Sonic Youth Rock Massey Hall

All the excitement leading up to Sonic Youth's show on Tuesday nearly gave me an aneurysm. As I'm somewhat prone to do, I'd been deliberately panicking since my photo pass was approved the week before. Why? Because it's f@&^ing Sonic Youth.

See my full original Blogto.com posthere.
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Ohbijou Drops "Beacons" at The Opera House

Every memory I have of seeing Ohbijou play live is a good one. Before Thursday night, the show that stuck out the most was last year's co-headlining performance with the Acorn at Lee's Palace. (Incidentally, that was the experience that really piqued my interest in covering live music. I blame you, Ohbijou, for all the late nights in muggy clubs, and for the constant stream of ink stains on the back my right hand that never seem to wash off.)

I'd been looking forward to this show for months. The band was originally slotted to play in April, but the show was rescheduled for June 25th as part of the CD launch for their new album, Beacons. It was worth the two-month wait, however; visually, artistically and musically, Ohbijou never disappoints.

See my original Blogto.com post here.
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The Parlor Mob: Five Guys Against the World

If you haven't seen The Parlor Mob play live before, you'll get the chance tonight as they open for Theory of a Deadman at the Sound Academy. In a word, their live performances are legendary. Expect straight-up, no holds barred rock and roll when they hit the stage.

A little bit of history on these guys: the Jersey-born five-piece got their start back in 2004 as What about Frank, before changing to their current incarnation as The Parlor Mob. Their debut album, And You Were a Crow, was released on May 6th, 2008 and contains twelve energetic and progressive tracks.

I recently had the chance to chat with bassist Nick Villapiano about the band, future albums, fantasy venues... and Paula Abdul.

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Isla Craig Drifts Across Toronto Island

Until recently, I hadn't been to Toronto Island in almost a year. Last weekend a few friends and I headed out on bikes with a fine selection of cheese, meat and cupcakes for Isla Craig's show and album launch at St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Church.

Read my original Blogto.com post here.
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