Wallows 'Nothing Happens' Tour | Montreal, Quebec Concert Review

   

  I got to attend Wallows 'Nothing Happens' tour on February 29th in Montreal and to put it short what a better way to spend the Leap Day than with the Wallows boys! The Montreal show was the only show on this tour where they played the regular show as well as a matinee show earlier in the day because of the shows selling out the fastest out of all the other dates. My day started around 9:45am and getting to the venue for noon as the first of two shows began at 2:30pm. It was an extremely cold day as my feet lost all feeling in them after only being in the queue for thirty minutes. You'd think living in Canada I would know how to prepare for cold weather, but when you are standing in one place for hours on end, no matter how much you prepare you will more than likely freeze. After about an hour in the queue, which felt like an eternity after freezing for so long, we were let inside!

     Since this was the matinee show, there was no VIP or opening bands. Which meant we got a full hour of just Wallows! 2:30pm hit and the lights go out. We were told that the setlist for the matinee show was going to be slightly different over the main setlist which was really fun as none of us in the crowd knew what to expect. Braeden Lemasters (guitar/vocals) was the first to walk out on stage. He was all by himself. He told us that since this was the earliest they have played we were going to start with a slower song. He opened with '1980's Horror Film' which was a great surprise considering that is one of the songs not on the normal setlist! The crowd was one of the better crowds I ever experienced. Nobody was pushing, no one was being aggressive, and everyone was being very respectful towards everyone around them! The matinee show was exactly an hour long. I was having so much fun that the hour flew by to me and before I knew it the first of my two Wallows shows was over and I had to go back out into the cold. As we exited the venue the VIPs for the 8pm show already began to line up.

     Throughout this tour, Wallows have been partnering with different non-profit organizations at every tour stop. They would encourage fans to bring in donations to help these non-profits and in exchange for helping out your community, you would receive a free "I Donated At A Wallows Show" pin! As soon as the matinee show ended I headed over to the drug store and picked up a few items to donate. If any of you plan on going to a Wallows show on this run, I encourage you all to donate something because you really do feel good knowing you helped someone in your community! Every day the band posts on their Instagram story what donations the non-profit of the day would like. It's normally as simple as some canned food or even some travel-sized hygiene products. After purchasing the items I planned on donating, I headed back to the venue to queue once again in the freezing cold. As soon as the doors opened, I dropped off my bag of donations, grabbed my pin and headed back inside for round 2.

     The opening band for the tour is Penelope Isles, the UK based 4-piece band. I had no knowledge of this band before going into the show, but I sure did have a fun time watching them! It's hard to put an official label on what genre they would be classified under but the alternative music scene needs to keep up with them because they deserve so much success! Their set was very chill and vibey and not once did I look at the time to see how much longer until it was over. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire thing. Definitely check out Penelope Isles on Spotify if you have not already.

     Now it was time to see Wallows again! They ended up switching up the order of songs and opened up with 'Do Not Wait' over 'Treacherous Doctor.' You would assume that the second Wallows show of the day would be similar to the first one just with a few extra songs? Well, you would be very wrong! The second time around was like a whole different experience! Once again the crowd was phenomenal and so much better than what I expected which I think made everything better. For how tired I was that entire day, I didn't stop jumping or dancing ONCE. It was such fun and the energy all night was through the roof. At one point, Braeden told the crowd to open a pit and then realized what he said because the look of  'What have I just done' that appeared on his face was priceless!

     Once the show ended and the adrenaline started to slow down I was in so much pain, and I was so exhausted as I've never done two concerts on the same day before but it was so worth it and it will always be something I'll remember. There is not one thing I would have changed about Leap Day besides maybe the weather. If you are a fan of Wallows and want to see them on tour I would 100% recommend it! If you are not a fan of Wallows but want to experience a really fun night, then I also would recommend you going to see them play it definitely has made it into my top 3 concerts for overall experience! To learn more about Wallows and see what they are up to, you can follow them on everything @wallowsmusic.

  

     
   

The Maine 'The Mirror' Tour | Toronto, Ontario Concert Review

It's a cold Saturday morning. Waiting in line since 12pm, I watched as fans of Arizona rock band 'The Maine" showed up one by one decked out in golden yellow (per the band's request). As the evening grew colder, the doors finally opened for the sold-out show and one by one everyone piled into the venue trying to avoid the cold. Upon entering the venue a voice can be overheard over the speakers. "Welcome to The Mirror tour!" The pre-show playlist that was played while we waited for the nights opening band "Twin XL" to play, included the classic pop-punk hits with songs from Sum 41, The 1975 and other songs for the crowd to get excited for. 8pm rolls around and Twin XL takes the stage. They were nothing short of entertaining. Fans whipping out neon sunglasses during the band's song 'Sunglasses' and then waving around glowsticks to 'Neon Summer'. Everyone around me, including myself, had such a fun time during Twin XL's set. I was actually sad when it was over!

As everyone is waiting for the night's main event (no pun intended!), the preshow playlist from before begins to play once more. Suddenly, the music stops, orchestral music begins to play, as well as a countdown appearing on the screen center stage. 45 seconds to go. Then 30. Then 20. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. A video introduction plays and The Maine comes onto the stage. A few people already throwing their yellow flowers they brought with them onto the stage. Nonstop dancing and fun were being had, as lead vocalist John O'Callaghan instructs everyone to sing, even if they did not know the words, he wanted them to sing and have fun! About halfway through the night began the part where I became quite emotional. As soon as the song "Lonely" began to play I had tears streaming down my face. Going from such an emotional song into "How Do You Feel?" where jumping was encouraged, my tears quickly turned into smiles once more. After all that, John made his way to the B-Stage for an acoustic rendition of "(Un)Lost". Bringing up an audience member to sing the chorus with him turned out to be a surprise engagement for a beautiful couple named William and Riley. (She said yes by the way!) John then returned to the main stage to finish the remainder of the band's set. The Maine's final song was 'Flowers On The Grave', which is a beautiful 9-minute song and one of my personal favorites off their newest album. Once again I had tears running down my face and we all began to throw our yellow roses onto the stage. After the show, I turned to my best friend who was in attendance with me and we both just cried into each other's arms. Quite the comforting moment if you ask me. The band ended the night by hanging around inside the venue meeting fans as they have been doing for years.

