Heather Curtis

the stickup and silverstein

As some of you may remember, I have seen tons of Stickup shows in the past two years. I've seen them at the Underground and in different places in Burlington. They were a huge reason that I am so into indie music now. They came to this show to play their last show ever. I almost didn't get in to see them, and I was pretty heartbroken. But, thank goodness I got into the show, and saw the band do their thing.

The Stickup have grown such a strong fan base over the years. The second they started a huge moshpit started, and I knew the show was going to rock. All of these guys have such stage presence. You can tell they love the music, and love playing it for so many people who love them so much. My friend and I didn't stop jumping around once. We were having so much fun getting into the music, and it seemed like the rest of the crowd felt the same way. They played all my favourite songs that I remember waiting to hear at the shows two years ago. When they were playing these songs like; Speaker Takes the Stage and Dance Class Disaster, I had flashbacks from when we would see the Stickup at least 3 times a month. I really miss this band, but seeing this show gave me enough memories to go on with their shows:) I miss you guys. Thanks for playing!!

Next band I'm going to talk about is Silverstein. Silverstein is a super famous band which plays all over the world. Silverstein is full of super nice guys who really relate to their fans and respect them. By the way they interacted with the fans on stage, you could tell they respect them. You can tell everybody in that crowd loves Silverstein. There was a huge moshpit, people jumping, dancing and screaming the words. Silverstein played all the fan favourites like Smile in your Sleep, My Heroine, and My Heart Bleeds No More. It was such an intense set. I loved every second of it. Silverstein sounds even better than the last time I heard them. Hopefully I get to see them again!

my blogging break

As you guys can probably tell, I haven't written a post in a while. From April 22nd to the 27th I think I was in Boston on a school music trip. We met amazing people, saw amazing musicians, and had a great time.

My favourite part of the trip was getting to work with Benjamin Zander. Benjamin Zander is a world famous musician who conducts the Boston Philharmonic. Professional musicians from all over the world would do anything to work with him, and we did. He had a concert that night which we were going to. On concert days he has a strict routine which he NEVER breaks to get ready. He broke it for us to come in and give us a clinic. Being in the same room with him was extremely overwhelming, scary, and really exciting all at once. Everybody looked up at him with wide eyes listening to every word he said.

We saw amazing concerts. We went to see the NEC the second night. The NEC is the New England Conservatory. This band was full of talented young musicians who have great careers ahead of them. We saw the Boston Philharmonic too. I saw a lot of young people who were probably around 17 or 18. It's cool to think that such young people could be in such a great orchestra.

On this trip I learned so much from our clinicians. It was an amazing week, and I will never forget it.

If anybody was at the Sauce Rock-it show on April 26th how about posting pictures:)?  Thanks!

faber drive

Last night, I saw Faber Drive live in concert. It was at the Studio Theatre in Hamilton Place. The atmosphere was growing with excitement and intensity. The lights went dark, and loud music started and the crowd knew: Faber Drive is coming. The whole crowd burst out into screams and cheers. The guys in Faber Drive jumped onto the stage, and the music started.

This show has to  be the loudest show I have ever been to. Throughout every song, every single person screamed the lryics. You could tell that most of the people there loved Faber Drive, and appreciated their music and what it means. Singer Faber blew everybody away with his chops. His voice gave me goosebumps on my arms. For the song Tongue Tied, the music is quiet and has Faber singing. All you could hear were all 500 people screaming at the top of their lungs right along with the singer. Being on stage and hearing so many people appreciate your music must be an amazing feeling.

They sang a song called You'll Make It. This song is about all the children living in poverty, and that we should be trying to help them. Before they started the song, Faber started to talk about how important the charity World Vision is to them. You can tell Faber Drive is passionate about those who are in need of assistance around the world, and helping them in any way they can.

Faber Drive is perfection in the music world. They have a clean, polished sound, and passionate lyrics that pull the fans into the music and help them relate. I'm sure Faber Drive music has helped countless kids through hard times, helping them realize that the bad times won't last forever, and that it will get better. If you haven't heard Faber Drive yet, give them a listen. You won't regret it.

Crush Luther!

Friday night I got to go see Crush Luther at the Casbah. There were other great acts there too. First band I'm going to talk about is Slow Motion Victory. Slow Motion Victory is so full of energy while onstage it's insane. Singer Toby was jumping around the stage and dancing around. He looked like he was having an amazing time. It is really important for the people onstage to have a great time as well as the crowd. Guitarist Rick was pulling off guitar riffs that left me going, " wow". Most of their songs are really energetic and fast. Perfect music to jump around to and have a great time.

