Words and Images: Andy Schmidt
Friday, June 13th

FRED (10 pm @ Cameron House)  I love FRED, quite simply. This band really blew me away. Their trip across the pond was well worth it. I arrived at the Cameron House Friday night on Queen West to a near-packed back room. I can actually recall the lady at the door telling me I was the last one in. I really didn’t know what to expect from this Irish five piece. At first sight, they almost seemed like a bunch of roommates staying at Freddie Mercury’s house. The lead singer soon joked, “After looking at us for five minutes what do you think we’ll sound like?”.  As to be expected, some guy yells, “Rock and Roll!” and that is exactly what we got.

FRED are a well-oiled machine. The songs are quite simple in formula, yet there are so many twists, turns, and bridges in this music that you canít help but keep your ears glued to the stage. Complimenting backup harmonies carried powerful lead vocals with ease. This was the type of band that you can put total faith into; every note was hit with ease and every chord was strummed like the record. This crunchy, electric indie sound floated along nicely while sitting on a bed of piano tinkering and a booming kick drum.

One of the most noticeable aspects to FRED’s show is the attention they pay to the crowd between songs. Tuning sessions kept the pace of the performance smooth due to delightful banter, which is always more funny with an Irish accent. The audience couldn’t help but be held captive by FRED’s charms. Needless to say, Ireland’s FRED really made an impression on me. Talented, slick, and some of the easiest music I’ve listened to since Midlake. FRED is the kind of band you’d pay money to see time and time again, simply if you wanted to be entertained.

Beast (11 pm @ Supermarket) The hits just kept on coming. I decided to mix up my rainy evening with a little hip-hop experimentation from Montreal’s Beast at the Supermarket. Yet again, another packed venue.  I quickly rushed to the front to see what all of the commotion was about. I’d heard great things about this band and was eager for my first taste of some fine Montreal trip-hop. At first sight, I saw a four-piece outfit with strange stage instruments, including a drum kit that looked like it was straight from The Matrix. There are two leaders to this band: vocalist Betty Bonifassi (Triplets of Belleville soundtrack, DJ Champion), who provides a multi-layered approach to lyricism and range, as well as drummer/composer Jean-Phi Goncalves (Lauryn Hill, Plaster), whose signature arrangement of beats drove this show onto the dance floor.

This is the type of music anyone can dance to, and they did. Beast combines everything from synth sounds, to booming dirty beats, to opera, folk, metal, and then some old school hip-hop to throw in the mix. Loads of energy from all of the members, and the sound couldn’t have been tighter. Jean-Phi’s digital sampling receives an honourable mention, combining technical drum parts with computer-powered sound bites.

I highly recommend this band for fans of high-energy dance rock and hip-hop. Make sure to check them out next time they come into town.

Fox Jaws (12 am @ The Rivoli) The last stop of my night was the Rivoli for Barrie’s own Fox Jaws. I arrived to another hot, sweaty scene. This was NXNE at its best. I arrived just as Fox Jaws hit the stage, thankfully. It was so full that I had trouble getting anywhere near the front row to catch the band in action. The show began, opening with a bundle of epic instrumentation before breaking into one of Fox Jaws strongest assets: vocals. Lead singer Carleigh unleashed her vocal chords all over the crowd, even making me delightfully stand a bit closer. The bands sound comes from relatively simple arrangements, yet the attention to detail and arrangements is what really sets this band apart from any other.

Haunting lead electric parts, tech drumming, and searing vocals tie up these Jaws into something special. The band also played the fan favourite “Karmonica”; a song that has the potential of becoming a Canadian classic, and something that I’m sure Neil Young kicks himself for not writing.  A little bit of Arcade Fire, a little bit Arctic Monkeys, and a little bit Fleetwood Mac. This band was the perfect capper for my rainy, sweaty night at the Rivoli.

Andy’s images: www.flickr.com/photos/filmsnotdead/and www.myspace.com/filmsnotdead

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 at 8:32 pm.