CMW 2011: DAY 4 @ THE HORSESHOE TAVERN, THE BAIT SHOP, SNEAKY DEE’S & COMFORT ZONE

Live N Loud | March 18, 2011 | Comments (1,148)

Canadian Music Fest: Day 4
March 12th, 2011
Artists (Descending): The Zoobombs, MEN, Cherie Lily, Tayisha Busay, Dinosaur Bones, The Zoobombs, Diemonds, Rocket Surgery, The Resignators
Venues: The Horseshoe, The Bait Shop, Sneaky Dee’s, Comfort Zone

Finally it was time for the last day of Canadian Music Fest, by this point I was exhausted but still managed to make it out to a bunch of showcases. To start it was time to head to the Horseshoe for the Australian Barbecue, where all the Australian groups playing at the festival had gathered. The first band I caught was The Resignators, the Aussie ska band took the stage and immediately launched into a fantastic set of old school ska based tunes. With 7 members on stage it was quite the show and they definitely put on a fantastic set. Proving that it’s never too early to dance your face off. Click HERE for the live photos!

Up next were Rocket Surgery, taking a decidedly more synth approach to music. With a lean 3 members, two on synths and one on guitar they made a lot of noise considering how few people were on the stage. I didn’t catch much of their set as I had to head out, but what I heard sounded pretty good. I brought back a few photos of their set; check them out!

After that it was time to leg it over to The Bait Shop, a skate shop equipped with its very own half pipe, the top of which was where the bands were setting up. First up were Diemonds, the Toronto glam metal group that’s been making a lot of waves lately. Fronted by singer Priya Panda one thing they certainly made was an interesting cast of characters on stage. Playing through a solid half hour of metal they for lack of a better word rocked and you can tell why they’ve been doing so well. Have a look at Diemonds’ photos here!

Then it was time for The Zoobombs to take the stage, now before this I’d only heard rumors of how good they were live. The Japanese four piece have clearly been going through a tough time with the chaos back in Japan, and they were extremely grateful to the Canadians who had been wishing them well during the ordeal. They started their set off slow, but the instant they hit the second song it became clear why they’d built up such a reputation. Singer Don Matsuo was impossible to pin down, bouncing around the stage and generally all over the place, playing a charged psychedlic punk rock that was impossible not to enjoy. With a 30 minute set, they pretty much cemented a reputation as one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen. Click HERE to check out the photos!

Next up was Dinosaur Bones, who started their set by sarcastically thanking the promoter for putting them on after Zoobombs before launching into their set. With a new album just out they had some great material to draw on and they made the best of their set. While not quite having the spectacle of Zoobombs, they still had a very good stage presence and sounded great. Click for photos!

After that it was time to head off to Sneaky Dee’s, I got there just in time to catch the last half of Tayisha Busay. I’m not really sure how to describe exactly what I saw, there was ridiculous 90’s workout gear, headlamps, and synchronized interpretive dancing. Needless to say it was quite a show, and while the music took a back seat to the antics, it was by no means unsuitable for the onstage persona they took on. Photos of her performance are right HERE!

Up next was Cherie Lily, who for those in the know is the wife, and on stage supporter of Andrew W.K. (yes that Andrew W.K.). Now her set took the form of basically an onstage fitness class accompanied by music. Sporting a leotard and setting out to put the crowd through its paces. While not an intensive workout, it was mostly just for fun, she did get the crowd going pretty well.

Then it was time for MEN, the side project of JD Samson of Le Tigre while they’re on hiatus. While they don’t quite have the same energy on stage as Le Tigre did, Samson is a great front-woman and had the capacity crowd eating out of the palm of her hand. Backed by a guitarist and bassist and her laptop she blasted through as many songs as she could with her limited set time. By far the highlight of the set being when the band closed with a cover of Bikini Kills ‘Double Dare Ya’ and the crowd absolutely lost it. Check out the photos now!

As a final stop for the night, I decided based on their earlier performance, to go see The Zoobombs play the Comfort Zone, a much different venue than The Bait Shop. Despite the confined space they had to play in the show was still just as active and fantastic, and they might have even rocked even harder. While seeing a band twice in one day may be excessive, you simply cannot beat the amount of energy this group puts into a show. Check out the photos of the band’s second performance that night right HERE!