There goes the night

The wet Wednesday at Mavericks was finished off with a really ripping set from The Novaks. The trio from St. John's, Newfoundland like their classic rock. Indeed I see that the keyboard player on their latest album Things Fall Apart is no other than Ian McLagan of Faces fame. I hear a big 1950s rock influence - Holly, Cochrane, Kidd et al. - to which they willingly cop, but I have to say the performer that first strikes my mind after the music hits my ear is Tom Petty, largely because singer Mick Davis sounds quite a bit like Petty.

Mark Neary! Mick! Elliott Dicks!



Mick bends! And is it just me, or are a lot of people rocking Gretsch G5120 Electromatics nowadays?



On the other hand, not many Mustangs around.



Elliot rocks the kit.



More running about from Mick!



Mick sings!



Mick goes down, Elliot gets up!



More Mark.



Extra Elliot.



The whole lot!



Heartfelt action!



In fact, these guys are more or less all action!



For a finale they had The Birthday Boys back on stage.



Oh, and a giant novelty drumstick!



Singalong action!



Jordan tries his hand at the drums (okay, drum).



And finally Jordan and Elliott take it to the crowd ... well, what there was of it.



Awesome show - next time hopefully the place will be packed, which is the audience both The Novaks and The Birthday Boys deserve.

• Show reminder: It's Day 2 for Xavier Rudd & Izintaba and Justin Nozuka at Bronson Centre Theatre; Society's Ills, Humanifesto, Snatchback and Bruce Boris are at Cafe Dekcuf; Man The Destroyer plays the Rainbow.

Rain, rain, rain

Newfoundland's Novaks are on tour, and they unfortunately they chose a wet Wednesday to come to Mavericks with tourmates The Birthday Boys. When I walked in the door the attendance was so sparse the bartender wasn't even there. Things did fill out later, but I doubt it topped two dozen. That's a darn shame because all three bands on the bill really killed it.

The Allrights appeared as a four-piece for this show at Mavericks: Chris, Mel, Jon and Dave. Perhaps as a result their performance sounded a bit more direct than at previous gigs. They also covered Camp Radio's Cons At the New Moon.


The Allrights at Mavericks, May 5, 2010

The Birthday Boys really rocked with some tight rhythms that made me think of Spoon (by comparison, their Myspace stuff sounds a lot bluesier to my ear). They kept their leather jackets on for the whole show - that's dedication for you. Oh, and they have their own sign.


The Birthday Boys at Mavericks, May 5, 2010

The Novaks are a bluesier power trio with a fondness for classic rock. Guitarist Mick Davis is unafraid of a serious fret workout and claims Eddie Cochrane as a personal hero and the band covered his Something Else.


The Novaks at Mavericks, May 5, 2010

At the end of the set The Novaks launched into some smoking versions of Mona and Johnny B. Goode. They were joined for the latter by the members of The Birthday Boys for a raucous finish that ventured out into the audience (what there was of it) at the end.


The Novaks and The Birthday Boys at Mavericks, May 5, 2010

The two touring bands are now headed off to Toronto and Guelph, as well as the Boys' hometown of Peterborough.

• Show reminder: Final Flash, Oceans and The Gallop are at Zaphod Beeblebrox; Grand Trine and new crazed blues combo The Middens play the Rock'N'Roll Pizza Party at Nine. Marie-Josée Houle and piano man Steve Tippet are at The Avant-Garde. Savoy Brown's Kim Simmonds is at The Rainbow; Ron Hawkins and R.W. Haller perform at the Elmdale House.