Overall, The Maine put so much effort into their shows and you can tell that they love all of their fans so much and want nothing more than for them to feel good! I would definitely recommend going to catch them on tour if you ever get the chance because you will NOT be disappointed! The Maine continue their tour all the way until November 30th so please try and catch a show if you want to have a really fun night with friends old and new!

Montreal's Newest Upcoming Band: An Interview With Second Harbour

   

Photo courtesy of Constance Delisle

     Forming just last year in 2018, Second Harbour released their debut EP 'Transparent.' back in March of 2019. Consisting of brothers Xavier Morency (vocals/guitar) and Vincent Morency (bass), the duo are preparing to release some new music, as well as their first-ever music video. I got a chance to sit down with the boys before their show in Montreal on October 3rd. I got the details on how the band wants to grow going forward, how to handle a career in the music industry, and much more!  You can keep up with Second Harbour and their upcoming projects @secondharbourband on Instagram and @secondharbour on Twitter!

    Bailey: What are your top 3 goals related to the band? Any dream venues you want to play and/or bands to play with?

    Xavier: Starting venue wise, I really want to play Chain Reaction, Warped Tour is pretty much out of the question unless they do reunion show or something similar, but Chain Reaction for sure just because so many bands that I've listened to growing up played there and cite it as one of the major places to play so that would be really cool! It doesn't even matter if it brings a lot of people in, its just the fact of playing in a place where so many bands have played. As far as the 3 goals for us, just growing an audience as much as we can, would be pretty great, I think to establish a really pure connection with people, so not just trying to attract the most 'pop' fans but really just trying to get on a one to one basis with as many people as we can. Also, writing songs that not only are people content with not just now but in the future. We don't want to write a song that we were unhappy with 2 years from now, we want to try and write stuff that for ourselves is timeless.

     Vince: For the 3 bands we want to play with, Neck Deep is a really big one for us, as well as The Story So Far, Green Day, The Interrupters...I mean I could go on all day!

     Bailey: That's awesome! So, out of the two of you, is there a main songwriter in the group or are you both involved? And, what are the main themes discussed in your music?

     Xavier: So, we both have different roles when it comes to writing. I write the majority of the songs and piece everything together, I'm kind of  like the 'puzzle maker' and Vince is the one where when I bring a bunch of ideas to the table, he handles cutting down the things that are not that good or things that wouldn't be good for the songs, he decides where the songs go direction wise. Its a dynamic that works, it's a bizarre dynamic, but it works for us. For the main themes, it's a lot of self-doubts, that's like the MAIN theme, so like, being scared of what other people think while also trying to not be scared of what other people think, just like contradictory stuff. Self-doubt for sure and we try to just blend in a bunch of metaphors and nautical terms.

     Bailey: I know you guys are brand new to the scene, so what has been your biggest challenge so far as a band? 

     Xavier: I think inter-personal relationships are tough, especially since Vince and I live together and we have grown up together, we get along really well but it can be challenging just because if we have an argument we can't take a few days off and then regroup a week later...

     Vince: Yeah! I still have to see his face!

     Xavier: Yeah, and then the next day we are making stuff or we are together. That for me would probably be the most challenging thing, but we make it work! As long as we don't end up like Oasis we are going to be fine I think.

     Vince: I mean, if we end up as big as Oasis, then I'm fine with that!

     Bailey: What are your rehearsals like? Do you have a set time each week where you need to practice or is it more spontaneous where you just decide when and where you will rehearse? 

     Xavier: It depends on schedules. Vince goes to school, so apart from that our live drummer and myself both have jobs that are morning and day jobs so we can all have the nights to practice. We usually practice 5 times a week on any given day.

     Bailey: Pretty generic question, but if you guys were not in a band, what else would you be doing? Would you still be involved in the music industry somehow?

     Vince: I don't actually know if I'd be involved in the industry, I like to surf and rock climb so I'd probably try to find a job somewhere in that field, we live in Canada so I can't do that here but hey, it's fine!

     Xavier: I think I'd definitely be in the music industry still because I  grew up playing drums, I've been playing the drums for about 15 years now, I still play and record the drums in our band so it's not something that I would ever plan on giving up ever. I think I'd also be a drummer for another band because there is actually a really high demand for drummers. Music aside, I think, I just recently got into comics and art so if I got a side job it would probably have something to do with art!

     Bailey: If there was one thing that you wanted people who listened to your music to remember about you, what would it be?

     Xavier: For me personally, I would love it for people to dive into the lyrics and see all the connections that we made and that I really like to play with them. If anything, I prefer playing with the words and making complicated little messages instead of writing meaningful lyrics, I do enjoy doing that but my priority is stringing together all sorts of weird rhyming words and stuff related to that. I'd really like people to remember me for the lyrics and to look into all the little bits and pieces and the crazy things I try and add in that I take hours to do.

     Vince: I'm not the main lyric writer so the way I can answer that is, I'd like for people to retain whatever good emotion they get when they listen to our music.

     Bailey: In your own opinion, what is your best song you have released so far and why?

     Vince: Tough Luck, simply because I wrote the bass intro lines!

     Xavier: My favorite song we've released is Aim Below The Head which is the closer of our EP because we took a different approach to it, it has lots of parts and pieces that come together in cool ways, especially at the end, and it is a really nice way to close the EP. We had to limit our selves time-wise, which we usually try to, and it was cool for me. I'm not sure if people will latch onto it like the other songs since it is a bit longer but for me personally, I just wanted to put that song out there.

     Bailey: Who was the first person or people you showed your music to and what was their reaction?

     Xavier: I wrote music alone for a long time, so I showed Vince and my music must have been pretty bad when I started out, but he ended up joining the band, so maybe he enjoyed it?!

     Vince: I mean I'm in the band so it worked!