Next band up was Crush Luther. Crush Luther is an amazing band from Toronto. They are a really soft band, but a really fun band. Throughout the whole set my friend and I were dancing around and having like the best time ever. They played a really great song called Slowdance Everywhere I Go. I sung along with singer Luther Mallory on this one, and it was really fun. All of these guys have voices that blend perfectly together. The only other bands I have heard like this are Guilty, and Chasing Mercury. Like those bands, Crush Luther has harmonies that go through all the members, that are perfectly in tune and sound like they've been practicing it for years. Luther Mallory has the best voice I have heard in a very long time. He has a way of bringing you into the music. Make sure you check them out on May 10th back at the Casbah.

Next up was Euphorias Depression. Euphorias Depression always has a good crowd out for him who cheer and sing along. As you may know, he is an acoustic act. Marcio Novelli is a talented musician who puts his heart and soul into the music. He is really confident in himself. You can tell from his attitude onstage he won't care if you don't like his music, because he knows he has a big fan base. As a musician it is really important to be confident. Marcio is not cocky confident, though, which is good. My favourite song of his set was Cerabration. He asked the crowd, "what song should I play next?" and you heard  Cerabration! coming from different sides of the room. It's a great song, with meaningful and important lyrics. Just like every time I see him, he blew me away with his range and his skill. Great Job!

The last band was Holiday. Holiday is super energetic and fun to watch. Jumping around the stage and laughing with the fans. Drummer Roger really brought it all that night. He drummed with such percision and skill, it blew me away. I saw this band a little while ago at the Summerdayze Rockfest and I really loved them, so I was excited to see them again. Singer Vinny is great. He has a cool tone to his voice that is only his own. My favourite song by them is Sniper. They played it and I jumped up and down and took pictures.  It was a lot of fun. If you have never seen Holiday I suggest you go to the Flambourough YMCA on the 26th to see them. It will be a great show!

Futures Past

Last saturday I saw Futures Past at the Underground. Futures Past is a rock band from Toronto Ontario. This  was my second time of seeing them I think, so I was super pumped to hear what they can do. First off, Ricky Gupta sings like nobody I've heard. A lot of singers in bands from around here have unique voices, but his has a huge range, a great tone, and amazing dynamics. My favourite song of their set was ReHabbitz. It starts off with a keyboard, then swingings into Ricky Gupta's melodic voice. This song is hard to follow with the lyrics. If you listen carefully, you will hear some imagery and metaphors in there. It's a really interesting song.

Futures  Past is a band that appeals to every kind of music fan. They have some really poppy parts, some hard rock parts, and some screamo parts. It is very hard to classify their sound, they are just so original and fun. Garth Jullen is such a cool bassist. He has such a cool laid back attitude on stage, but then rocks out for the extra hard parts of the music. He is really fun to watch.

Marr played that night too. Marr is a really hard metal band from Hamilton. Just like Futures Past, Marr is super unique and doesn't sound like any other band in the area. Singer Louis has a cool tone to his voice too. He can do so many different things with his voice, it is really fascinating to watch him do his thing onstage. He is so emotional when he is singing the songs. He really gets into it as well. You can tell he is singing his heart out and working has hard as possible.

Marr is super unique. The have their own style that is unmistakably theirs. A lot of bands can be confused with others in this area, not Marr. The second you hear Louis' voice at the beginning of the songs, you know right away that it's Marr. The rest of the guys work so well together, and you can tell how experienced they are, and how well they work together.

city sirens and carrion @ the casbah

This past Saturday at the Casbah I saw Carrion and City Sirens. Carrion is a hardcore band from Stoney Creek. I have seen them a few times and liked them a lot each time. Carrion has tons of energy. All the guys were jumping around singing the lryics in each others' faces and just having a great time. It is really important for bands to have tons of energy, and Carrion does. Drummer Matt Sollveri showed off his kick- ass skills with complicated rifs. He is a super talented drummer, and is obviously very experienced. I really liked the Carrion set, and I am very excited to hear them again!

Next band I am going to talk about is City Sirens. I've talked about City Sirens, because I love them:D That night they were on top of their game. The set was full of energy, which helps to keep the audience excited. My favourite song of their set was  That's Business.  Every time I see them That's Buisness is my favourite one. They also played a bunch of new ones that I haven't heard before. They have the same City Sirens feel, but are different as well. I am really excited to hear a new cd in the future. All of these guys are rockstars, and they rock out as hard as possible all through the set.

