Summer Of Reggae Giants (9/21/07)

although a bit of time has passed since i took in the sounds of the top ranking Barrington Levy at the awesome...and free, Harbourfront Centre in Toronto....since it was Caribana long weekend it was extremely rammed with people of all different influences, ages and sizes.....i must admit i was taken aback by the turnout as i'm sure everyone else was...pushing, yelling and an overall tense atmosphere was testament to that...as soon as Barrington Levy stepped on stage a lot tenseness in the air evaporated...singing massive tunes like "Murderer" and "Under Mi Sensi" with golden classic like "Here I Come" and "Too Experienced" it was definitely worth all the shoe-stepping and sweat-sharing and arm-pit-handshakes that were taking place...and to be honest i would definitely go through it again in the name of the Levy...uplifting and jovial times...

flash forward to more recent past...Sly and Robbie and The Taxi Gang feat. Horace Andy at The Phoenix...was going to miss out  this one as tickets were a bit out of my tight budget at the time...but due to a stroke of well-guided luck and fortunate events...i managed to muster up the cyash to purchase TWO tickets the same day of the show...me witnessing the arguably, the most powerful duo in reggae and the fathers of DNB (as in drum and bass) was meant to be...indeed...upon arriving at the venue there was a notice stating that Horace Andy was a 

no-show...needless to say i was greatly disappointed...but Robbie Shakespere and Sly Dunbar and the Taxi Gang crew most certainly held it down that night...although i cannot recall the set list 

(6 weeks was a long time ago) i do know for a fact that along with the packed house, i was bubblin' all night and left the show feeling nice...complete bashment!!!! (definition: party)....

(Ka)Nish

Wish You Were Here (8/13/07)

reigning from the great state of California...Incubus has been around for a bit of time now...i got "into them" with the release of their first full length Cd S.C.I.E.N.C.E. in about 1998 ("Favorite Things" is still one of my favorite songs)...and i've seen them once before banck in 2000 when they were supporting their Make Yourself release (with the banger "Drive"...but personally, the hits off the album for me are "Pardon Me" and "The Warmth")

so they made their way to the Molson Amphitheatre (situated near thehistoric Canadian National Exhibition near the lakeshore) after cancelling two shows earlier this year.....once due to the evil snow storm that kept them south of the border and another due to an injury in the band...

the set list was non-stop goodness..."Are You In?"..."Wish You Were Here" (lighters and cell phones were lighting up the night sky...nice job!)..."Pistola", "Megalomaniac" (a political banger that everyone willingly and proudly joined in for)..."Dig" (a ballad off their new album Light Grenades~gorgeous writing and great composition...one of my new favorites) and '"Love Hurts" (another ballad off the latest..a little cheesey but nonetheless a great track to see them perform live).....

i must say...i was amiss at the exemption of a couple of songs...like "Warning" and "crow Left Of The Murder" but you can't always get what you ant...but i got good vibes....great jams....and in the end that all that matters.....

the guys looked like they were in top form...definitely into their music and the crowd in attendance ...i'd say the number one critieria for a good show~when the band actually wants to be there..they start the ripple effect that transcends to the crowd and the crowd gies it back 10 fold!!!!!.....especially in Toronto (just a lil heads up to the bandsthat plan on touring here in the not so distant future)....

now back to the Incubus performance....Brandon Boyd was stellar (Incubus fans~excuse the pun)...at one point he dawned a hand-held spotlight and was shining it onto the crowd in utter amusement...which got the crowd amped up to a completely higher level and was a great way to connect with the crowd.....again a concert is all about exchanging energy....the other embers of the band were in top form as well....mike einziger on guitars~shredded it...ben kenney on bass~took it "for a walk" the entire evening and those dance moves were impressive...jose pasillas on drums~like thunder but way more steady....DJ Kilmore~always KILLS it and adds that certain sumpthin' that adds depths of dimension to this emsemble.....

the best way to spend a Thursday night..hands down...for sure.

(Ka)Nish

Roger's Picnic...Sunny Sunday Sounds. (8/01/07)

one of the most organized outdoor events i've ever been to in a long time.....

there were food tents GALORE with it's own designated lineup of a vast array of dishes....from jamaican cuisine a la the Ackee Tree (one of my favorite Jamaican retaurants in Toronto ~ freakin' delicious!)...to sweet potato fries then to good old BBQ burgers, even of the veggie variety, which pleased me immensely....

anyway...to the reson why a 60 dollar ticket was purchased...the music.