     Xavier: Realistically when we had our real recordings of our EP, I showed a few close friends and our dad. It's hard to get real reactions off people you are close to but, they all seemed proud of us so that was the cool thing.

     Bailey: What is your advice for anyone else who wants a career in the music industry?

     Vince: Don't do it! No, I'm kidding! Just be prepared. A lot of people are going to tell you that you can't do it. Have a backup plan and be ready cause you never know what is going to happen. If you are going to want to do this for real you have to go 110% and go all in. Practice as much as you can.

     Xavier: Definitely give yourself wholeheartedly, give all of yourself to the craft and practice day in and day out. Try and write songs that please you as well as other people.

     The boys are currently in the process of working on their new EP which they hope is even better than their first and are looking forward to continuing to grow as musicians. Make sure to check out Second Harbour and to follow them on social media to know everything about their upcoming music, first-ever music video, and more! 

Photo courtesy of Constance Delisle

Photo courtesy of Constance Delisle

   

    

Yungblud | Montreal, Quebec Concert Review

     It's a beautiful sunny day in downtown Montreal. The past couple weeks of the International Jazz Festival are beginning to wrap up, but not before Yungblud closes out the festival at Club Soda. Opening the show was Glasgow based band Saint PHNX, a rock alternative band with the best stage presence I have witnessed. Continuously hyping up the crowd and the drummer even jumping into the crowd at one point! 10pm rolls around and Yungblud takes the stage.

     Walking onto the stage in pitch black, throwing water onto the crowd to announce his arrival (which was very appreciated!), donning a black dress, black creeper shoes, and his iconic pink socks. Opening the show with '21st Century Liability' the crowd was jumping and screaming the entire hour and a half set. A fan-project during the song 'Kill Somebody' and everyone screaming the lyrics back to Dom at his first-ever Montreal show was one of the many times he became emotional on stage, stepping back from the mic, tears in eyes, smiling, thanking the crowd. After the little emotional moments, we were right back into jumping around and having the time of our lives. At Dom's command, two moshpits opened up during the show. I personally have never moshed before but it was way more fun than I thought! I even managed to squeeze my way to barricade and grab Dom's hand during 'Machine Gun'.

     As the show ended, Dom announced he would be heading to the back of the venue outside near his bus to sign autographs. The people in the line were very respectful, not yelling and remaining calm. Dom made it halfway down the line before needing to leave as he had a show the next day and needed to make bus call. Unfortunately, due to this, I did not get to meet him (which is totally okay) but he made sure to go down the rest of the line and tell everyone he loved them and that its time that he left. He was very sweet to everyone and truly cares about his fans. All in all, the show was one of the best I've been to all year quickly making my top 5. I'll definitely attend another Yungblud show and encourage all of you to do the same! I have never sweated more in my life than I did at this show from all the jumping, dancing and just having fun. Be sure to catch a Yungblud show if you get the chance cause you will NOT regret it!

 

Twenty One Pilots 'Bandito' Tour | Ottawa, Ontario Concert Review

     On May 21st, 2019, I finally got to see the band that I have loved since 2015. That band was Twenty One Pilots. After missing their last show in Ottawa in 2016 I knew that the Bandito tour was a show I HAD to attend! It was a night filled with laughter, dancing, and lots of tears. Doors for the show opened at 6pm, but because of traffic I knew my friends and I were not going to arrive until 6:30pm. Surprisingly, for being later than what we wanted we still managed to get extremely close to the stage! (Even closer once the show started and everyone pushed together). Once 8pm hit, it was time to experience the best show of my entire life thus far.

     Twenty One Pilots opened their set with 'Jumpsuit' which included pyro, smoke, a car engulfed in flames as Tyler stood on it and sang and an explosion of yellow confetti that poured over the entire crowd. During 'Fairly Local' towards the final chorus Tyler fell through the stage through a trapdoor only to reappear in the upper section of the arena! 'Lane Boy' is the song that personally got me even more hyped than before. Tyler would remind the crowd that this is our show and that everyone is watching us in the pit. With that said, he told us all to get down as low as we could and on the count of three we all jumped up and went absolutely crazy with people in gasmasks sprayed the crowd with thick white smoke. After their B-stage songs, Tyler and Josh took the bridge they have set up at the shows and walked over the crowd, with Josh taking his shirt off and Tyler sitting down directly above me to sing a verse of 'Pet Cheetah'. My favorite song off of 'Trench' is 'Morph' and when I found out they were playing the album in full on the tour that was the one song I waited all night for. As expected it was the best song on the setlist. (Not to be biased or anything). Josh put his drum kit on the crowd and he came and performed the best drum solo I've ever heard! It started off with a short cover of 'Seven Nation Army' which abruptly stopped with the narration in the back chanting "Not Done. Not Done. Not Done. Josh Dun." to which Josh belted out his solo. Twenty One Pilots have so much trust in their fans, especially since they are so confident they won't be dropped, which has not happened yet, fortunately! It was all fun and games until we reached 'Leave The City'. Once that song began playing, I'm still not sure what came over me, but I just sobbed non stop. I had to lean on my friend where we cried on each other's shoulders just because we were both so overcome with emotion. The crying fest lasted all the way through to 'Trees". Despite all the tears I was able to pull myself together for one last moment when Tyler told us to jump once more and then both Tyler and Josh stood on the crowd with their drum platforms. As the show came to a close yellow and green confetti shoots out and rains all over the crowd once more, signaling the end of the Twenty One Pilots show.

     Overall, the show was a 10/10. I would recommend you see a Twenty One Pilots show at least once in your life because they really do put on such an amazing performance and the hard work that went into the production and layout of everything was extravagant!! After spending a year listening to 'Blurryface' on repeat, finally seeing the band that impacted your life in so many ways really is a surreal experience.

Broadside Releases Two New Singles 'King Of Nothing' and 'Empty' - Review

     2 years after dropping their sophomore album 'Paradise', Broadside is back with 2 new singles!  After much teasing, on May 15th,2019, Virginia based pop-punk band Broadside released 'King Of Nothing' and 'Empty' which are the first two songs to kick off the new era for the band and to give fans a taste of what to expect from what we can only assume is a new album.

