The Cat Empire is certainly never the same, but one thing is always guaranteed: they will deliver the best damn live performance you will ever see. 

A Cat Empire concert is not an experience one can easily describe. This is not one of those bands you can check out on Youtube to decide if you’re going to spend the money on a ticket. This is an eight people orchestra of spontaneity that is never the same, even if their set list has some well-established staples such as Sly, Days Like These, Chariots, So Many Nights and Two Shoes. In the words of trumpet player and vocalist Harry James Angus (while trying to describe keyboardist band mate Ollie McGill), ‘he never plays a song the same way twice’. The Cat Empire is certainly never the same, but one thing is always guaranteed: they will deliver the best damn live performance you will ever see.

According to Felix, they will be back next year, after they go into the wilderness to write a new record.  

From Harry – one of the band’s two very strong vocalists – who turns trumpet virtuoso and beat boxer, to Felix Riebl , who moves from signing as smoothly as he sways those hips to holding his own percussion avalanche between bongo drums, tambourines, and various other instruments whose names I do not know, to DJ Jumps, Ollie’s keyboards and drummer Will Hull-Brown, to the epic show-down between the band’s three trumpet players, the spotlight moves at dizzying speed, until all you want to do is dance frantically with the crowd that knows every word of these uplifting songs. Exotic sounds that make you want to say the word ‘orient’ come at you from a dervish of instruments that somehow work together, and infuse you with energy.

Some of the older songs have certain moves that the audience knows and performs along with the band. Band and crowd become one euphoric entity, moved by the power of music. I think of other bands, with bigger names and pricier t-shirts, and I feel embarrassed for them. They do not hold a candle to this quirky Aussie group of wonders. Very few musicians do.

Responding to the joyful applauses they have earned, The Cat Empire returns for an encore only to leave us with an afterthought taken right from their last song of the night, The Chariot:

‘Our weapons are our instruments,
made from timber and steel.
We never yielded to conformity,
but stood like kings
in a chariot that's riding on a 
record wheel.’

According to Felix, they will be back next year, after they go into the wilderness to write a new record. You would do well for yourself to get a ticket to their next show and get ready to have your mind and senses blown while redefining what live music should really be about.

Review: Cat Ionescu, Photos by Julian Avram

Canadian rock band The Tea Party is back again as part of the first tour 7 years and this time lead singer Jeff Martin promises us, they are here to stay. In Toronto for the second time this year, the band made setlist changes to amend the July 21st performance, a show that received mixed reviews owed to the heat wave and the overall discomfort of the audience. In contrast, their December 1st show was tighter, considerably longer and the song selection was smoother.

The Tea Party opened up with "The River", the band's first single, which set the mood for the remainder of the set. In the middle of the song the band broke into a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused". They continued to play their hits including "Requiem", "The Messenger" and "Fire in the Head" before slowing things down for an acoustic set.

Here, Jeff Martin asked the crowd to be quiet for the next 15 minutes and promised to crank the amps later. This acoustic section showcased the band's genuine talent. Stuart Chatwood alternated playing the mandolin, bass, keyboards & rhythm guitar over various songs. Jeff Martin gave his own virtuoso performance, oscillating between acoustic guitars, 12 string guitar & a sitar, while Jeff Burrows played his usual drum fills and also goblet drums. Highlights during this part of the set include: "The Badger", "The Grand Bazaar" and "Sun Going Down" which included parts of another Led Zeppelin song "Nobody's Fault but Mine".

Yes, this band is influenced by Led Zeppelin and nothing could demonstrate it more than when those promised amps were cranked again and Martin played a solo with a violin bow a la Jimmy Page before "Save me". In yet another homage to Zeppelin, the band gave a flawless rendition of "Kashmir" that sounded almost as powerful as the original. Harmonies moved seamlessly into "Heaven Coming Down" and blended into parts of Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side". This was followed by "Release" the single that supported the "White Ribbon" campaign, and the set was closed with “Temptation".

