Three distinct groups rock out late into the night
There has hardly ever been so much gear on the eBar stage than there was on Wednesday night, Oct 8. With amps piled almost to the roof, it looked like a music store pop-up – drum rugs and all.
First to make use of the overflowing piles of equipment was Taylor Knox’s trio, whose frontman has a resume that stretches far east to include Haligonian Rich Aucoin, and back to Toronto where he has played with Arts & Crafts label darlings Jason Collett, Sloan, Zeus, and the Golden Dogs. His superb songwriting stood out during an evening of good performances. The band’s mostly grungey sound was reminiscent of early Foo Fighters, and though there seemed to be some young band jitters to the show, the tunes felt raw and untampered with. The three-piece band really came alive for their last song; the very poppy ‘Fire’ was electric and dancey, leaving me wanting more from Knox – who has recently signed with MapleMusic Recordings – which can only mean we will be hearing more and more from the Toronto native.
Next on stage, The Golden Dogs, who have recently reunited, were loud and thrashy from their first moment on stage. Husband-wife duo Dave Azzolini and drummer Jessica Grassia shared vocals. Seeing anyone drum and take lead vocals at the same time seems like a superhuman feat, but there’s also something really special about a kick-ass female drummer taking lead vocals. Grassia was that kick-ass vocalist and drummer, decked out in a Zeus t-shirt, and the rest of the band seemed like they were trying to keep up with her ferocious pace and energy.
Zeus, finally making it to the stage just after midnight, looked like they’d hired actors to play a rock band. Skinny jeans, eclectic glasses, long hair, and ripped denim filled the stage as concert goers yawned and contemplated buying the new album then skipping out. Luckily, the yawns didn’t last long – the band has a loyal following in Guelph, and with good reason. They were tight, on point, old veterans playing fun new beats. The ethereal dancey tunes were a welcome lightness after the intensity of The Golden Dogs, and the mix of vocals gives the band a uniqueness that feels surprising in an era when the differences between Toronto indie rock bands can be oft-hard to find. The stand out was new single “Miss My Friends.” With its Monkees-esque, vintage pop sound, it felt nostalgic and just right for the very early hours of a Thursday morning. Definitely a show I would go to again, I’d just need to remember to have a pre-show nap next time.