the local favourites. This 4-piece is comprised Michael Price (guitar, vocals), Kyle Connolly (guitar, vocals), Benjamin Pokol (bass, vocals) and Josh Korody (drums, vocals). Their upbeat garage rock tunes, topped off with stellar harmonies, make for an unquestionably fun set. Elk is set to release Daydreams via Indoor Shoes this month after their Balm Beach 7” got some favourable attention. “Shaking Hands” is a personal favourite from that 7″. I haven’t heard the LP yet, but if their live show and their 7” are a good preview of what to expect, I’ll go ahead and assume it’s nothing short of awesome. For now, you can check out “Riverview #3” on their Bandcamp.| CL
The Junction – 5:55PM @ Barracuda Pretty
I hadn’t seen The Junction since their album release show back in March and I was just as smitten with their set this time around. The new songs still took precedence in their set, but I’ve really grown to love Grievances, which was released in March of this year. There wasn’t much of a crowd there for the set, but some of the ladies in the crowd were dancing right up front, frustrated that more people weren’t joining them.
As part of some interesting (and honest) stage banter, frontman Brent Jackson revealed that they slept in a field the night before. While they made it sound like a pretty decent experience, let’s hope they don’t have to do that again… unless, of course, they want to. | CL
The Bends – 6:05 @ Cache (Exclaim! – inside)
Following up their performance at the Burlington Sound of Music Festival the weekend before, The Bends rocked the Exclaim.ca stage, packing the inside of Cache and forcing the avid crowd to spill out onto the sidewalk. This energetic five-piece had people of all ages dancing away to their poppy-funk tunes for the entirety of their set. They added Grace Snippe on cello and had a four-piece horn section join them for a couple of songs, which really added to the exuberance of their performance. Not to mention that at one point, Joe Salter (guitar, vocals) jumped up onto the ledge at the front of the stage with his horn, and drummer David Klassen hammered out the set with his broken arm in a cast. I repeat, he played drums with a broken arm. They may have just graduated from high school, but these “confident young men” proved once again why they are not only one of the most loved, but also one of the most talented bands in the area. | CD
Gavin Slate – 6:10PM @ Strega Café
We caught half of Gavin Slate’s set at Strega. There were some technical issues, as the microphone was crackling, but the set got infinitely better when Slate decided he could go entirely unplugged. The folks next to me came from Buffalo (which, Slate realized, is really not that far), but I can say with certainty that he won them over. He ended off his set with “Life as a Salesman,” for which he recorded the most fantastic video. If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out how Slate documents making his song Starbucks’ (unofficial) pick of the week. | CL
The Balconies – 6:55PM @ Barracuda Pretty
Since their debut full-length, The Balconies have made Jacquie Neville their bonafide frontwoman, as she takes the lead on all songs now, which certainly goes along with her larger-than-life rock star stage presence. There was good crowd present for their set, with some eager fans getting right up close to sing along and rock out with the band. Some personal favourites of the set included “Battle Royale” and “Kill Count,” but “Serious Bedtime” will always be a crowd favourite. | CL
Grey Kingdom – 7:30PM @ Merchant Ale House
Spencer Burton plays under the Grey Kingdom moniker, but he brought a full band, including seated Daniel Romano, to join him on stage at a packed Merchant Ale House. His heartbreaking folk rock tunes really come to life with a full band, but he offsets the emotion with humourous banter. If you haven’t experienced Grey Kingdom live, we highly recommend you check him out. If you haven’t heard it yet, you can find his album Eulogy of her and her and her streaming on his Bandcamp. Have a listen… or twenty. | CL
Mad Ones – 8:00PM @ Mahtay Café and Lounge
Mad Ones is a Toronto-based 2-piece that sounds much louder than, well, a 2-piece. While Phil Wilson is undeniably punishing on drums, this is offset by Andrew DeVillers’ raw, yet melodic voice. I was disappointed to see such few people out to see Mad Ones’ rocking set at Mahtay, but I’m happy to be one of the few that didn’t miss out on their great set. And if you haven’t checked out their DIY video for “Out of Love,” you should! | CL
Poor Young Things – 8:20PM @ Red Hot Chili Pepper
We ended off our SCENEfest with Poor Young Things. As the band continues to make a name for themselves playing tons of shows and touring across the country, we are happy to see their star continue to rise. Fans, many of which were thoroughly intoxicated, gathered right up by stage and sang along with the band. Their anthemic lyrics make it pretty hard to resist a sing-a-long and it was a great way to end our day. | CL
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