Awake and Dreaming @ the Underground

  The first band I am going to talk about is Inland. Inland is a pop punk band from Mississauga Ontario. This was my first time seeing them, and I loved the set. They are really poppy and fun, but also have certain parts in their songs that are harder. Singer Manny Araujo is a top notch singer. He has such a huge range that is really impressive. The lyrics of the songs are deep and meaningful, that you have to listen carefully to understand. That's what I feel music should be about. Connecting to the writer and understanding what they went through when they wrote it. I really connected with this band's lyrics. Good job! Make sure you check them out!

Next up is Awake and Dreaming. I have liked this band for a very long time, and was excited to finally see them again. I have written about this band a few times. When it was time for them to play, I was super excited. My favourite song by them is Common Cold Shoulder. It is a super fun song that uses really heavy guitars and complicated drum rhythms. Singer Cameron Roberts has tons of skill. He has a higher voice than a lot of singers, but that makes his voice really unique.  There performance involves head banging, impressive guitars, great vocals and fast drums. I really suggest seeing this band yourself so you can experience the Awake and Dreaming live show!

40 sons and daughters at the casbah

This past wednesday at the Casbah I saw my favourite band of all time, 40 Sons and Daughters. They were on a very weird bill. I don't even remember the names of the other bands, they all kind of meshed together into one sound.

So, this was my first time seeing 40 Sons and Daughters since December! So this show was a huge deal for me and I was very pumped. Before they even started, most of the club started chanting, "FSD FSD" over and over again. The atmosphere was definitely tense, but full of excitement. Everybody was ready for 40 Sons and Daughters.

They played a lot of new songs. It was really cool. I looked around confused because I had no idea what song it was, which does not happen very much. But I loved every new song I heard. They still have the 40 Sons and Daughters sound, but is different from the stuff they usually do. I am really looking forward to a new cd in the near future!!

My favourite songs of the night were My Illusion and Waste You Call a Land. They are both so intense, and make anybody around them want to rock out. This band has a way with the crowd, getting the crowd as pumped as they are. That is very important for a band, and 40 Sons and Daughters does it perfectly.

Mike Repic is an amazing singer. I'm sure he makes singers from all over totally jealous with his skill. He has such a swagger and presense on stage. He adds so much to the performance. He is great to watch.

Hail the Villain and Rides Again

This show was at the Casbah this past sunday. I'm sorry for not getting it up before. So, the first band I'm going to write about is Hail the Villain. I have only seen them a few times, but each time they bring it! They have so much energy on stage and have so much fun, that the crowd just HAS to join in. My favourite song of the night was Mission Control. It is perfect for headbanging. It has a really good message too. How I interpret it is, we are living in a violent world where war is becoming accepted. I may be wrong though. I really love Bryan Crouch's voice. I'm surprised he doesn't shred his voice. It is so intense, which fits perfectly, because Hail the Villain is extremely intense. The stage presense, the connection with the crowd, and with each other made this an amazing set! Catch them at the Casbah again on April 12th.

Next up was Rides Again. I have never seen them before, so I was realllly pumped. Nathan Peyton has an extremely different sounding voice. I was excited to hear if he sounds that unique and great live to. Well, he did. I was entranced by his voice. Just like Hail the Villain, these guys meshed perfectly on stage together. I could totally imagine Rides Again playing in a huge staduim with 20,000 people rocking out and loving every second. Rides Again works hard, and has a great unique sound. They just have to keep working and you will soon be seeing them on a cross-country tour. Bassist Chad Peyton wowed me as well. He has such a cool attitude, and really connected with the fans. It's super important to let the people who support you know you really appreciate them. It was a great show, and I can't wait to see them again.

something that pisses me off

I know I already wrote a bit about this, but I felt it needed its own post. I know when you give ten dollars to the guy at the door, you can spend the time the way you want. If you go in and really dislike the band, that's cool, just go outside and chill with your friends. But, if you stay in the club and don't even look at the people onstage, you are being disrespectful to the people working hard to play their creations for you.

Think about it, you've worked super hard to write songs for a show, you are standing onstage, and you see two people right at the front, and forty overall not paying attention. You would be angry. You put in all that time and people aren't even looking at you. I'm not saying you have to rock out, but if you chose to stay in the club, at least look at the people onstage. All these musicians want are people watching them. If you just stand near the stage and really concentrate on the music, most of them are happy.

I am not trying to be insulting, I'm just giving my opinion. So next time if you don't enjoy the band, go outside, and the people who chose to stay inside will be respectful and enjoy the music.

Next wednesday at the Casbah 40 Sons and Daughters are playing. Make sure you check it out.