CMW Night 3: The MuseBox Showcase at Sneaky Dee’s + Dora Alexander

Friday, March 11, 2011

Christien Summers – 9:00PM @ Sneaky Dee’s

Christien Summers is the project of Carol Lui and Gareth Jones, with John Wilson, Jessica Martin, and Dan McCormick as support. They are the newest signing to Upper Class Recordings and they’re currently working on their debut album. This show happened to be their live debut. With that in mind, Christien Summers’ danceable dream pop tunes were combined with a rather lacklustre performance. Perhaps the band was thinking too much and not really letting their personalities shine on stage, but hopefully with time this band develops more of a stage presence. In order to get the crowd dancing, they’ll need it.

Bravestation – 10:00PM @ Sneaky Dee’s

Bravestation took the stage to a rowdy crowd right up front. They’re synth-heavy Brit-like new wave/indie pop sound really gets the crowd amped. With Devin Wilson (bass) on lead vocals, his charismatic stage presence entices the crowd to sing along. Joining Devin on stage is brother Derek Wilson (guitar, vocals), Andrew Heppner (keys, percussion, vocals) and Jeremy Rossetti (drums). Bravestation’s textured sound is full of intricacies with solid guitar work, strong bass lines and a tribal-esque percussion. Considering their lush sounds, it’s no wonder that their musicality can attract quite the crowd. By the end of the set, it seemed as though Bravestation’s set wasn’t enough for the crowd, as fans and friends were screaming for more. Well, it appears soon they will have more, as the band is currently recording a full-length and we’re absolutely looking forward to it.

Dora Alexander – 12:00AM @ Rancho Relaxo

We meant to catch the previous set as well, which was Hot Panda, but Rancho Relaxo was at capacity. Dora Alexander took the stage right after Hot Panda and, as a result, they still had quite the crowd for their set. This was the band’s festival debut, but it also happened to be the debut of a new band member. The 4-piece-turned-5-piece is comprised of Alex Grant (vocals, guitar, keys), Christophe Brochard (guitar), Michael Succi (guitar, keys), Adrian Gagnon (drums, keys) and, newest member, Lawson Smith (bass). The band seems to really benefit from the extra member, really making their guitar-heavy sound bolder without taking away from the beats and bass lines courtesy of Gagnon and Smith. Their skilful guitar work does not go unnoticed, as the layers and distortion really complement Grant’s vocals. We continue to be impressed, as Dora Alexander just continues to improve their sound.

The Meligrove Band – 1:00AM @ Sneaky Dee’s

The last time we caught The Meligrove Band, Jason Nunes (guitar, keys, vocals) had lost his voice. In the same vein, this is a band that has consistently had to overcome obstacles, so every Meligrove Band set is almost like a small victory – the band survives another day. And that’s something you can feel in the atmosphere, as it permeates from the band, investing all their energy into the set. They show great exuberance on stage, accompanied by stellar tunes that making it clear why they’re still around. The rest of the band is rounded out by Darcy Rego (drums, vocals), Michael Small (bass) and Brian O’Reilly (guitar, synth). Although they had a late set time, there was still quite a crowd up front singing along to their textured indie pop. With “Ages & Stages” being a particular highlight, the lively crowd made this set a party with one of Toronto’s finest.

Make Your Exit – 2:00AM @ Sneaky Dee’s

Make Your Exit’s harmonies have the ability to silence a crowd, followed by screams of enjoyment. Fronted by Jeff Buckley (vocals, guitar, keys), Toronto’s Make Your Exit is made up of Mike Denby (guitar, vocals, keys), Mike Dellios (bass, vocals), Oliver Pauk (saxophone, vocals), and Steve Dagg (drums). This 5-piece blends jazz influences with their indie rock sound. Even with this late set time, a crowd formed around the stage to sing along with the band. To add to their compelling harmonies, Make Your Exit brought out Carleigh Aikins (Fox Jaws) to join them for “Kids.” The band also worked new music into their set, as they’re currently recording. We suggest you be on the lookout for more new tunes from this bunch.