Raise your voice

As you may have noriced, I get out to the House of Targ with some frequency. That said, one of the few events I hadn't been to was their monthly ska/reggae/rocksteady/roots rock night, Voice of the People. The event was started by local ska combo The Sentries, and usually gets in guest bands. For the May edition Montreal's Sweaty Palms came down to help get the groove going. Here's singer and guitarist Eric!



Rhythm section action with drummer Nick and bassist Hugh!



Eric sings!



Nick hits!



More Eric!



Extra Hugh!



The Sentries started thir own set off with a ska-ified take on the 007 theme song. They have a new EP out, The Horseman, and played a bunch of tunes off that as well. And now some finger-snapping action with Julian (who performed earlier that same night with T.O. soul combo Slack Bridges at Zaphod's) and trombonist Nick!



Bradley dips!



Saxophonic action!



Nick extends!



Cornet action with Jessie!



Keyboard action with Lou (just behind him is bassist Darren).



Horny action!



Extra Darren!



Extra Lou!



Hollowbody action with Victor!



Xander sings!



Rootsy action!



Staring action with Matt (who also plays guitar in folk-punkers Valveenus)!



And so on!



A fine performance; the next edition of Voice of the People will be June 25; Israels Skarate Kid will guest.

The punks of the Irish

The Real McKenzies are as fine a collection of Scots-punkrs as you'll find in the land, and it's only natural that local Celtic-folk-punkers Valveenus should open things up with a fine set of their own.

From right to left we've got Matt Rochon, Drew Collier and Cory Levesque (drummer Tim Olson is back there somewhere).



Matthieu rocks the Telecaster.



Cory rocks the Epiphone



Drew faces the other way.



Grimacing action!



Drew sings!



Singalong action!



Tim hits!



The lovely Karolyne LaFortune takes the stage.



Fiddlin' and frettin' action!



Harmonica action!



Cory strums!



Even more singalong action!



Even more Tim!



Matthieu sings!



Future live shows are allegedly in the offing, as is an album ("In ten years or so," said Drew).

• Show reminder: All You Can Eat, K-Bart and Mike Jennings are at the Rainbow.

Kilt by death

It's been so long since I saw The Real McKenzies I've mostly forgotten what the performance was like. If memory serves it was at The Hi-Fi, so more then enough time has elapsed to make catching another performance a good idea. For this show at Mavericks The Valveenus and four-stroke served as openers.

First up, Valveenus. Last time I saw them play was also at Mavericks in July 2007, on a rather eclectic bill with The Jesus Mullet and Dr. Wily and The Robot Masters. Their folk-inflected punk rock made for a tighter fit with four-stroke and The Real McKenzies.


Valveenus at Mavericks, March 24, 2011

They also had some guest-fiddling action.


Valveenus at Mavericks, March 24, 2011

Next up four-stroke, who quickly had the crowd moshing wildly (or at least some of it). They were at full strength for this gig (unlike the last show by them that I caught, opening for The Subhumans in September 2010, where Mike Marauder was absent), and covered Personality Crisis' Waiting.


four-stroke at Mavericks, March 24, 2011

It was quite a rocking set.

four-stroke at Mavericks, March 24, 2011

I was wondering why the bands were starting at 9 p.m. ... then I saw The Real McKenzies's 30-song set list. They've been through a few membership changes since I saw them so many years ago ... I don't remember them making me think so much of a Celtic version of Snuff, though. They opened with a "A real Canadian song!" Stan Roger's Barrett's Privateers. There was also an acoustic interlude, somewhat stymied by said guitar's refusal to go into tune.


The Real McKenzies at Mavericks, March 24, 2011

Needless to say it was a lot of fun with much audience singing along.


The Real McKenzies at Mavericks, March 24, 2011

They're off to Montreal tonight before heading east.

•  Show reminder: Basia Bulat and The Wilderness Of Manitoba get down at the First Baptist Church; Acres return with Glory Glory Man United and The Gallop at Mavericks; KEN mode, Alaskan, Black Faxes and Spilt Guts destroy hearing at Cafe Dekcuf; Mississippi Grover, The Middens and The Johnnies perform at The Clocktower; The Ornaments, The Cosmic Eye and Darkmean perform at The Rainbow; Brock Zeman celebrates his birthday at Irene's. The Kingmakers , Ninety Punds of Ugly and Sick Sick Sicks are at the Elmdale; Statis Revolt perform at The Avant Garde. Professor LeStrange, Auto-Racing and Wayne Spears play Zaphod's.

Back to the clubs

Ah, Valveenus! I last caught them knocking out some metallic punk noise at Club SAW back in December 2005. They haven't changed a lot since then. They were the opening act for Dr. Wily and The Robot Masters' official pulling of the plug July 19 at Mavericks.

One thing about Bluesfest - I forget how to use my flash and end up with a bunch of intriguing-but-fuzzy stuff like this (okay, more fuzzy than intriguing).



Ahem - now for an actual picture!



Drummer Darren Jones under surveillance.



Drew Collier scrunches for the microphone.



Guitarist Matt Rochon was a bit less bendy this time, but only just.



More singalong action, this time with a decent look at guitarist Cory Levesque.



And so on!



I just missed a chance to post these pics in advance of their latest show a day or so ago, but no doubt they'll be playing in the near future.

• Show reminder: Hmm. just a couple of days after seeing one Design of Cities alumnus, another two hit the stage - this time in Rockets Fall at The Rainbow.

The doctor is out

I went off to Mavericks to catch the farewell gig for Dr. Wily and The Robot Masters. The video game metal titans threw themselves a shindig to say goodbye to their fans - a fair crowd of them turned out - and sell off some excess merch.

Valveenus opened things up with some steamroller punk rock.



Jesus Mullet returned after a hiatus with their Motorhead-meets-Nebula heavy rock.



Finally, Dr. Wily and The Robot Masters played their last ever show.



Game over?

• Show reminder: There are a couple of house shows on tonight: For the Mathematics, The Marvelous Darlings, Diemonds and Onetree perform at The Slaughter House (452 Gladstone Ave. at Kent); I Refuse, Words, This Ship Will Burn, Scary Hours, and Low Budget Cast play 34 (or as the postman calls it, 34 Meadowlands Dr.). A Plot Against Me and Dead And ConfusedBenefit of A Doubt, The Epilogue, Sunday Night Cruise and Fire Heats Water play Mavericks; perform at Club SAW. The Divorcees and the always excellent David Picco perform at the Black Sheep Inn.