Music promoters round up some of their favourite acts for a weekend of birthday fun
What started as a series of house shows among friends has turned into a local staple for upcoming musicians and artists.
On Fri, June 2, 2006, Kazoo! hosted its first venue show on the third floor of Van Gogh’s Ear. The bill included Toronto rap band Ninja High School, The Maynards, an all-girl rock band from Halifax, and local Guelph band Households.
The diverse lineup drew a huge crowd and set a forward-thinking standard that is still largely adhered to at Kazoo! ten years later.
Although the mandate remains the same, over the years Kazoo! has grown from a show series and a zine to a festival and print expo, and has taken part in arts initiatives such as the Look Hear micro-grant and Girls Rock! Camp.
According to Kazoo! founder Brad McInerney, adapting to change has been important in keeping the scene alive for the last decade.
“The bands that I was in, the projects that I was doing, and the friends that were around when we started Kazoo! are mostly different than what’s happening now,” explained McInerney. “I don’t want a bunch of like 30-year-old, all-dude bands playing. It can’t be that. It has to be affecting new audiences and interacting with new people or it just basically stops and becomes a vanity project for the people involved.”
True to their roots, Kazoo! rounded up some of their favourite bands and artists from over the years to compile a strong and varied two-day bill to celebrate this milestone.
Friday, June 3: Bonnie Trash, Banana Lambs, Esther Grey, Shotgun Jimmy at eBar
Dana Bellamy
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To kick off the festivities, local favourite Bonnie Trash lured the audience in with their atmospheric grunge sound at the eBar. Twin sisters Emma and Sara Bortolon-Vettor gradually hit all ends of the spectrum within their set, from faint, raspy whispers, to hard-hitting guitar solos reminiscent of a sci-fi panic attack.
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Bonnie Trash then welcomed to the stage Banana Lambs, a band formed from the Girls Rock! Camp back in March. Hannah, Sadie, and Saffra took what they learned in the camp and showed great potential, especially with the addition of vocals and a spark of confidence during their second song.
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Esther Grey followed with their signature dream-like sounds and staccato rhythms. The set was interjected with super fun surf-grooves and the occasional head-banger that kept the audience guessing.
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Kazoo!’s favourite one-man band, Shotgun Jimmy, closed the show with the most danceable set of the night. With his relatable lyrics about nostalgia, student life, and The Constantines, along with his ability to multitask, Shotgun Jimmy kept the audience singing, dancing, and laughing late into the night.
Saturday, June 4: Bernice and Bry Webb at GCVI
Alex Harris
In the rear playground of GCVI, Guelph’s oldest educational institution, teenagers shot hoops, children gorged on freezies and the Royal City’s own poet laureate Bry Webb played an intimate set in the heat of a June afternoon to a crowd of about 50 lucky onlookers.
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Joined by Toronto experimental synth-pop band Bernice, Constantines frontman Bry Webb once again proved why he is considered one of the best songwriters in Canada. The intimate afternoon set began with a brand new tune penned by Webb specifically for the gig at hand, simply because he felt bad about not having a new song for the show. Soft-spoken yet powerful, Webb weaves words and simple song structures together so effortlessly, captive audiences don’t even realize he’s blurring the lines between folk and rock.
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Opening the show with a stripped down four-piece version of the band, Bernice mesmerized the crowd with other-worldly and mysterious sounds mixed perfectly together and rooted somewhere beneath the umbrella of modern pop. Lead singer Robin Dann’s hair blew in the wind so majestically, you’d swear someone had planned to have a breeze blowing that day.
Saturday, June 4: Motëm, Whoop-Szo, Hooded Fang at TNT Boxing Academy
Thanushi Eagalle
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The Kazoo! event Saturday night was definitely the edgier and grittier show of the weekend. In a venue that fit the genre of the night, Motëm got the crowd going with beats and moves from another dimension.
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Whoop-Szo was to follow and they did not disappoint with their headbanging jams. Not to mention, the TNT Boxing Academy was lit up with visuals by Versa, taking the performances to a greater level of intensity.
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Finally, Hooded Fang closed up the night with tunes that had everyone dancing and feeling the full effects of their Wellington tall boys.