After a short break, the band came back with "Overload" and "Sister Awake". The show ended on a high note with a great cover of Rolling Stones’ "Paint it Black". By the end of the night the band had played twelve out of fifteen songs from their greatest hits release, enough to please both the diehard fans and the rest of the audience.

Setlist
- The River w/ Dazed & Confused
- Army Ants
- Lullaby
- Psychopomp
- Requiem
- The Messenger
- Fire in the Head
- The Badger (acoustic)
- The Grand Bazaar (acoustic)
- Shadows Mountainside (acoustic)
- Sun Going Down (acoustic) w/ Nobody's Fault but Mine
- Walking Wounded (acoustic)
- Halcyon Days
- Save Me
- Heaven Coming Down w/ Walk on the Wild Side
- Release
- Temptation

Encore
- Overload
- Sister Awake
- Writings on the Wall w/ Paint it Black

Review: Julian Avram | Photos: Julian Avram

Special thanks to LiveNation Canada for allowing BandSpace to review this concert.

Toronto loves Mastodon. This was proven the second time this year as Mastodon took the stage after a well received performance at the Heavy TO metal festival back this August. Mastodon's recent tour in support of their new album "The Hunter" gave Toronto fans one more chance to enjoy one of the most popular, original and heavy bands in the mainstream right now. Their now fifth album release propelled Mastodon's progressive music to new levels through a burst of creativity that the band somehow found immediately after they finished touring for their critically acclaimed record "Crack the Skye".

The night started early as Portland's Red Fang took the stage with a small but rocking set. It was very obvious why Mastodon would take these guys on tour to open for them. Their heavy rifts and sludgy metal hit the crowd well and gave the feel of epic music that can only be played by bearded men such as themselves. It was a sign of things to come. Dillinger Escape Plan came on next playing to a crowd that was definitely buzzing from a couple of beers and some possible Jager shots. The music stayed true to the band's mathcore, loud punk style. It delivered a definite kick to the head, but the crowd reception was mixed. Like their music, you either liked it or you hated it. This was felt by the lead singer who taunted the crowd and then proceeded to stage dive continuing his powerful yelling just like onstage. After a noisy performance, Toronto was anxious for the main act.

Mastodon took the stage to a screaming, practically full venue, kicking it off with two brand new songs "Dry Bone Valley" and "Black Tongue". They followed with songs off the "Blood Mountain" record. By then, the crowd was fully involved, moshing, head-banging and air-guitaring to the recently Grammy nominated "Curl of the Burl" song. The 22-song, 90-minutes set list included 8 new songs off the new album, which were very well received. The set list ended with Mastodon's best known and epic pieces: "Iron Tusk", "March of the Fire Ants" and "Blood and Thunder". Waiting until the end was completely worthwhile as something quite unseen at a metal show happened: a full sing-along from the crowd!

The band played a single song for their encore, the track "Creature Lives", with members and friends of the Dillinger Escape Plan and Red Fang, who joined them on stage. This song illustrates Mastodon's writing versatility and creativity, and though it sounds incredible on the record, it was even better live. It was a great rendition of an amazing, eerie song, and a grand finale to what is possibly Mastodon's best performance in Toronto… so far.

Red Fang Set List:
Hank Is Dead
Throw Up
Malverde
Wires
Good To Die
Sharks
Prehistoric Dog

Dillinger Escape Plan Set List:
Farewell, Mona Lisa
Room Full of Eyes
Milk Lizard
Panasonic Youth
Gold Teeth on a Bum
Good Neighbor
Chinese Whispers
Sunshine the Werewolf
43% Burnt

Mastodon Set List:
Dry Bone Valley
Black Tongue
Crystal Skull
I Am Ahab
Capillarian Crest
Colony of Birchmen
Megalodon
Blasteroid
Sleeping Giant
Ghost of Karelia
All the Heavy Lifting
Spectrelight
Curl of the Burl
Bedazzled Fingernails
Circle of Cysquatch
Aqua Dementia
Crack the Skye
Where Strides the Behemoth
Iron Tusk
March of the Fire Ants
Blood and Thunder
Creature Lives

Review: Paul R | Photos: Julian Avram

Special thanks to LiveNation Canada for allowing BandSpace to review this concert.