     'King Of Nothing' opens with a distorted guitar which reminds me slightly of the bands' other song 'Laps Around a Picture Frame' which was my previous favorite Broadside song, so I knew I was going to absolutely fall in love with this song just from the first few chords. 'King Of Nothing' has that classic Broadside sound that we all love which fits perfectly for a song like this. From a soft tempo pre-chorus that bursts into a loud, powerful chorus and a bridge that has hints of Baxxter in it (lead singer Oliver Baxxter's solo side project), this will definitely be a fan favorite for sure. The lyric "paradise of bones" a clear call back to the bands previous two records, 'Old Bones' and 'Paradise'. 'King Of Nothing' will without a doubt become one of the bands biggest songs! Mark my words. A very upbeat/jumpy song with deep meaningful lyrics, I wouldn't expect anything less from Broadside.

     'Empty' is the second of the two singles. With an intro that makes you happy just by hearing those first few notes, 'Empty' is definitely a summer song. If you want a song that you can blast with your windows down on a cool summer's night, this is the song for you! I can already envision the crowd jumping along to the chorus during live performances. 'Empty' in my opinion is actually way different from past work Broadside has released but it still fits with the band's overall tone. Oliver Baxxter's distinct vocals are what make Broadside stand out from other bands in the scene. I could see 'Empty' as a part of a movie montage, the little instrumental right after the final chorus gives off the classic "main character falls in love in the summertime, they spend time together, and then share a kiss with the sun setting behind them." For me, I LOVE songs where I can imagine what a music video may look like and hearing other fan's opinions on how they picture it because I love seeing how others interpret music. Because as we all know, music can have multiple meanings depending on whos listening.

     Overall, Broadside surprised us all with these new singles and I have no doubt in my mind that these songs are going to be a part of many summer playlists! To hear more from Broadside or to stream 'King Of Nothing' and 'Empty' for yourself, you can stream them from where ever you like to stream your music from. Also, be sure to catch Broadside on tour this summer with Emarosa and Lizzy Farrall supporting Set It Off!

Marianas Trench 'Suspending Gravity' Tour | Ottawa, Ontario Concert Review

 

      Marianas Trench is a Canadian band from Vancouver, British Columbia. The band consists of Josh Ramsay (guitar/lead vocals), Matt Webb (guitarist/vocals), Mike Ayley (bass/vocals) and Ian Casselman (drums/vocals). The band is currently on tour to promote their newest album 'Phantoms' which was released March 2019. 'Phantoms' is their biggest album debut thus far. I was lucky enough to attend the Suspending Gravity tour on March 16th after being a fan of Marianas Trench for about 10 years now.

     The doors opened right at 6pm where our tickets were scanned and a lot of fans heading to the merch stand as it was situated right by the entrance. The venue was just a small one which made it very easy to find your seats and navigate your way around the venue. At 7pm a DJ appeared on stage in order to get the crowd excited for the show. The first and only opening act took the stage around 7:45.

    Elijah Woods X Jamie Fine, a pop duo who are native to Ottawa and were contestants on the Canadian music show 'The Launch' opened the show with their own original songs and 2 covers; Gold Digger and Dream On. The duo performed an exciting performance that definitely got the crowd in the mood. A free meet and greet from Elijah and Jamie at the merch stand after their set followed their performance where they took the time to meet as many people as they could before Marianas Trench began their set.

Finally, at 9pm, the main event began, Marianas Trench! The set consisted of songs of the 'Phantoms' album and lots of other fan-favorite songs such as; 'Pop 101', 'Celebrity Status', 'Desperate Measures', and a plethora of others. Josh Ramsay's stage presence is nothing short of remarkable. From killer high notes to multiple guitar changes and crowd interaction, a Marianas Trench show really is something else. Towards the end of the bands song 'Pop 101' which led nicely into 'Haven't Had Enough', Josh Ramsay pulled a Brendon Urie death walk and proceeded to walk through the crowd, all the way to the upper sections and then back down again taking selfies with people as he went and taking sips of peoples drinks. He always wanted to make sure he was including everyone there and making sure everyone was having a good time. Marianas Trench has such good songs to dance to that you never stop moving and having fun while they are on stage. Before we knew it the show came to a close. It was a truly wonderful experience and I'm still shocked as to how Marianas Trench is still not as big worldwide as they are here in Canada because they honestly deserve so much more recognition! If you ever get the opportunity to attend one of their shows I highly recommend it as you are in for a night full of fun!

     Make sure to check out the band's
new album 'Phantoms' now! Available on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and anywhere music is sold!

As It Is 'The Great Depression' Tour | Toronto, Ontario Concert Review

     It's a frigid day in Toronto. I just got to the venue after 5 hours of traveling that day. I arrive at Velvet Underground around 2pm, just in time for my 4pm VIP check-in. Benjamin Langford-Biss, guitarist of As It Is has just brought out coffee for the fans waiting outside in the cold. Surprisingly, not many people are waiting and don't show up until the check-in time. Once inside the venue, As It Is begin their soundcheck/Q and A session. Followed by the meet and greet, which was not rushed at all as you were allowed to take as long as you wanted to talk to the band. 6:30pm. The show begins. Point North, the newest pop-punk band in the scene take the stage. With such good stage presence and interacting with the fans in the crowd, even if you were like me and didn't listen to Point North before the show you couldn't help but not jump around and have a good time during their set. I can gladly say that I am a huge Point North fan after seeing them and will definitely attend another one of their shows in the future. Next was the more chill, but still entertaining Hold Close. With lead vocalist Braxton Smiley taking over the keyboard during a few songs. I also would recommend checking them out as they too are another amazing band I wish I listened to prior to this show. The final opener was the more loud, "scary", definitely not pop punk band Sharptooth. With lead singer Lauren telling her story and struggles she went through in life, to providing resources for audience members to look into if they needed help, to overall just wanting to make a safe place for everyone. Sharptooth wasn't my type of music, but the message they convey is so important in today's world. If you are into more heavier music, definitely give Sharptooth a listen. Finally, it was time for the moment I waited months for. As It Is, my favorite band since before they were a band and my first time seeing them headline (I've only seen them on Warped and as openers in the past). As their song 'The Reaper' begins to play, the crowd gets more and more hyped up until, "I'm staring death in his eyes!" The entire time As It Is are on stage it's as if you are in a trance, you can't take your eyes off of them. From Patty's extreme microphone swings to Ronnie getting right in your face, to Ben ripping at his guitar, As It Is really are a band that has so much fun while on stage. Taking a more serious tone before 'The Question, The Answer', Patty reminds the audience of the importance of talking about mental health and how we need to break the stigma surrounding it. He also tells all of us that he wants to make this show a place where you can escape all the troubles that you suffer outside of the venue whether it is your personal life, friendship/relationship issues, anything. At an As It Is show you are welcomed, safe, and will have the time of your life. Once the show came to a close it wasn't long before Ronnie was out meeting fans, jumping the barricade just so he could get closer to us. Everyone who works on this tour, including all the bands, crew, tour managers, everyone was so nice and made the whole experience 10 times better. I recommend going to an As It Is show at least once in your life because they really do put on a show like no other. You will more than likely catch me at the next As It Is tour because I owe my life to this band and I'm so thankful for them. I can not wait for them to come back so I can have the time of my life once again!! 

