The Namedroppers, Greg McEvoy, Friday Night Trend, and Poor Young Things
Van Gogh’s ear hosted a handful of rock bands on Saturday, Nov. 30, the night’s opener being Guelph’s rising post-punk band, The Namedroppers. The sets to follow – Greg McEvoy, Friday Night Trend, and Poor Young Things – treated listeners to an evening of healthy, hearty rock and roll.
The Namedroppers opened the night’s event with their distinctive, viciously heavy blend of punk, noise, and even rockabilly. Anthony Damaio’s snarling, sardonic vocals captured the attentive audience, as well Sam Dlugokecki’s thunderous bass playing and indomitable stage presence.
Grey McEvoy performed shortly after, with a friendly stage persona and equally friendly music. With a charismatic approach to his Tom Petty-esque tunes, his music fit the bar setting of Van Gogh’s perfectly, McEvoy and his group performed a solid set to a receptive crowd.
Toronto’s Friday Night Trend took the stage immediately after, marking their debut performance in Guelph. The group performed hard rock with a sort of pop-punk tinge, in the vein of The Fall of Troy and At the Drive-In. The group performed energetically to a less-than packed house (after McEvoy’s set, the place nearly cleared out), which is an amiable feat and difficult to do. Props to them for staying enthusiastic for a sparse crowd.
The night’s headliner, Toronto’s Poor Young Things, performed the last set of the night, again to a sparse audience. More fun and energetic rock and roll ensued, three guitars and enthusiastic vocal work by Matt Fratpietro attributed to a loud, rugged sound that was overall pleasing to hear.
The evening’s organization left a lot to be desired – the bone-crushing noise and irreverent post-punk stylings of The Namedroppers didn’t quite set the tone for the “safer” style of the other three groups, and perhaps would’ve been better off in the night’s third slot. Each set had its own distinctive persona and sounds, but the bands didn’t work very well together as a “cohesive” event.