Date of show: November 29, 2013
Written by: Chiara DiAngelo
Led by swaggering frontman Matthew Angus, Toronto-based Fast Romantics had a redesigned lineup since last we saw them, welcoming two former Australians, Shane O’Keeffe (guitar) and Lauren Heron (keys), who threw some lovely accents into the mix of spirited backing vocals. The band’s new album Afterlife Blues isn’t likely to give you the blues but rather had a large contingency of the crowd quickly piling out onto the dancefloor. Set highlights included the blazing heart-thumping power pop show-stopper “Funeral Song” and the ceremonious “White Lights” in addition to the folk-tinged title track “Afterlife Blues.”
Afterlife Blues dropped back in October and can be found over on iTunes. A long overdue follow-up to their 2010 EP Kidcutter, Fast Romantics proved their new tunes were well worth the wait.
Road warriors Poor Young Things have been touring the country since they last played the Horseshoe back in May so there was a definite sizzle of homecoming enthusiasm in the air as their adopted home of Toronto welcomed them back. The first thing that was apparent was that the road has been good to them, transforming the band into a well-oiled rock and roll machine, playing off one another’s energy and knowing instantly when a guitar riff was flubbed. From set opener “Sign of the Times” to closer “Warpaint,” there was rarely a moment to breathe between each gang vocal-backed pure, unadulterated rock track.
Oh, and their encore included a ramped-up version of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” that had the audience gladly chanting along – the end of a night doesn’t get much better than that!
Featuring three of four former members of the now defunct band The Sweet Mack – Mattie Leon (vocals, keys, guitar), Andrew Slomka (guitar, keys, vocals), and Mike Leon (drums) – it was our first chance to catch openers The Shakedown. What the new band lacked in terms of sugary Sweet Mack harmonies, it made up for with extra muscle in the way of soulful pop maturity. They managed to maintain a feeling of classic romance that was best demonstrated on songs like the melodious “The Love We Make” and “The One.”
Still in their infancy as a band, the members are still finding their footing in terms of solidifying their stage performance, but we’re looking forward to watching this new group grow and develop. It’s yet to be determined whether The Shakedown will encourage men to strip off their shirts, but it is likely that they will make you want to get down. Want to hear for yourself? You can download their EP Electric Electric on Bandcamp on a PWYC basis. Do it!
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