Panic! At The Disco - Pray For The Wicked Tour | Laval, Quebec Concert Review

Leg 2 of Panic! At The Disco's Pray for the Wicked tour began on January 10, 2019, in Buffalo, New York. I was fortunate enough to attend the second date of the tour on January 12th in Laval, Quebec. As a fan of P!ATD for many years, I was in disbelief for the entire day knowing I would be just a few feet away from Brendon Urie himself. The show began with Betty Who, an Australian singer who is most well known for being associated with singer Troye Sivan. Who put on an energetic performance which hyped the crowd up with her catchy songs and fun, slightly risque choreography. Next up was Two Feet, who I can only describe as house music mixed with TONS of bass and even some guitar. The crowd seemed to thoroughly enjoy their performance. Personally, I thought the bass was a little too much, but other than that, they were great! After about a 30-minute wait, the countdown for Panic! appeared on the screen. 10 minutes turned to 3 minutes and before we knew it the time has come. The crowd jumped to their feet. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1. Brendon jumped out from beneath the stage and going right into '(Fuck a) Silver Lining', with confetti pouring down on the crowd. With Brendon's past Broadway experience in "Kinky Boots," he sure did know how to work that stage. The production of the show was like no other. Confetti, lasers, pyro, animations! I felt as if I was in a whole other world. With crowd favorites such as "The Ballad of Mona Lisa," "This is Gospel," "I Write Sins Not Tragedies," "Nine In The Afternoon," and many others, you could hear the cheers of joy from the crowd as they got to sing along to their favorite songs. Brendon's famous 'Death Walk' happened in which he walks through the crowd during "Death of a Bachelor" to get to his B-Stage/Flying Piano. As he made the walk through the crowd, everyone was being very respectful. Brendon hugged some lucky fans and I was actually on the side he did the Death Walk which if you ever get a chance to go to a Panic! show, try to get an aisle seat as you have an easier chance of getting close to him. After the walk, Urie gets on his flying piano where he performs "Dying In LA" which was one of the most beautiful vocal performances I think I've ever heard. As the piano flies over the crowd Brendon peers over the edge looking out into the crowd. He even became a bit emotional and teared up a bit. After the little emotional moment everybody including the band experienced, we got back into a fast-paced, happier tone. As the show came to a close, one more shot of confetti was poured down over us. I have never been to a show where I have danced and screamed so much in my life. A Panic! At The Disco show really is like no other and I encourage you to attend one at least once in your life. You won't regret it. This will be a night I will remember forever.

Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco performing in Laval, Quebec January 12, 2019
photos courtesy of  Mihaela Petrescu

Incase We Crash 'No Education' EP - Review

     Toronto based pop-punk band Incase We Crash consisted of vocalist/guitarist Simon Austin, drummer Tyler Twigger and bassist Antony Lena, are about to be the next big thing in the pop-punk scene. A year after releasing their debut EP titled 'Constantly Changing' the boys are back with their newest EP 'No Education'. Despite the band losing a member in the span of that year, 'No Education' really shows the progression of not just their musical abilities but also their lyrical abilities. You can hear the hard work that went into the recording process as it was a huge payoff!

   

     Longtime fans of Incase We Crash will know about a song called 'Straight To The Head'. With this new EP the pop-punkers recorded a new version appropriately titled 'Straight 2 The Head' in order to give the song a new life which once again shows the band's evolvement with a more upbeat guitar intro which leads into a catchy chorus that will most definitely be stuck in the listeners head.

     Songs like 'I Threw My Books Into the Ocean' showcase a very different sound than what fans are used to with more synth/electronic music behind it and a slower melody but it adds a nice contrast from the faster songs we all enjoy.

     Many can say that the pop-punk genre can all begin to sound the same, but Incase We Crash put their own little twist on the genre which entailed a wonderfully crafted EP that should be heard by everybody, anywhere. Whereas other bands usually get their rise to fame after releasing a debut full'-length album, the 'No Education' EP is definitely going to be the one that will garner a bigger fanbase for Incase We Crash which the fully deserve. 'No Education' is an EP all fans of pop-punk will enjoy and if you are someone who is into more "underground" bands, then they are the band for you!

     If you want to check out Incase We Crash's music (which you should) and if you live in the Ontario, Canada region and want to catch them live, go see them on the No Education tour starting November 15th in Barrie, Ontario with stops in Ottawa, Montreal, Hamilton, and Oshawa with their hometown show in Toronto on November 30th. For more information on upcoming shows, follow Incase We Crash on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter also be sure to stream/listen to 'No Education' on Spotify, Youtube and any other place you can listen to music!