French-Israeli singer Yael Naim was back in town on November 7th 2011 to promote her latest album "She Was a Boy". Having the show at The Great Hall, one of the city's smaller venues, gave the public a perfect chance to see Naim and her band from up-close.

Naim opened up with "My Dreams", a song from her new album, that set the mood for the remainder of the night. Her style combines classical music with pop, folk and jazz and makes for a unique sound. Her cover of Rihanna's Umbrella brought out her incredible vocal range, and had a very enthusiastic public sing along. In between songs, she stepped up to the microphone to tell stories about how she left her family in Israel to move to Paris, how her boyfriend in Israel broke up with her (he probably must feel bad now), how she met her percussionist partner David Donatien and how she started her music career. She dedicated the latest single "Come Home" to her family.

The set included mostly songs off this new album: "Go to the River", "Stupid Goal", and "Man of Another Woman" before finishing the set with "Find Us", a song that got the audience involved, clapping to a beat that framed her echoing voice beautifully. Before leaving the stage, Naim introduced the band complete with virtuoso performances from each band member. Our personal favourite was the trio's bass player, Daniel Romeo, who blew the crowd away with a jaw-breaking bass solo.

After a short encore break, the band returned with two more songs, the first of which was "New Soul", a hit song from her last self-titled album. Rumours have it that the late Steve Jobs personally chose this song to be featured in the Macbook Air commercials. Naim finished the night with a cover of Britney Spears’ hit "Toxic", which I am astounded to say, blew my mind. If you haven't heard this jazz version, do yourself a favour and check it out! Naim has a talent for taking mainstream, ordinary songs and turning them into musical jewels. All in all, a great night filled with music that felt as intimate and complex as family.

Can't wait to hear what she comes up with next.

Setlist
My Dreams
Umbrella
Come Home
Never Change
Paris
Lonely
I Try Hard
Got to the River
Mystical Love
Stupid Goal
Man of Another Woman
Game is Over
Find Us

New Soul
Toxic

Review: Julian Avram | Photos: Julian Avram

Special thanks to LiveNation Canada for allowing BandSpace to review this concert.

When Massey Hall was built, in 1894, few could have imagined this beautiful National Historic Site of Toronto would be a perfect venue for bands like Trivium and Dream Theater. And so it was that on October 6th, Trivium opened a sold-out show with songs off their newly released album, In Waves. Often compared to Metallica on steroids, Trivium lived up to their reputation as a band that delivers raw, energetic and straightforward sounds. The band followed with Drowned and Torn Asunder, off their Ascendancy album, and the similarity between the two works became more evident. In Waves seems to draw from past albums, and take the defining quality of their sound into the future. The band was well received by enthusiastic fans, and their sound complemented the great acoustics of the venue. All in all, Trivium was a great choice as an opening act for Dream Theater.

Still on top of their game, Dream Theater sounded amazing. Canadian born James LaBrie, took charge of the stage with confidence and charm. They opened with Dream Is Collapsing and Bridges in the Sky, accompanied by a sea of singing, appreciative fans. The music spoke for itself, and LaBrie’ voice resonated through the hall with precision and focus. A favourite part of the show were the series of instrumental solos, relaxed yet arousing. The only special effects they provided were three cubes that hung over the stage and were used as projection screens. Interestingly, the focus of the stage was the drum kit, reinforcing the band’s intention to welcome their new member, Mike Magini, who took over percussions from the incredible Mike Portnoy. Magini’s technically complex solo followed Endless Sacrifice, and was warmly received by the fans, though there were those few who resisted applauding at the end of his virtuoso solo performance, probably out of loyalty to Portnoy.

