December 18 2014 – Dear Santa, sorry for being tardy and not getting this article out after a killer night of rock.
Almost three months ago on September 26 2014 a killer bill of Rock n Roll took over Lee’s Palace on this night. 4 bands provided aural pleasures that collectively was as good as any bar show we have seen this year. First up was Setback whom we missed. The venue had an electric buzz about it that night and cliches aside there really was some sort of energy around the venue tonight.
The Rathburns
Gotta hate early set times but The Rathburns rocked it as if it was midnight. The Rathburns delivered a raw yet silky smooth set of blues garage rock that we never get tired of. The intensity of lead singer Frances Rose is big time and good luck getting your eyes of her electrical charged delivery. When she kicks into high gear the rhythm section builds a solid foundation for Joey Virgilio to deliver riffs to knock you on your ass. Overall the band works very good and they are on their way to conquering Toronto’s Indie rock scene (similar in many ways to The Damn Truth from Montreal). Below is a video from the night that attempts to catch the band at their peak – this is Oh Lord.
In My Coma
In My Coma have been on our radar for a number of years now and are on our Top 10 Indie Bands of 2013 article (read here). We really dig their sound and they have many styles of songs. Needless to say it is their hard rockers that get us going big time and when they turn up the rock intensity they not only blow roofs off venues, they tear the shit out of them. Tonight they delivered an inspired and rocking set – the only problem was that we didnt get enough of them before their time was up. Jasper, Laura and Mike are big time so make sure you catch them next time they are playing. Here is Hit Them Down Kid from the night.
Polarity
Tonight’s show was a Polarity show in that it was a fundraiser to cover costs for their upcoming album. What a brilliant idea – throw a rock n roll party and use the proceeds to work on your new project. The economic reality of upcoming rock bands is pretty stark but the spirit of rock beats strong in Polarity. They stormed the stage with an intensity of a typhoon and the energy did not dissipate until well after their set. Polarity delivers a diverse sound that borders on heavy metal (but not actually being metal) and prog. At times delivering complex structures like Dream Theater but with a much better vocalist (sorry not a fan of Labrie’s voice) they are a pure joy to watch on stage and many songs they are trying to get out on their record were on display – check out the video below for a highlight of the night.
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