The lineup:

Team Canada DJs

Apostle The Hustle

Little Brother

The Dears

The New Pornographers

Tegan And Sara

Bad Brains

Bedouin Soundclash

The Roots

because i got there half way through the day (partly because it was a Sunday ~ i get a little slow on the sundays and it was sooooo hot it took a lot to muster up the courage to brave the 30+ degree C temperature...not to mention the humidex)...i can only share my thoughts on the last 4 acts...3 of which had good sound and the other...well not-so-much...which is a shame.

first up....

Tegan And Sara~like i said earlier...couldn't really hear them...but that may be due to the fact that i was in the beer tent and things get a little crazy in there as many others could testify....it's like you're at a completely different venue...but whati managed to catch...i thought they were really decent.....

next....

Bad Brains~ oh geez...can not describe how excited i was to see that band...i've seen them once as Soul Brains a couple of years ago and since then, i was anticipating the next time i'd get the opportunity to take then in again...and let me say it was well worth the wait...a short set but a sweet one...al of them looking fresh and into the niceness...it was fantastic to hear their latest collection of works that proved they were back in an ital way.....to see them live made me smile...then sway...then head bang a bit...then smile some more......

then...

Bedouin Soundclash~i've seen this Canadian roots/dub ensemble many-a-times throughout the past 3 - 4 years...opening up for John Butler, Big Sugar...and they were always just o.k....and i've always enjoyed their music...but more on an easy-listening level...i needed more bass...more ballz to their sound (a good dub/reggae/roots/rock band always does...right???)...and low-n-behold...i got the ballz i was looking for!!!!.....this trio is definitely reaching a level of heavyweight class...i went from a so/so, whatever, meak opinion of them to honestly being moved by their tunes and most importantly, the execution of their tunes...i think Mr. Darryl Jenifer has sprinkled some magic upon these lads (he produced their last 2 LPs)...i enjoyed the set.....and i do believe that one of the amps blew during the performance.....ballz.....

lastly....

The Roots~another band i've seen quite a few times over the years....although ?Love wasn't in the mix and pulled a no-show....the carried on as mighty as a headliner should........they added stellar talent and shared the stage with Posdnuos a.k.a Pace 1 and Maseo of DeLa Soul (another progressive hip hop cornerstone collaborative that i am an admitted fan of), Lupe Fiasco to beef up the presence and tear the roof off of an open-aired venue....with their 10 year tenure...they certainly have grown in mass appeal....when i first saw them back in the early 90's, the crowd in Toronto was no more than a couple hundred people with about 1/3 of people knowing their repertoire...now, thousands were grooving along to songs of new and old.....their scope not only encompasses hip hop to the fullest but embraces other musical styles to truly be one of modern day music's true musical band collective.....the Roots laced up the set with songs that ranged from rocked out jams then going back to their funk-filled hip hop classics...true classics....and dare i mention the James Brown funk-fest???????........nuff said.

(Ka)Nish

Enlightenment For 30Bucks?????!!!!! (7/06/07)

better believe it....The Polyphonic Spree @ Phoenix tickets....worth every penny!

usually i wait a few days to express my thoughts and re-live my concert-going experience, as i tend to contemplate the event then convey via verbiage...

however, i was so elated by this show i couldn't wait....

last night i witnessed one of the most spiritually, positive, motivational, feel good musical collaborative efforts ever to bestow upon my eyes in my existence thus far....on this earth....

The Polyphonic Spree!!!!

this 20 piece pop-orchestra blew my mind, opened my heart and delighted my eardrums....

clad in black army Gestapo-like gear, their presence filled the venue like no other band i've seen (and i say this as i have frequented many fantastic musical events there over the years from 311 and Fishbone to Digable Planets etc. etc.)

Mr. Tim Delaughter (previously a member of the 90's band Tripping Daisy) who fronts this collective, captivates you not only with his piercing blue eyes and extravagant arm movements but with his voice of that of an angelic creature with absolutley no pre-tense and arrogant swagger.......

the choir suitably stood behind the entire band like a strong, sturdy backbone on risers and kept the songs in driving gear with awesomely quirky and campy choreography....

there was confetti, a huge disco ball and cool lighting effects that most certainly made this a celebration.......

of what?????

i couldn't really place it....

maybe of stellar musicianship???...our complicated yet purposeful lives???...or just a plain old Thursday summer night......

whatever it was......it was a jubilation of sorts and an experience i'll never forget....

if you have the chance...when the Polyphonic Spree roll into your corner of the earth....check them out!

