Upstairs venue hosts musical performances
On Saturday, Nov. 1, Pinball Sessions and Eleven hosted a lively Halloween show at DSTRCT. The venue was decked out with all sorts of Halloween decorations, and masked individuals made their way through the audience, some even up onto the stage. Up first was First Base, hailing from Toronto. They played a punk-oriented set, with lots of grimy power chords and songs that were short and sweet.
At this point in the show, what the crowd lacked in size was made up for in spirit. There weren’t many people around, but you could tell they were really enjoying the music. Between songs, there were requests shouted left, right, and center. Classic guitar riffs reminiscent of The Ramones, and steady, heavy drum beats were enough to get everybody in the crowd rocking out to the music.
After an action-packed set about 10 songs in length, the band took to the crowd, replaced on stage by Wicked Witches, also from Toronto. This band was made up of many instrumentalists, including a tenor saxophonist, whose smooth riffs perfectly complimented the rest of the band.
The musicians had super-hip, rustic-looking instruments that delivered sounds as beautiful as you would expect from instruments of their nature. The band had great stage presence and, towards the end of their set, a few band members started changing instruments as the keyboard came into focus. The lead guitarist, who doubled as the group’s singer, had a wide vocal range and was a capable player. Their spooky, psychedelic music perfectly suited the Halloween decorations on the walls and ceilings of the venue. The place was grooving to the music, although their set seemed to end all too soon.
After an energy-filled performance with solid contributions from all band members, Wicked Witches stepped down to make way for the third band of the evening, Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs. Originally from Kitchener-Waterloo, but more recently based out of Toronto, this band had matching jackets, and they worked well together – as to be expected from a bunch of guys with matching jackets. Just like First Base, they played a punk show to a lively crowd. The sheer amount of beards and tattoos on stage leant the group its appeal, as they played music that any sailor, biker, or punk-rocker could appreciate.
Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs were energetic, and even had the gusto to play the oft-dreaded “10 minute song.” In their case, it worked out well, and the crowd did not fall out of step one bit during the performance. They played a number of crowd favourites, and at one point the stage was swarmed by fans who belted into the microphones right alongside “the lungs.”
The show put on by these three bands was enjoyable for everyone in attendance. There was a great deal of camaraderie between bands, and the crowd was as involved in the music as can be. DSTRCT, in collaboration with Pinball Sessions and Eleven, has done it again, and hosted a show that those of us in the crowd will not soon forget.