    

Moose Blood Speak Out about Allegations - Twitter "Cancel Culture" and Why Allegations =/= the Truth

     No matter who you are and what type of music you listen to, you could open up the Twitter app and search up whatever band or artist you want and probably find someone, somewhere accusing said band or artist of doing something. This is something that is all too common in the pop-punk side of the website, a new band being "exposed" every day and being "canceled" before everyone hears the whole story. I'm going to voice my opinion on 'cancel culture' and this whole thing with accusing bands of stuff that isn't true because careers are being ruined from it. 

     Moose Blood is a 4 piece emo band from the United Kingdom who were signed to Hopeless Records and are currently on a hiatus. About a year ago, accusations surfaced surrounding former Moose Blood drummer Glenn Harvey who reportedly sent unsolicited photos of himself. The band did not speak about these allegations and almost immediately kicked Harvey out of the band. You would think the problem would be solved right? The person accused was dealt with. Well, unfortunately, if you are a frequent Twitter user you would know that once you get accused of something its not the fault of that one person, but the fault of the entire band. Moose Blood did not come forward about these allegations for a few months. Personally, I think they dealt with the situation the right way. Instead of broadcasting to the internet they handled the situation in private and removed the drummer from the band. Time went on until Moose Blood was struck with another onslaught of allegations, this time the accused was vocalist Eddy Brewerton who supposedly stole nude photos from a 19-year-old fan's phone and sent them in the bands WhatsApp group chat. On February 23rd the band decided to write a statement about the allegations which read;

"We are aware of an allegation made against us concerning alleged theft of photographs and invasion of privacy. This allegation is entirely false and we strongly refute it. Until now we have resisted giving it any credence by commenting. However, the many repeats on social media have left us no option but to make our position clear.

We are taking legal action. The process to resolve this issue is underway. We do not propose to comment further at this stage.

We’d like to thank all our fans from the bottom of our hearts for your true loyalty & support."

     Once again, I think Moose Blood did the right thing. They began taking legal action and even said the allegations were false as there was not any proof and that they did not want to take the situation to the internet and handle it themselves. If they simply wrote an apology saying the allegations were false I think they would've been in for more of a shit show. But of course, pop-punk fans on Twitter began saying they do not support the band anymore and that they are "canceled" even though Moose Blood admitted that the accusations were not true. A few weeks ago, the band posted another statement which read;

"It breaks our hearts to have to write this but it’s something we need to talk about. We feel as though we can’t stay quiet about this any longer.

We have been condemned in the absence of fact off the back of serious false allegations, and a situation concerning our former drummer. We are genuine, decent human beings who work hard at something we love. We take slight comfort in knowing that the people who do actually know us, knows this to be true. Rumours have escalated beyond belief and it makes us sick to our stomachs that we have been very wrongly labelled with these horrendous, incorrect terms. If certain people actually did their research and knew one ounce of truth about the situation then we would not be in this position. You can’t wrongly label innocent people. Your words have very real effects and consequences. You are part of the problem and the reason why social media can be such a toxic place.

It has been a traumatic past year or so that has left us feeling like we need to step away. We need to concentrate on all the good we have in our lives without constant concern of what may happen next. We need to be around the people we love, and the people that love us, and focus on our health and happiness.

To everybody that has supported us, stood by us, and spoken out on our behalf, we thank you and appreciate you more than you’ll ever know.

You’ll never know the battles people may have going on personally, so please think twice before you try to destroy someone over the internet. Actually consider the words you use and actions you take."

To say the least, Twitter was not happy with this. Calling the band "douchey" for blaming others when they're right! There was no proof of either of these situations and when told by the band themselves that it was false, nobody believed them. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that if these accusations were true that it would be okay because it wouldn't be! I'm just saying until the law gets involved or someone gets charged, why would you believe what someone says on the internet?

     Here's the argument I always use. I could go on Twitter right now and accuse anyone of doing anything and 90% of Twitter would believe me and begin 'canceling' or 'unstanning' the band or artist, without having ANY proof. Sure, some bands do use their power to do things they shouldn't but not everyone is like that. If I were to accuse someone of something that I know didn't happen and they come forward and admit that it isn't true, I would feel pretty bad about myself for trying to ruin this person's career. Majority of the time when there is no proof provided the person doing the accusing is simply doing it for their own gain is disgusting. There needs to be PROOF before I 'cancel' someone or whatever. If you decide to stop supporting a ban because of some allegations that's fine. But please don't attack others for sticking by the band's side. Why would you stop supporting someone when there's no actual proof? If someone did do something to you, the first place you should go is the police. That is why they are there. Don't go posting accusations on your twitter account because something as serious as a sexual assault ALLEGATION should be handled in private and not broadcasted to the internet. Yes, of course, you can share your story on the internet, but in my opinion, you should only do so once the law has been involved.  

     If you're wondering how I currently feel about Moose Blood and all the other bands that have allegations against them, I still enjoy Moose Blood's music and believe that they did not do anything wrong. They are innocent until proven guilty. That goes for all bands. Unless a band I enjoy listening to admits to the allegations or is charged with something, I see no reason to stop supporting them.  

Rad Horror "Mad At The World" - Single Review

     If you are into nostalgia and love all things 90's rock music, Rad Horror is the band you need to listen to right now! With 90's rock influences like Nirvana, Creed, and Oasis, Rad Horror have changed the game for modern rock music with their newest single 'Mad At The World.' With the band not as into today's more modern rock music they bring us back to when rock and roll music was in its prime. Rad Horror is going to be the band to bring back rock and roll for what its known for. "Mad At The World" gives off the 90's "Nirvana-style" grunge and includes distortion on the guitars, with a catchy melody and easy lyrics. Labeling themselves as "a band for the people who choose not to conform to societal norms" and their Instagram plastered with photos of the group with the 90's rock aesthetic "Mad At The World" stays true to the bands' vibe and is a good addition to your playlist if you are an angsty teen, a rebellious teen, or a sucker for bands from what most people call the greatest decade ever, the 90's. Rad Horror is a band that is going to change the rock scene and brings back the classic grungy rock we all loved and cherished back in the days. 

