[Note: Rachel wasn’t prepared to get on stage for the shots picture, so she was a little nervous. It’s a little blurry, but hey, it was the first band to do shots DURING their set. How awesome is that?!]
Date of show: September 23, 2010
Shot of choice: jager
Amos the Transparent is an Ottawa-based band, but I swear they breed enough fans in Toronto that you’d never guess they’re not from here. There is something really comforting about Jonathan Chandler’s voice (also on guitar, keys), but there are some great harmonies from James Nicol (bass) and Mark Hyne (guitar, keys). Daniel Hay is so impressive on guitar, especially when he pulls out the bow, and Christopher Wilson is solid on drums. There was something notably different, though: the lack of a female presence. Although Kate Cooke was in the audience and did join in a few songs, she recently left the band to pursue her studies. It was actually a joy to hear both Kate and Carleigh Aikins (Fox Jaws) join the band for a few songs, especially “The Stale Scent Of Old Beer”. Carleigh had actually joined Amos the Transparent for their four sets during NXNE this year and it was great to see her back on stage with the band.
I don’t think it was necessarily meant to be a party, but every Amos the Transparent show I’ve been to has always resulted in a bit of a party. There’s usually at least one song (“Greater Than Consequence”) that will attract friends on stage, but on this night it was hard to keep friends from participating. Friends also joined the band on stage for “(Here’s To) New Beginnings”. I can only describe this electric atmosphere at epic. Fans and friends alike were singing throughout the set and, considering it was not a huge turnout, it was really remarkable how much power the audience had. In fact, the crowd just couldn’t get enough and, after one encore, the crowd begged for another (which did not happen, by the way).
The band is currently working on their next album and they’ll be going into a bit of a hibernation period, but everyone should look forward to more Amos the Transparent in the future. And when you get to see them, definitely buy them shots.
I think when I heard the name “The Draculas” I wasn’t sure what to expect. I guess I thought of something a little heavier than what these guys actually play. Their sound is indie rock mixed with alternative groove rock and a little funk… so not really that heavy at all. The Draculas are Eric Eggleston (vocals, guitar), Alex Calci (guitar), iLL WiLL (drums), and D. White (bass). Eggleston had some pretty funny and awkward stage banter. He cheered the crowd several times, including a cheers to Friday and to hockey. They’re a fun band that plays up catchy lyrics, but I think what I found impressive about this band was how great the guitar sounded, including a couple solos.
St. Joe’s Mission opened up the night to a modest crowd. When they introduced themselves, a few people started clapping and Brad Alford (vocals, guitar) said, “Do not applaud. Wait till we deserve it.” For the record, people clapped after the first song. Rounding out the rest of the band is Johnny Bowes (guitar, vocals), Scab (bass), and Connor Kelly (drums), but a fifth member, Ted Carty (keys, vocals) was not present.
These guys play some hearty rock and roll and it was enjoyable. I really felt the vocals really stole the show, as Alford has a certain kind of power in his voice. Alford seems to not take himself too seriously as he introduced a slower song by saying, “because I’m out of shape and I need a break.” This song had a bit of a bluesy sound to it and was actually probably my personal favourite of the set. To end off the set, Alford took off his glasses to completely rock out and it was a great way to end a pretty solid set.
buying shots for bands 
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