It was nice to see many young people who sang along to older anthems, beside their fathers, and, in some cases, grandfathers. The five females that had somehow made it inside seemed to appreciate the music as well. In between songs, LaBrie took the time to thank his mother and sister for coming to see the show (they were two of those five females attending), adding a personal touch to this very special night. Some of the fans were disappointed at the change between Great Debate and Outcry, but overall the setlist was a fair representation of the band’s portfolio. They ended their two hour performance with Under a Glass Moon from their 1992 album Images and Words. It was the perfect ending to a strong and captivating night. Can’t wait to see them again the next time they’re in town. 

Review: Cat Ionescu | Photos: Julian Avram

Special thanks to LiveNation Canada for allowing BandSpace to review this concert.

With a new album out, Coldplay delighted Torontonians with a 65-minute free concert in the parking lot right outside of the Much Music building. Sponsored by Rogers, the performance included a mix of hits that included Clocks, Yellow, The Scientist and Fix You, and new songs from their new album Mylo Xyloto set to be released on October 24th, 2011.

Fans had been waiting outside for hours, despite the rain that magically cleared out during the show. The visuals included lasers and a generous amount of confetti that was released during In My Place. The most visually stunning moment was during Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall, when fireworks clustered in the sky above, only to incandesce into beautiful explosions to the uplifting beat of the song.

During the concert, Martin joked about how given the rain and English insecurity, they expected three people to show up in the parking lot of Much Music. There were thousands of Torontonians chanting the “no, no, no” section of Amy Winehouse’s Rehab, which the band covered briefly. The atmosphere surpassed that of a paid concert, where fans are customers waiting to see the performance they purchased. Instead, this was a night of exuberance for the sake of music (at least insofar as the fans perceived it), under the open skyline of a wonderful city called Toronto. Well done, MuchMusic!

Review: Julian Avram | Photos: Julian Avram

After the success of last year's festival, RockStar Uproar was back again to deliver a day filled with alternative music. This year's festival presented two stages, the Jagermeister stage and the Rockstar Energy Drink stage.

Review: Julian Avram | Photos: Julian Avram

Special thanks to LiveNation Canada for allowing BandSpace to review this concert.

Seeing Pearl Jam live is a rite of passage for anyone professing to understand the rock/grunge genre. As one would expect, tickets were sold out well before their September 11th show at the Air Canada Centre, in Toronto. Performing two nights in a row, the band opened on Sunday with a setlist that contained a perfect balance between hits and less known songs.

It’s not often that a band who could easily afford relying on visuals chooses not to employ gimmicks and tricks. There were no smoke screens, no projections and no flaming special effects. Only great music, and Eddie Vedder, leaping on top of speakers, moving about from limber into awkward and back again. And just when it felt like he was not entirely aware of being part of a band, he turned to acknowledge his drummer and base player. The first hit played was Do the Evolution, which faded into Once, and broke out into riffs worthy only of a band such as PJ. For the less enthusiastic concert goer, Vedder whipped out a beautiful rendition of Just Breathe, opening up our palate for more ballads.

If there was one dark spot on this phenomenal performance, it was the constant reminder of who the band’s fans are, and the reason why many rock listeners are not entirely sold on Pearl Jam. Their fans are loud and stinky beer-chugging males who allow themselves to be taken back by the music right to their high-school days of glory when they bullied and shoved, and pushed. Their fans are also the ex-beauty queens who hung with the football team way back when and have since turned into leathery cougars, high on questionable pot and a momentary sense of entitlement. Aside from this sad incursion into other people’s past juxtaposed to their present, the music was of epic quality.

In between songs, Vedder talked about their TIFF documentary, directed by Cameron Crowe, about their wives and how time flies when you start having kids. The sense of intimacy was not in any way hindered by the strong anthems played in between. He also cracked a joke about feeling at home in Toronto because it has similar landscape to Seattle, what with the tower and all. Then he added he was well aware, of course, that ours was bigger.

Following the virtuoso performances during Nothing As It Seems, Black, and Alive there was no doubt we had all been properly jammed. The last song of the second – very generous – encore, was the epitome of going out with a bang: a surprise cameo from Neil Young, drawn out by an energy-infusing Keep On Rocking in the Free World. Young and the PJ guitarists put on a mesmerizing show that brought fans into a state of frenzy, ending the night on the highest possible note. Walking back from the ACC to their cars, hoards of people sang the chorus from this last song and strummed the heck out of their pretend guitars. Now that is how you end a show! 

