[Note: Oh No Forest Fires are joined by a friend in this photo.]
Date of show: April 1, 2011
Reunion shows are usually a party. Oh No Forest Fires made sure their big reunion show, their first time playing together in over a year (save the night before in Barrie), was worth it for all their fans and friends. The Toronto-based 4-piece, made up of Rajiv Thavanathan (guitar, vocals), Matt Del Buono (bass, vocals, keys), Brock Swanek (guitar, vocals) and Adam Nimmo (drums), called it quits last year when Thavanathan moved back to his hometown of St. Johns, Newfoundland for Med School. That’s right, the rocker is going to be a doctor, which he referenced when he announced that beer was just as good as water. He said, “I should know, I’m a doctor.”
Joined by Lesley Davies to start off the set, the band blasted through their set with a great-sized crowd getting right up against the stage. While trading vocals with Del Buono, frontman Thavanathan’s fogged up glasses was perhaps a testament to how hard he was rocking on stage. The vocals were a little on the low side, but that didn’t stop the crowd from singing (and sometimes screaming) along. In fact, maybe it was difficult to hear Thavanathan because the crowd was so into it.
There’s a healthy spirit with Oh No Forest Fires, a band that seemed to revel in moment, a time to celebrate with good friends. Oh No Forest Fires, despite the breakup, showed Sneaky Dee’s why their still favourites of the Toronto music scene.
Indian Handcrafts certainly pack a powerful punch. They’ve got a harder sound, much harder than any of the acts on the rest of the bill. Brandyn Aikins (vocals, drums) and Daniel Allen (vocals, guitar) make up the duo and you may recognize their names from the not-hard-at-all Fox Jaws. Trading vocals and using an array of effects, these guys are loud, so loud you might not believe they’re just a 2-piece. Think bad ass drumming and big, heavy riffs, all tied together with screaming vocals. But don’t be mistaken, there’s still a good sense of pop sensibility in the way it’s all put together, and they certainly know how to make a crowd get into it.
Fronted by Chris “Hippy” Hughes, Seas is Hippy’s project while collaborating with his Moneen bandmates and other various musicians at different times. There were obvious hints of Moneen’s influence throughout the set, but this set seems to be a more exposed Hippy Hughes. While a little awkward with the stage banter, Hippy fully embraces his lead role, rocking out with dreads flying around everywhere. There is not much out there, in regards to any additional information or music, except for this demo, which is the mellow version of the tune. Hippy has mentioned that an EP is floating around out there, in the process of being mixed and mastered, so there’s certainly more to come.
Ottawa-based Paramedics started off the night with their unique experimental music. The band is comprised of Jordan Allen (vocals, synth, guitar), Jamie Kronick (drums), Luke Duross (bass) and Allan Gauthier (guitar). Together they deliver a set that can be both punishing, with tribal-like drumming and heavy riffs, as while as spacey, with synths and effects-laced vocals. The layers that make up their sound are tight yet carry a spirited nature, indicating the band has passionately embraced their one of a kind sound. The band released an EP, III, earlier this year, which can be streamed/downloaded from their Bandcamp page. Check it out!
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