(you will NOT regret it)

MY FAVORITE: When A Fool Becomes A King

CROWD FAVORITE: Nirvana "Lithium" cover/Light & Day

(Ka) Nish

Clutch @ Roxy (LA) No. No. (6/20/07)

Hmmmmmmm....what can i say...it was LA...

no disrespect meant to any of the SoCal natives, 'migrants or re-locators....

i love LA (dude i even bought a Tshirt that says it....i'm starting a collection of "I Heart" Shirts based on my I Heart LA shirt....true things!)....

it's the "land of the No"....no worries, no cares...no boundaries, no normality....no rules...no rain (that is: between October and April)...AND most importanly...no snow!!!!!~at least not yet....

but on May 25th @ The Roxy...it was no vibe.

the band was great ..but just no vibe generated from the crowd....

there were girls in high heels and people that just didn't seem that into the band themselves...that could be said about almost every show.....there are always stragelers and poseurs and people that truly aren't interested in live music....

however...it just seemed a little....well......off.

the no-no started when i walked in and attempted to walk up a set of stairs to my left for a better view and an alcoholic beverage....i was stopped by the only not-so-big bouncer employed there with a "This is V.I.P."...to my daunting surprise, i couldn't believe what i was hearing......so i decided to ask him politely to repeat himself....he said it AGAIN.....i was virtually speechless...so much in fact, all that could come out of my agaped mouth was a friendly mocking..."Ooooooo V.I.P.".....the guy looked at me with a "I know. Ridiculous" face....it seemed as though my friendly mocking tone transcended some truth......

V.I.P. @ a Clutch show?????????????????????.....no.

Only in LA.

Ain't No Stopping Us. No Stoppin'. No One Does It Better (10/25/06)

1984 Breakin' Anthem. 

so about one week ago today i was hanging out on mi lil hand-me-down-brown-soft and back-breaking couch...catchin' a lil radiation from the tube and stumbled across the VH1 Hip Hop Honours 2006 on MuchMusic...honorees were; 

Beastie Boys ~ surpassed the novelty/white boy/rap-act stigma and has represented the skillz leaps and bounds over the past 15 years...one of my favorite musical forces of all time...for sure.

MC Lyte ~ she inspired me as a youth to get me into the hip hop arena by way of writing killer battle rhymes by using me girl-hood charm as a secret weapon..oh and she was the reason i was compelled to sport those bandu canteen earrings non-stop everyday...all day...she's ice cold...

Rakim ~ when a friend of mine introduced me to Eric B and Rakim it was earth shattering...Paid In Full was laced with an assault of lyrical genius...i remember dubbing a couple of tapes...yes...cassette tapes (Paid In Full and Mecca and the Soul Brother by Pete Rock and CL Smooth) off of that same friend and listening to them over and over in my walkman...this album is essential to the b-boy/b-girl massive...if only i could find those tapes.....i guess it's time to hunt them down on CD

Ice Cube~ honestly, i was never really an early Ice Cube/NWA fan as i wasn't a huge fan of gangsta rap at the time.....but i DO and DID have an appreciation for it...i was a big fan of early solo ice Cube with tracks like Check Yo Self from the Predator album......good shit.

Afrika Bambaataa ~ b-boys, b-girls, we have this being to thank for uniting all aspects and elements of hip hop together...breakin/bombin' (graffiti)/turntablism/microphone commanding...creating the force that exists this very day...i got word of this celestial being (believe me scope a pic of him and you will see what i mean~different level bizness entirely)...by catching the Rock Steady Crew as they are basically synonymous with each other....so ultimate respect due....

Easy E ~ like i mentioned earlier...never a huge fan of NWA although you can't deny the force that the track Straight Outta Compton has had on rap music, pop music in general, and dare i say pop culture in general...

Wu Tang Clan ~ oh the Wu....*tears*...it's 1993...hanging out in the foyer of my high school and reciting lyrics of the 36 Chambers album...non stop!!!!!...shaolin style!!!!...L....Enter The Wu/36 Chambers most definitely acts as a backdrop of my "formative years"......sick sick album.....maybe one of the most well executed concept albums in hip hop history.......R.I.P.Little Baby Jesus......

so in short....this was a great television spectacle for me to witness as all these artists (among many more) have influenced me musically or otherwise.....

Non-stop. Hip Hop.

(Ka)Nish

Rocktober Tally (10/31/06)

the stadiums are now slowly converting from houses of the holy into housing the jocks...as the pennant flags and jerseys rise, the fists and devil horns slowly fall...the spring/summer 2006 season wasn't as fruitful as years past...nonetheless...there are memories to be had that were fabricated by the bass and treble...from travelling over 3000 clicks into the sunshine & heat to suffering in the pouring rain, soaked to the ____...it was quite a ride...here's how the tale started.....