Troye Sivan 'Bloom" - Album Review

     After his much praised debut album 'Blue Neighborhood' released back in 2015, Troye Sivan the YouTube cover artist turned worldwide sensation, is back with his much anticipated sophomore album titled 'Bloom'. The 10 song album followed the 5 pre-released singles "My, My, My!", "The Good Side", "Bloom", "Dance To This" which featured fellow songstress Ariana Grande,and last but not least "Animal". 'Bloom' has been labeled as a more darker, sexier version of the singer as well as lots of lyrics relating to Sivan's experience being a very open member of the LGBT+ community. It literally is just listening to a young gay man's experiences. A lot of the material on 'Bloom' is more dancier with a bit of acoustic added into the mix. Even though Troye Sivan is a pop artist who's songs become radio played and mainstream does NOT mean his music sounds just like every other radio hit out there. Sivan is a bit different. With catchy beats, well thought out lyrics, his distinct vocals, his songs become mainstream for being different. Mixing pop with slight electronic, slight dance beats, Troye Sivan is changing the game for pop music. A lot of celebrities praised Troye Sivan on the release of his album, which is well deserved. If you are in need of a chill record to just listen to while driving, out for a walk or even just relaxing around the house, 'Bloom' is the album you need right now!

     Getting into the more 'sexier' vibe of 'Bloom' when compared to his previous release of 'Blue Neighborhood', while listening to the songs "Bloom" and "Seventeen" you are started with Troye flirting with the male subject of the song when all of a sudden he talks about the things he desires from these men. Especially when you come to find out that "Seventeen" was written about Troye used a fake ID to go onto Grindr at the age of 17 and seek out older men. Sivan wrote 'Bloom' to demonstrate how love and sex can make you think you that's all you need in a specific moment to make you feel safe. With a duet with the equally talented Ariana Grande on "Dance To This", you can really tell how well their voices blend together. Both also releasing albums with similar connotations, both writing albums about the men they love.

     Troye Sivan will be kicking off his 'Bloom' tour September 21st in Irving, Texas which will continue all the way through the US and Canada and continue until November 8th where the tour will conclude in Vancouver. For more info on the Bloom tour and where to buy tickets please visit https://www.troyesivan.com/tours!!

      
   

Why Don't We '8 Letters' - Album Review

     2018's newest breakout boyband Why Don't We released their debut album titled "8 Letters" after a year-long wait. No strangers to the music world, the boys of Why Don't We's long-awaited debut album has finally been brought into the world. The album which features the singles 'Hooked' and 'Talk' is a much more mature sound for the boys with more mature lyrics. Featuring 8 songs (only a couple more songs than their previous 5 song EPs) all written by the boys themselves. Most songs consisting of the same theme of love and heartbreak. All the songs sound much more different than what the fans would expect, with less repetition of the lyrics but still keeping with their known catchy choruses. There is no doubt that everyone will find at least one song they claim as a favorite with a mixture of both slow sad type songs such as "Hard" and upbeat catchy songs like "Friends." You can tell a lot of time and work went into the writing as well as the recording process. No matter what song you listen to you will automatically recognize it as a Why Don't We song with each boy's distinct vocals and how all of the tracks sound like something you've never heard before. For fans just getting into Why Don't We because of this album are going to be really impressed with the evolution of the band when compared to their last EP released late 2017 titled 'Invitation'. Every track on the album has a different story behind it and none of the tracks sound similar which is great to hear from a band labeled as the stereotypical boyband. The boys wrote songs that are more mature and aimed more at fans and people their own ages (17-20). Why Don't We has a lot of younger fans which they were aware of and you could tell with the lyrics they would write on previous EPs that had songs that were more for the younger crowd but with '8 Letters' the boys prove that they don't have to stick to writing innocent lyrics in order to stay "on brand". Fans who are around the age of the boys and even fans who are older will appreciate the riskier lyric approach the boys took while still staying appropriate for the younger fans. The album also consists of different background instrumentals rather than the same dance beat heard on their past work. Overall, Why Don't We exceeded all of the expectations and came out with a fabulous debut album which will without a doubt help them in their rise to fame.

Why Don't We's debut album 8 Letters is available on iTunes, Spotify, and other streaming services so don't hesitate to give this album a listen!! 

As It Is "The Great Depression" - Album Review

     Pop-punk band As It Is are back, but this time much heavier than before bringing a whole new era to the UK band. The release of As It Is' third studio album "The Great Depression" is a concept album based around mental health, suicide, the stigma surrounding it and how we need to be more open about it. The album features three characters; The Poet, his wife, and Death. The album tells the story of The Poet and his daily struggles with his mental health with appearances of his wife and how his mental health affects her and their relationship, and Death who comes into play as The Poet wonders if ending his life is the best option. The album is split into 4 stages; Denial, Anger, Bargaining, and Acceptance, which are the 4 main stages of grief.

     Straying away from the "generic" pop-punk the band is known for, As It Is turn dark lyrics into a more rockier sound. With guest vocals by Aaron Gillespie from Underoath, they are able to achieve an early to mid-2000's "emo" rock sound that still explains the entire concept of the album amazingly.  The album is meant to be listened to in order starting with the title track "The Great Depression" and ending with "The End" in order to understand the story of The Poet the best. Every single song transitions beautifully into the next which encapsulates you into the story. Even though the story of The Poet is fictional, the stories behind the lyrics are true. Guitarist Benjamin Langford-Biss said on Twitter about the song The Haunting, " In reality, the story in that song was inspired by a sister who lost her twin brother that I knew to suicide after being the victim of abuse." With 12 tracks and a 44 minute listening time you not only see the evolution of As It Is as a band, you also begin to understand the struggles of The Poet and maybe begin to relate to the lyrics for yourself.

Track by Track Review 

The Great Depression:
     Opening with the line "Hello consumer" The Poet welcomes you to his story. He explains that we all live in the Great Depression and talks about all the misconceptions about him ending the song with the lyrics "You think you know me." A great introduction to the album with its catchy chorus that will be stuck in your head all day almost telling you to listen to the album again.