Review: Cat Ionescu | Photos: Julian Avram

I reviewed Maroon 5 for the first time a year ago, and I ended my review with the expressed hopes that the next time they come to the Molson Amphitheatre they will get to fill the lawns. A year later, M5 is just as funky as ever, and their lawns are filled to the brim. Could it be because they are now touring with Train? I’d like to think that they can fill the lawns all on their own.

Maroon 5 did not waste any time on August 22, 2011. They opened their Toronto concert with a bang: their new hit, Moves Like Jagger. And he did. This is something I noticed from Adam Levine’s previous performance. He oozes Jagger sex-appeal, complete with the respective jittery moves. Full of energy in his skinny jeans and emblematic buttoned-down shirt, the lead singer of Maroon 5 hyped up the crowds with his clear, warm voice, that somehow remained steady over the series of jumps and kicks he showcased. They continued with some of their older hits, Harder to Breathe and Sunday Morning, and brought it back to the new album with Misery and Never Gonna Leave This Bed. It doesn't hurt that they have an outstanding drummer like Ryan Dusick. An improvement on last year’s performance was that this time Adam grabbed the guitar quite often and broke into spontaneous riffs, putting a rock’n roll spin on the band’s soulful songs. Their fans muttered every word of their songs, all the way through the encore, when the band returned to play She Will Be Loved. Here, Adam repeated last year's move and divided the audience into two halves, asking each half to uphold their own harmony by singing a single line from the chorus. The two sides were reconciled by Adam’s own reinvention of the song, carrying the melody into the night sky above us. Before leaving, he courteously introduced the next band, Train, by humming their hit song, Hey, Soul Sister.

Following a brief intermission, Train opened with Parachute and If It’s Love, heating up the crowd with Meet Virginia. Clad in white skinny jeans, and a white shirt, Pat Monahan ran across the stage and picked a fair number of young fans he brought on stage. The girls’ attempts at touching him were turned down promptly as he got them to sing along to the lyrics of She’s on Fire. A few jokes and teases later, the Trainettes left the stage happier than they’d ever been. In between songs, Pat Monahan could not resist his urge to break into a random Zeppelin one-liner that would echo across the skyline. Monahan started, after all, as the lead singer in a Led Zeppelin cover band. What followed was a mashup of Blondie’s Heart of Glass, U2’s Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, and Rihanna’s Umbrella. Seeing that I’m quietly observing, the lady next to me turned to say “You’re just a baby, honey. You don’t know Led Zeppelin or Debbie Harry.” I smiled and thanked her for the compliment. I know good Zeppelin when I see it, and this one was as good as it gets. Of course the mashup was meant to show the wide vocal and instrumental range of the band. But whatever its purpose, the more meaningful and long-lasting effect was that a generation of Trainettes and their boyfriends were unknowingly introduced to classic rock anthems they would never otherwise have heard of. The setlist continued with ballads like Marry Me and Calling All Angels, and ended with Hey, Soul Sister. It was not until the encore that we got to hear Drops of Jupiter, winding the energetic fans down with a celestial projection that framed the bright outline of the man singing.

You know a band is big because you recognize its sound over a thousand others. You also know a band is big from the way they choose to acknowledge their moral responsibility to their fans. While Maroon 5 is a soulful and funky band whose hip sounds are as easy to identify as Bono’s guttural shrieks or Madonna’s play of both masculine and feminine vocal spectres, Train is not so easily recognized. Nonetheless, they are a fine band that has somehow stumbled into a solid and very young fanbase, and has used this privilege to educate their supporters into what music means and where it comes from. Maroon 5 and Train complement each other in that that they are both able to speak to young people, and yet still make music by the standards of a golden age that is long gone. 

Review: Cat Ionescu | Photos: Julian Avram

Special thanks to LiveNation Canada for allowing BandSpace to review this concert.

