Date of show: November 9, 2010
Shot of choice: whiskey
Dinosaur Bones’ broody indie rock always draws quite the crowd, or perhaps it’s a combination of their dynamic tunes and their charismatic personalities that lend well to being Toronto indie scene favourites. It was packed for their set at The Horseshoe, with fans and friends alike pressed right up against the stage. Dinosaur Bones kicked off their set with “Royalty,” which was released on their 7” earlier this year and their Birthright EP released last week. The set was comprised of 7 songs on their upcoming album, My Divider, slated for release in the New Year. With Ben Fox (vocals, guitar) at the helm, Dinosaur Bones is comprised of Branko Scekic (bass), Dave Wickland (keys, vocals), and Lucas Fredette (drums). The newest member, Josh Byrne (guitar), seems to have adjusted well to his new role in the quintet and fits right in.
We recently saw Dinosaur Bones when they opened up for The Most Serene Republic, so please check out that review here, as well as the review of their EP here. I could (but won’t) speak endlessly about how these guys have carved a niche in Toronto and, with Dine Alone Records’ support, are set to do the same for the rest of the country. Dinosaur Bones is currently touring with their Birthright EP, highlighted by a string of dates with Hamilton’s Arkells and The Reason, including a Toronto stop at The Phoenix on December 3rd. See them live! Do it.
Rah Rah is one of my favourite pop collectives. With 6 members on stage Rah Rah is made up of Marshall Burns (vocals, guitar, bass), Erin Passmore (vocals, drums, keys, bass), Joel Passmore (vocals, bass, drums), Vanessa Benson (vocals, keys, bass), Leif Thorseth (guitar), and Kristina Hedlund (vocals, violin, accordion). Burns takes the lead with his deadpan-like vocals, but their infectious harmonies really have the ability to induce smiles. They take after Canadian bands like The Weakerthans, particularly lyrically, with shades of their fellow Regina pop collective friends and label-mates Library Voices.
Under the watchful eye of their “tour manager” cat, they opened up their set with “Henry” after dealing with some technical difficulties. The band does a little bit of musical chairs by switching up instruments, surely a reflection of their approach to songwriting. Highlights of their set include “Beaches,” a tune that brings members of the band to add to the beat with drumsticks on the walls, cases, etc, as well as “Duet for Emmylou and The Grievious Angel,” where the female Passmore’s sultry vocals really stand out. Rah Rah’s energy was particularly felt towards the end of their set, a standout being “Breaking Hearts,” the title track of second full-length that was released earlier this year.
With 2 songs left in their set, Burns had some sound advice for everyone: “Keep on rocking in the free world… and drink milk, love life.” Catch these delightful folks the next time the pass through.
Unfortunately, I arrived late and missed The Balconies. Judging by the crowd immediately after their set, they must have already had a good-sized crowd. Although I can’t speak to this particular performance, based on previous sets I have seen this trio puts on a lively set with lovely harmonies, catchy hooks and hard-hitting drums. The brand is co-fronted by the charismatic Jacquie Neville (vocals, guitar) and brother Stephen Neville (vocals, bass), with Liam Jaeger on drums and backup vocals. See this band live. They can rock you when they play electric and just as easily blow you away classically.
Sidenote: this band has just won their first 2 rounds of the Big Money Shot and will be in the final round on November 19th. If you see them around, wish ‘em luck.
Although we did stick around for Monster Truck’s set, we also caught them just a few weeks ago when they played at Gentlemen Husbands’ CD release show. Much of the crowd dispersed by this time, but Monster Truck still had eager fans by the stage looking for some harder rock and roll. They are full of explosive energy and have the ability to completely rock your face off. Rather than repeating myself, I encourage you to check out the review and photos here.
buying shots for bands 
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