The Wounded World:
     The first single from the album that gave fans the first taste of this new heavier era for As It Is. The song is about society and how we need to change the world before it falls apart before us. The main message behind the song is that everyone blames everyone else for the problems we encounter every day in the world when in reality, "we're all to blame for the wounded world" and if we don't fix it, we are in for a disaster.  Patty Walters (vocalist) had this to say to Kerrang! Magazine about the song; "The Wounded World’‘ is a commentary on the polarised and volatile modern reality, which we’ve allowed. The video depicts a not-so-distant dystopia, where present-day headlines and technologies are displayed in exhibits as the warning signs of an impending disaster. I feel that we as a society have embodied a destructive habit of talking without listening, surrounding ourselves with alternative facts and headlines, totally void of open-mindedness or empathy. Despite the labels and beliefs that all too often divide us, we are one people, and we’re all to blame."

The Fire, The Dark:
     The third single released it is one of the more pop-punkier songs on the album this song is what others assumed the whole album would sound like but were pleasantly surprised when the album was not what they expected at all. This is where our main character The Poet introduces us to his wife. The song explains the love that is possibly coming to an end between the two and even though it is not officially over for the couple yet, it shows the pain The Poet is going through at points blaming himself for the relationship becoming rocky and The Poet knowing the end was near. The Fire, The Dark also concludes the first stage...Denial.

The Stigma (Boys Don't Cry):
     The second single off the album, the song is about just what the title states. Toxic masculinity and the version of males society has against them. Males are not supposed to show emotion and to keep everything bottled up or they are told to 'man up'. The song also demonstrates that no matter your gender everyone should be treated the same. The song is also a rally to fight these stereotypes and to explain to society that its okay to show your feelings and that gender should not affect that. 

The Handwritten Letter:
     The Handwritten Letter is about just that, its a handwritten letter The Poet is writing to his wife. He's writing her to tell her that she is the only thing keeping him alive, figuratively and literally. It's a love song with sadder meaning. It is also in reference to the previous track "The Stigma" because The Poet is showing his emotions which "The Stigma" says is not right. The song also features something special around the bridge. If you listen closely you'll hear audio clips that fans of As It Is gave to the band talking about how the band changed their lives, what this album means to them and a few more smaller details you need to definitely listen for! 

The Question, The Answer:
     This song is the first slow song on the album. The Poet is asking himself how the relationship between him and his wife will end. He wonders if he'll be able to live after the breakup. The question is not knowing what will happen after everything comes to an end. He (The Poet) starts wondering if he will have a future after the relationship stops. With that, this concludes stage two...Anger

The Reaper:
     We are now introduced to the final main character, Death. Bringing the pace back up after a slower song, The Reaper blares through the speakers. This is where The Poet really begins to question ending his life. As he stares Death in the eyes he realizes this may not be the best idea as Death has been waiting to show him to his grave for a while now. What The Poet sees when he sees Death is different then what he imagines in his dreams, kind of scaring him a little bit he begins to wonder if death is the final option. The Poet is faced with all the mistakes he's made in his life. As we reach the second verse of the song, The Poet says that Death has given him a choice to either live or to die as The Poet decides that it's not his time and he chooses to hold on a little longer. 

The Two Tongues (Screaming Salvation):
     The Poet faces another dilemma. Does he stay with his wife or does he give in to the release of death? He is having a hard time deciding because he hears both his wife and Death saying why he should go with the other. He hears his wife's soft voice but hears Death screaming at him from the depths of hell. What does he choose in the end? 

The Truth I'll Never Tell:
     This is another song on As It Is album that brings back the classic pop-punk vibe with not as heavy guitars and reminds me a bit of "Austen" from the band's second album 'Okay'. In this song, The Poet does not want to open up about his feelings to his wife, once again in reference to "The Stigma" where men are not supposed to be emotional. The truth that is not being told is how his mental health is affecting him because he does not want to bring his wife down. He is so concerned that his wife will not understand his problems so to avoid that he just will not tell her as he thinks this is the better option. This is a song a lot of people can relate to lyric wise. Everyone has had a moment in their life where they did not want to tell the person they cared about the most what they are dealing with as to not hurt them which is why this song can resonate with a lot of listeners. This concludes stage three...Bargaining 

The Haunting:
     The transition into this song is something else! With a catchy chorus once again this song will be stuck in a lot of people's heads. This may be one of the more heavier songs lyric wise as this song focuses on suicide. Simple lyrics that convey an extremely deep message. Death sounded like a much better option and their life is now lost. The part of the song that really impacts you is in the bridge when As It Is guitarist Ben Biss pleads with the subject if this song asking them if they would rethink their decision if they understood how them taking their life would impact those around them, in this case, the sister of the song's subject. This is a song that will resonate with fans with its simple but emotional message and lyrics.

The Hurt, The Hope:
     The song begins with The Poet talking about how everyone wants to feel the release and wants to be at peace with themselves again and how he finds it difficult. He contemplates suicide as his release (The Hurt) but as the song reaches the bridge The Poet is determined for everything to get better. He thinks he may be wrong but he hopes he's right (The Hope). The song ends with The Poet repeating that it has got to get better in hopes that if he says it continuously, it will actually get better.

The End:
     As It Is close out the album saying that you just heard The Poet's words and did not feel his hurt as "nobody's listening" and only care about the music. The Poet does not want others to feel and experience what he is/was going through. The Poet says he can not take living anymore as he has tried endlessly to plea for help but to no avail so he eludes to suicide as he thinks that is his final option. The final line of the bridge"you fucking tell me to make this choice" is open for interpretation since the album has no firm conclusion in how the story of The Poet ends, it is up to the listeners to decide if The Poet took his own life or is still suffering. The outro repeats "this is the end" but since it does not explain what it is the end of it is up for each person who listens to the album to decide for themselves. The Poet's story remains unfinished much like people's battles with mental illness. And with that, concludes the fourth and final stage... Acceptance.

     Overall, The Great Depression is an album the world needs right now as its message about mental illness is very important and if this album can help at least 1 person out there, then As It Is have done their jobs!

 
To listen to the album yourself, it is available on all streaming services, YouTube, iTunes, and Google Play! You will not be disappointed.