Between July 22 and 23, 2011, Toronto hosted one of its most prolific heavy metal festival in years.  With an amazing lineup that included three of "the big four" of trash metal, it was a festival for the ages.

Despite the torrid temperatures in the city, crowds of fans gathered to watch Diamond Head, As I Lay Dying and Children of Bodom. Diamond Head stood out as the highlight of the day for playing their own songs, made famous by Metallica (Am I Evil, Electric, The Prince and Helpless). As I Lay Dying put on its own spectacle with two giant mosh pits fit for true headbangers. Children of Bodom was a show full of energy and brought on by aggressive songs and stage runs by the band. Following the later band, Anthrax came on. Returning from a break brought on by the birth of Scott Ian’s first child, Anthrax made up for lost time and rocked it’s North American fans. Headed by Joey Belladonna, their original lead singer, the band sounded and looked very different from the Anthrax of the early 2000’s. Their version of Sepultura’s Refuse/Resist gave the original band a run for their money. This thunderous performance was brought to an end by I Am the Law, an Antrhax classic. 

Opeth followed with a great set that included: The Grand Conjuration, Face of Melinda, The Drapery Falls before finishing up with a bone chilling performance of Hex Omega that brought out the rain. Though a great highlight of this festival as far as we are concerned, Opeth’s progressive metal performance was not drawing the same energy from the audience as the bands before. That is until Motorhead came in and brought the crowd back to life. It was a perfect moment, marked by sudden rain that cooled the air and reenergized the public after a long, hot day. Their one hour long show upstaged other bands by reminding us why we were there in the first place: to delve deep into the roots of pure hard rock. They finished with two of their greatest songs, Ace of Spades and Overkill, and hyped up the crowds into a mosh pit frenzy. 

California metal superstars Megadeath headlined the evening, and started their show with a fine rendition of their song, Trust. Although the band played other hits such as Headcrusher, 1320, In My Darkest Hour, Wake Up Dead and Peace Sells, the energy of the audience just wasn’t the same. Spent from a full day of headbanging and prolific bands, the fans appeared just about ready to call it a night. Just before ending the show, Dave Mustaine came back on stage with a gold award from EMI for their greatest hits album, and  thanked their Canadian fans, honouring them for their support and loyalty.

Day Two featured Dead And Devine, Death Angel, Exodus, Volbeat, Melissa Auf der Maur, Anvil, Baptized In Blood, Testament, Mastodon, Slayer, Billy Talent and Rob Zombie.  During Volbeat’s performance, the monitors acted up. As a result, the Danish band did not complete their set. A pregnant Melissa Auf der Maur changed the pace just before Scarborough’s very own Anvil took the stage, playing a headbanging, vibrating set list. The highlight of the festival was Slayer, whose show started at 7pm and delivered a blazing hour and fifteen minute set. It was agreed by most that this was the best of all performances. Powerful drum sets made the dust fly off the stage, and sent shivering thunders up and down our spines. It was an unfortunate decision to follow a quintessential heavy metal act with a ska indie band, be it a pretty decent one. Billy Talent might have expected a warmer welcome from its home town, but instead were received with plastic bottle projectiles, obscene signs and booed. Although the band maintained its professionalism and completed the seemingly never-ending set, the consensus amongst metal heads remained that “Billy’s got no talent”. Rob Zombie saved the night with a very dynamic and visual set. The band’s show included robots, skeleton mic stands, flames, smoke, horror movie screens, fireworks, bubbles, giant balls, confetti and elaborate make-up.  

The festival was a great first step for Toronto and we hope it will grow from here. Although the turnout could have been bigger, the bands gave some memeorable performances, there were plenty of talented artists to feed the appetite of the TO metal heads, and with the exception of the Voltbeat technical difficulties, the acoustics were very good. Watch out Montreal, there’s another Heavy Fest in Canada, and this one will give you a run for your metal!

Review: Julian Avram | Photos:Julian Avram

Special thanks to Live Nation Canada for allowing News & Writers to review this festival.