Date of show: July 7, 2012
Having followed Bravestation for quite some time, and as one of the first bands we reviewed, it was a no-brainer that we’d come to support the band’s first release. Bravestation released Giants & Dreamers, which was engineered and mixed by their very own Andrew Heppner, on July 10th, but they celebrated their release a few days earlier at the Drake Hotel Underground. The Toronto-based (by way of Brockville) band sold out the venue and was surrounded by friends and family.
The band has noticeably shifted their sound from new wave to a much more tribal, airy sound, feeling much like an album to go along with this summer heat we’ve been experiencing in Toronto. While we weren’t aware of the band until their 2010 EP, we know the band has taken some time to get to this sound. In fact, during the set, vocalist/bassist Devin Wilson remarked upon all the familiar faces in the crowd, saying, “You liked us when we were a shitty rock and roll band.” Those days are long behind them, as the band has grown into a sound all their own.
While the band is quite technical in their execution, as their sound is so layered and detailed, Wilson is starting to come into his own as a frontman. “Future Love” saw Wilson put the bass down and work the crowd. The band played songs mostly from Giants & Dreamers (7/9 from the album), but they did squeeze in “Clocks & Spears” from their 2010 EP and, playing right until the Drake’s live music curfew, Bravestation ended their set with crowd favourite “White Wolves.”
The band opened up their set with “Western Thrills,” their latest single with a new video to go along with it, which was filmed at the 1000 Islands near Brockville. This video is in stark contrast to their video for the first single, “Signs of the Civilized,” which takes place in a Toronto loft and is quite dark by comparison. Both videos are worth checking out.
While the band doesn’t seem to have another Toronto date coming up, the band will be playing a hometown show at the Brockville Arts Centre in the 1000 Islands on July 28th. Stay tuned for what this band has coming up next. We’re happy to have watched this band evolve over the last couple years and we’re excited for more. In the meantime, Giants & Dreamers is available for to scream and purchase via Bandcamp.
buying shots for bands 
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