Change your ways

On the last Saturday I headed over to the Dominion to catch some rocking and rolling courtesy of local combos The Lindbergh Babies, The Uncooperatives and Peterboroough metal titans Mokomokai. It was another chance to catch the excellent Mokomokai, who have built themselves an enviable reputation in a short while, as well as to check out new lineups for the other two bands.

The Lindbergh Babies were playing their second show, their first with new drummer Matt Jerabek of Kill City, who also happens to be in the same cabinet-making course at Algonquin as I am. In addition to singer Tara, you'll spot a few four-stroke members in this photo (and others).



Kris frets!



Tara sings!



Rhythm section action with Matt and Ken Vermin.



Matt hits!



Singalong action with John!



Extra Tara!



Stringy action!



Extra Kris and Tara!



Faceoff action!



On to the Uncooperatives, who have traded some members. Ryan Kerr has joined up on the microphone, and Blake from World War 4/Hot Piss/Black Tower/Manpower has replaced Pat of Grave Concern on guitar. Here's Ryan!



And here's Jarek, Chris and Blake.



Jarek hits!



Greg rocks the Les Paul!



More Ryan!



Monitor-standing action!



Mokomokai have been putting on a lot of killer shows lately, judging by the number of people who ask me without prompting if I've seen them. Here's some feedback action!



The chainmail vest is at the cleaners.



John sings!



Jeremy rocks the low end!



Jean-Paul hits!



More John!



Hair-shaking action!



Bonus Jean-Paul!



The whole lot!



A great shake, capped with a killer cover of Immigrant Song.

Murder capital

Longtime readers may recall my Grand Theory of Bands With City In Their Name. Here we have another with Kill City, a quartet. As I noted back in January 2007, "If they have an adjective preceding their "city" they're basically rockers." Kill City is doing nothing to undermine my theory, actually they may be Exhibit A, as befits a band with the same name as an Iggy Pop album.

See-through action with guitarist Chris!



A shouty bit with singer Mike and bassist Andrew.



More shouting from Mike, more Father Jack Hackett appreciation from Andrew.



The whole blurry lot - including drummer Jay.



More Mike!



More Andrew!



More Jay!



Chris goes down.



Chris gets back up.



Mike works the mike.



Fisheye action!



Jay sings!



Running about!



And so on!



The end!



Their next show - with Face of Jam and Riishi Von Rex at the Elmdale House Tavern - is on April 29.

• Show reminder: Threat Signal, The Unavowed, Equalizer metallize the Rainbow Bistro. The Elmdale House hosts Ian Tamblyn and Andy Mason.

Now they wanna help your dog

There was quite a number of interesting shows on last night, but I decided to head over to the Rainbow Bistro to catch the benefit for the Westminster Pet Shelter since there was a number of Ottawa bands I was unfamiliar with on the bill plus Useless ID all the way from Israel. When I walked in the door Jason Ramone from The Nads was finishing up a set employing some electronic pseudo-guitar gizmo. I only caught about 30 seconds, then there was a quick switchover the next act ...

Which turned out to be acoustic-punk rocker Jon Creeden. "I know everybody's really down on emo these days, but most of my songs are about girls," he explained. He covers up what he calls the subject's "pathetic" aspects by throwing in copious movie references.


Jon Creeden at The Rainbow, March 26, 2010

Next up were hard-rocking quartet Kill City, who really ladle on the distortion.  I'm going to guess their band name is an Iggy Pop reference. They know how to work a stage and spent a fair amount of time bouncing off one another. There was a cover of The Cramps' Human Fly.


Kill City at The Rainbow, March 26, 2010

They were followed by The Beer Barons. The Barons are a bit of a departure from the other acts, being of the Celtic punk persuasion and the vein of Flogging Molly, The Mahones and the like. They had a quite a vigorous mosh pit going. Unfortunately their singer couldn't make it due to pressing family matters, but they did have Nick from The Dreadnaughts up to sing a song about beer and the perennial Whiskey in A Jar. There was also a Johnny Cash cover - Folsom Prison Blues, sung by bassist Sarah.


Beer Barons at The Rainbow, March 26, 2010

The show then returned to the pop punk in earnest, starting with Montreal's Old School Politics, who did an appropriate cover of NOFX's Murder The Government. Lots of jumping about from these guys.


Old School Politics at The Rainbow, March 26, 2010

Finally Useless ID played a really hot set, more super-melodic punk (plus a snippet of Twisted Sister).


Useless ID at The Rainbow, March 26, 2010

Lots of fun - I would have bought some merch, but my last $5 went to the Westminster Pet Sanctuary, for which the night was a benefit.

• Show reminder: Snailhouse and Yellow Jacket Avenger play the Raw Sugar Cafe; The Cowards, The Ginger Fox and Diatonic Fifths perform at the Cajun Attic; Zeroes, We Fled Cairo and Ace Kinkaid are at Cafe DeKcuf; Ketch Harbour Wolve, Telefoto and The Watters Brothers perform at Zaphod's; there's more fundraising action at the Elmdale House Tavern, this time the beneficiary is Hopeful Hearts and the performers are Shannon Eddy Smith, John Allaire, Hazel May Lebrun, Ray Harris, Greg Kelly and NSV.