Date of show: August 31, 2010
Shot of choice: whiskey (Bravestation)
Before anything else, we want to thank Bravestation, Dora Alexander and Volcano Playground. We can’t thank you enough and we truly feel privileged to have been a part of the night with you. As I’ve said before, a special thanks goes to Derek from Bravestation. It really means a lot to us how much you believe in our little blog. Thanks to The Painted Lady, as well. The venue is pretty rad and the atmosphere there is really something else.
Most of all, thanks to all of you who came out on a muggy Tuesday night to have your socks rocked right off. We were so very excited about the turnout! We hit capacity and I think we were even over capacity at some point (but shhh about that potential fire hazard). It was packed and sweaty, but we’re glad you stuck it out for the music. Apologies to those who were all the way at the back… we know it was pretty tough to see anything past a certain point. If you came out to see one particular band, we hope you came away a fan of all three. We met some great people and we hope you all had as awesome of a time as we had. It really was a night to remember.
This is not going to be a review, since that hardly seems fair, but I will recap a little and maybe toss in an opinion or two. This recap does not do the night justice, but I hope the photos and video capture at least a bit of the electric atmosphere.
So I know the show was supposed to start at 9 pm sharp, but that hardly ever gets to happen. Shortly before 9:30, Volcano Playground hit the stage, opening up with “Anywhere.” They started off their set playing to a modest crowd, but the venue was buzzing by the end of their set. We were thrilled that people made it out to catch at least part of this set because Volcano Playground were fantastic. They also fit right in with Dora Alexander and Bravestation and they were a great way to kick off the night.
This shoegaze atmospheric indie 4-piece is made up of Jackie Game (vocals, guitar, bass, drums), Jakub Hladik (vocals, guitar, keys, drums bass), and cousins Mark Plishewsky (vocals, guitar, drums, sampler) and Pete Plishewsky (guitar, keys). Rachel and Amanda had seen Volcano Playground before, but this was my first time seeing them. When I asked Rachel how they were, she said “cute,” but this hardly does this band justice. Jackie has such a wonderful melodic voice, but 2 out of remaining 3 members of Volcano Playground also contribute vocals. They are multi-instrumentalists, going from drums to keys, guitar to keys, etc., so this should probably give you an idea of the talent on that stage.
They have an EP available for free download. See their Facebook for the link. On their MySpace, Jakob says they are proud of their “little bedroom recording” and they should be. It also sounds great live. They play lots of shows in Toronto, so go check them out… and buy them a shot!
Hands down, Dora Alexander drew the biggest crowd. Dressed in their best dress shirts, they brought a little class to the stage. Frontman Alex Grant (vocals, guitar, keys) shares the stage with 3 other talented fellas: Christophe Brochard (guitar), Michael Succi (bass, guitar) and Adrian Gagnon (drums, keys). Not only are they talented, but they are also some of the nicest guys we have ever met.
Their atmospheric sound is reminiscent of Radiohead and if you know these guys, you probably already know how heavily influenced they are by this band. Dora Alexander brings a mellower sound, with Alex’s vocals drawing you in. These guys sound so put together, but they remain so laid back on stage, making it seem as though it’s easy. They blew away a completely captivated audience.
On October 22, Dora Alexander will be celebrating their EP release at The Piston. Mark this date on your calendar because it is a show you won’t want to miss. A heads up about this night: it’s a similar lineup, as Bravestation and Volcano Playground, as well as First Rate People will join them. It will be amazing and crazy busy for the little Piston, so come early and catch all of the opening bands. Don’t forget to buy the guests of honour shots.
Derek Wilson (guitar, vocals) broke a string. I think that gives you an idea of how much energy this band brought to the stage. His brother, Devin Wilson (vocals, bass), has such passionate vocals and I swear his voice impressed me more and more with every song. With Andrew Heppner on keys/percussion and Jeremy Rossetti on drums, Bravestation’s Brit-like sound is so polished yet edgy. I reviewed their EP a while back and I must say that they are every bit what I hoped they would sound like live… and more.
Bravestation fans are some of the most dedicated we’ve seen. Taking a look around the crowd, you can see all these faces completely enthralled with the show and so many people were singing along. A particular stand out song is “White Wolves” (see video below), which has such an anthem-like quality. I can only describe the atmosphere as magic. Seriously.
Bravestation continue to make their EP available for free download on their bandcamp page. I can’t stress enough how much I recommend this. Listen and enjoy and then get yourself to a Bravestation show! Oh and buy them shots, of course.
One last thing: Bravestation and Dora Alexander are doing a bit of a mini-tour. They’re hitting up Montreal, Ottawa and Kingston. If by chance you are from these places, GO SEE THEM! Check out the info here and do us a favour at their shows: buy them a shot!
buying shots for bands 
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