COLDPLAY

DATE: March 22 2006

VENUE: Air Canada Centre (hence forth referred to as ACC), Toronto

OPENING BAND: Richard Ashcroft~cool engaging, brilliant man and inspiring musician/lyricist

CROWD FAVORITE: Yellow

MY FAVORITE:  In My Place/Speed Of Sound

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: greasy and obnoxious guy getting kicked out for smoking mock-like weed substance...it smelled fowl...and he had no skills....

IN A WORD OR TWO: Fantastically Free (friend gave me tix)

BLACKALICIOUS

DATE: March 28, 2006

VENUE: Opera House, Toronto

OPENING BAND: Fat Lip~please come with hits other than Pharcyde tracks...you can do it!!!! 

CROWD FAVORITE: Make Ya Feel That Way/Alphabet Aerobics

MY FAVORITE: World Of Vibrations/Alphabet Aerobics

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Fat Lip getting angry with the crowd because of lack of participation....boooo.

IN A WORD OR TWO:Why Fat Lip?! Why?!

PEARL JAM

DATE: May 10, 2006

VENUE: ACC, Toronto

OPENING BAND: The Buzzcocks~got there late...so i missed them

CROWD FAVORITE: Better Man

MY FAVORITE: Evolution

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: the band stopped playing while the crowd sang Better Man from line 1 & Eddie Vedder knocking back the vino every chance he got

IN A WORD OR TWO: Welcome back!!!!!!!

PREFUSE 73

DATE: July 7th, 2006

VENUE: Harbourfront Ctr./Break, Beats, & Culture Festival, Toronto

OPENING BAND: N/A

CROWD FAVORITE: Everything

MY FAVORITE: Everything

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: people bustin' out in crazy breakdance/up-rock maneuvers.(Prefuse 73 tends to evoke that)

IN A WORD OR TWO (or SIX): Lucious lake water and boombastic beats

311

DATE: August 12, 2006

VENUE: Kool Haus, Toronto

OPENING BAND: Panic & The Rebel Emergency~the Euro designer jeans have got to go!

CROWD FAVORITE: Applied Science

MY FAVORITE: Omaha Stylee

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: (see previous blog posted)

IN A WORD OR TWO: Get Worked!

BEN HARPER/DAMIAN Jr. Gong MARLEY

DATE: September 2, 2006

VENUE: Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto

OPENING BAND: Bedouin Soundclash~missed them...arrived late

CROWD FAVORITE: Harper~Steal My Kisses/Jr. Gong~Beautiful

MY FAVORITE: Harper~Burn One Down/Jr. Gong~We're Gonna Make It & Confrontation

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Harper/Marley duet on Get Up Stand Up and partaking in a session with all the people in our section without interference from the 5-0

IN A WORD OR TWO (or FOUR): Soaking up sweet sounds

311

DATE: September 8, 2006

VENUE: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

OPENING BAND: Pepper, The Wailers~missed Pepper (but the crowd wouldn't stop giving them props so i guess they were good)/The Wailers~ rock steady reggae vibes, absolute niceness

CROWD FAVORITE: Down

MY FAVORITE: Omaha Stylee & Nix Hex

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: super jam session with the Wailers on Exodus

IN A WORD OR TWO: Love

TRIBE CALLED QUEST

DATE: September 10, 2006

VENUE: Wiltern, Los Angeles

OPENING BAND: ???????????

CROWD FAVORITE: Scenario

MY FAVORITE: Sucka Nigga

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: Q-Tip mixing it up with the crowd, driving security absolutely bonkers...AND being able to score last minute tix for a Tribe reunion show in a sweet venue with unbelievable acoustics....priceless

IN A WORD OR TWO: Sick!

ROGER WATERS

DATE: September 20, 2006

VENUE: ACC, Toronto

OPENING BAND: N/A

CROWD FAVORITE: Wish You Were Here

MY FAVORITE: Vera, Dark Side Of The Moon

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: giant blow-up pig hovering over the crowd in protest & seeing little children hanging out with their parents while clouds of sweet smoke fill the venue to the brim

IN A WORD OR TWO (or FOUR): Why not any sooner?

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

DATE: September 25, 2006

VENUE: ACC, Toronto

OPENING BAND: The Mars Volta~missed them AGAIN!

CROWD FAVORITE: By The Way

MY FAVORITE: Nobody Weird Like Me

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT: guy passed out behind me for half the show~seriously...SLEEPING!.....how?...i dunno.

IN A WORD OR TWO (or THREE): Red Hot Fiyah!

(Ka)Nish