Showing posts with label Toledo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toledo. Show all posts

Friday, July 26, 2013

City to city

It's back to Pressed and on to Toledo. The quintet - operating as a foursome on this occasion - draws its members from Hamilton and St. John's and likes The Replacements. They also made me think quite a bit of Joel Plaskett, fellow East- Coast-to-Toronto transplant David Picco and Ottawa's own Andrew Vincent.

And they're off! I believe that's Michael J. Boyd at left, Dan Empringham on drums and Cam Malcolm singing.

Toledo at Pressed

Extra Cam!

Toledo at Pressed

More Boyd!

Toledo at Pressed

The whole lot! With Lee Hanlon at right. I believe the fifth member, Dan Banoub (who has made an occasional appearance on the blog) was off studying in the U.K. while all this was going on.

Toledo at Pressed

And so on!

Toledo at Pressed

Flashy action!

Toledo at Pressed

Grimacing action!

Toledo at Pressed
The end!

Toledo at Pressed

They released their EP Years Without Focus a week or two before this show, and it's well worth checking out.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Losing for winning

Wednesday night I headed over to Pressed to check out Hamilton's foremost cultural export, B.A. Johnston. Johnston always puts on a great show, and despite his sad-sack persona seems to have won over enough fans for some serious singalong efforts from the crowd.

Openig up was Davey Quesnelle, a.k.a. Male Nurse, with his usual fine set of heartfelt solo indie rock.

Male Nurse at Pressed
Male Nurse at Pressed, January 16, 2013

There was a cover of Billy Bragg's Levi Stubb's Tears in there somewhere as well.

Male Nurse at Pressed
Male Nurse at Pressed, January 16, 2013

Next up were Toledo, a Toronto band with a good tangled indie rock guitar sound and a fondness for the Replacements, whose Can't Hardly Wait they covered.

Toledo at Pressed
Toledo at Pressed, January 16, 2013

All told a pretty rocking set, with some good slow burn stuff as well.

Toledo at Pressed
Toledo at Pressed, January 16, 2013

B.A. Johnston was sounding a bit gravelly but still put on a fine show of low humour, insult comedy and down-and-out balladry about good bars (with aliens) and bad bars (with douchebags). Not to forget the novelty sweatshirts ...

B.A. Johnston at Pressed
B.A. Johnston at Pressed, January 16, 2013

Of course they didn't last forever.

B.A. Johnston at Pressed
B.A. Johnston at Pressed, January 16, 2013

He played his encore in the street.

B.A. Johnston at Pressed
B.A. Johnston at Pressed, January 16, 2013

It was time for the last chorus as the cop car pulled up ...