The Phoenix
Toronto, ON
On a frigid Friday evening, the kids were out in full force at the shrine on Sherbourne to catch four of Canada's most exciting young bands. Unfortunately, a glimpse is all the packed Phoenix got of these emerging artists. Each subsequent shortened set left attendees agape with wonder and asking the people beside them, "That's all?" when sets abruptly ended after only 20 to 30 minutes.
Blame it on the newest digital craze, satellite radio. This CMW showcase was the third live performance hosted by Sirius Canada to be broadcast across North America. The good news is that despite the limitations of the live taping, the quartet of bands made the most of their military minutes.
Vancouver's Stabilo got things going first. Even they looked awkward and slightly out of sync by having to wait to be told when to start. Lead singer Jesse Dryfhout, acoustic guitar in hand, addressed the confused crowd after the second song and said, "That was a weird beginning. I'm sure it was as awkward for you as it was for us." Despite these scripted beginnings, Stabilo got the crowd grooving with their infectious songs.
Fresh from picking up four East Coast Muisc Awards, Matt Mays and his El Torpedo mates made the loudest statement with their sweaty and electric set. The scrubby-looking dudes opened with new track "Building A Boat," a jingly-jangly jam with hints of Dylan's "Tom Thumb's Blues." Sporting a red T-shirt and foam trucker hat, the surf-loving Mays ended his set with a frenzy of feedback on the band's radio hit, "Cocaine Cowgirl."
Mobile kept Mays' vibe alive with some symphonic songs that were spawned by mixing some Ramones with New Order and adding a pinch of Coldplay for good measure.
The night ended with Toronto's Pilate, who sounded a little flat. Trying to test out a bunch of new tunes, the band came across looking like they needed more practice on this new material. There was no flow to their mediocre set.