Heather Curtis

jackson square rooftop

On Saturday, I went to my first show ever on top of a roof to see High Voltage on top of Jackson Square. My friends and I walked up the stairs and got kind of lost. The Rooftop is actually really big. It took us a few minutes to actually find where High Voltage was playing. When we actually found it we saw that the stage was right near Cops Collisium which was really cool. High Voltage played two sets both about 45 minutes I think. They played all my favourite songs plus new covers that I haven't heard before.

Singer Josh Alvernia is always fun to watch. He was such a unique stage presence. He resembles a lot of singers from the 80s. The band played Hog, one of their new tunes. A really energetic fun song that shows off the High Voltage attitude. They also played Shake Hands with the Devil. It is SUCH a cool song I love it so much. I don't remember what the covers were called, but I really enjoyed them. I think one was by The Who.

Just as usual, Eric Martin continued to impress me throughout this set. He's one of the best guitarists in this area for sure. Justin Bozzo on bass was the band's only choice for a new bassist. He is so talented on that instrument. I was watching his fingers move up and down and I was like... wow:) You can tell he's really serious about bass. That's what a lot of bands have problems with, taking themselves seriously. It's important when you're in the indie scene. If you don't take yourselves seriously, promoters won't. High Voltage definitely takes themsleves seriously, so you know they are going somewhere big.

So, that's all for now. High Voltage played a kickass show. If you missed it you missed out big time. Check out their next Hamilton show August 29th at the Casbah with Porcelain Youth, Sauce Rock-it and Faceless Tomorrow. I won't be able to make it out, so make sure you take pictures and maybe post some!!:) Have a great rest of your summer!

kick ass casbah show

Last night I went to the Casbah. The band I wanted to see had to cancel, but I decided to go anyway to check out the bands. Only two bands ended up playing, but they both had really long sets which must have been cool.

The first band is a band called Hydrophonic Funk. I have never heard of or seen a band like this before. As you could probably tell by the name, they are a funk band. The second they started playing I moved a bit closer because I was really interested. Peter Stewart-Kroeker had such a different and unique voice. His style fit perfectly with the overall style of the band. Funk is a kind of music that is totally bass driven. Without an extremely talented bassist, this kind of music does not work. With Duncan Ess Peng at bass the three members fit perfectly like a puzzle on stage. Drummer Wes Nameth was the last piece of the puzzle. With these three guys they make a perfect funk band. Congragulations on the great show guys!

The next band is a rock band from Hamilton Ontario called The Abbreviations. Another totally original unclassifiable band. Just as the singer in the pervious band, Dave Macintosh has a unique voice, but toally different to the singer of Hydrophonic Funk. His voice is higher than most singers, and he has a huge range. Goes from really high right down to low notes. On stage, this band has such good stage presense. They really let their quirky personalities show through while on stage. I really enjoyed the song George Harrision. Just like most of the other songs, it's really catchy. One thing I enjoyed about this band, all of the songs didn't sound exactly the same. There was a lot of contrast in the music. I really liked the set. I hope I see this band again soon!

some sad news

I'm sure some of you may have heard this. The Underground, a place for new bands and established bands to play for fans, and a place for kids to go to have the time of their lives, has been closed. The dance club up stairs, Club 77 is being expanded into the Underground part. Wall to Wall dancing and booze. I had a feeling there would be a change. The Underground has been bought by new owners. They started a new policy saying you had to be 15 to get into the club by yourself. If you are below 15 then you had to have a parent or guardian with you. Also, before the new owners, the Underground had 10 shows a week some weeks. A show everyday, plus a late show starting at 10 30 a few nights a week. But the shows have recently been cut down to maybe 3 or 4 a week. When the news gets out, tons of kids and tons of bands are going to be really upset. The Underground is an important part of Hamilton, just not the music scene.

Now that this has happened, I feel that the venues around the Hamilton Area should step up and play more shows. On the YMCA website there are two shows listed at the Burlington Y, but for Oakville, Hamilton and Waterdown there are no shows listed. The YMCA is a great venue and the promoters should try to continue to have shows on a regular basis. I'm not saying 10 shows a month. I'm saying one show a week or something. We can't let the music scene die. We have to keep it alive!!!
(Photo by Heather Curtis: Carrion at a recent show at The Underground)

Rock N Roll Picnic

Yesterday I went down to Gage Park in downtown Hamilton for the Y108 Rock n Roll Picnic. It was a great hot day of rock and roll:D

The first band of the day was High Voltage. High Voltage is one of my favourite bands. Every time I go see them I have so much fun. I'm always a bit sad when their set is over. They played Good to be Home! This song is perfect to sway and sing along to. High Voltage would be a really good stadium band. A lot of the songs would be perfect for an audience of 20,000. Josh Alvernia brought it all as usual. He amazes me more every time. He is one of my favourite local singers. Just like the singer of Guilty, he was a really unique voice that can't be mistaken for a different singer. All of these guys are so unique. I think being yourself is the most important thing when you are playing music. Eric Martin and Sean Royle rocked their way through the set looking like rock stars with their hair in their faces. Congratulations guys on the killer set! Make sure you check out their show on the Jackson Square roof on the 18th!

The next band up was Priestess. A friend told me about Priestess a long time ago, and I've been wanting to see them live ever since. So when I found out Priestess was playing too, I was really excited. Singer Mikey Heppner was like a total rock god. His voice got the attention of everybody in the park. His attitude was so strong on stage. My favourite part of the set was the drum solo that Vince Nubo did. He kept going for about five minutes. Every single person stood there with their mouths hanging open. It was amazing. My favourite song was Talk to Her. I heard it from across the park while getting food and I ran back to the stage so I could be in the front for it. I definitely want to see Priestess again. If any of you have a chance, go!

The next band I want to talk about is Teenage Head. I'm sure most of you know who Teenage Head is. They are an original rock band from Hamilton that came out of Westdale high school in the mid-70s. I have never seen a band like Teenage Head before. Gordie Lewis is like a 50 year old punk. Dressed like a rock star, he kicked ass in during the set. Bassist Steve Mahon had such a unique style. He played his bright pink guitar with the fuzzy pink strap down at his knees. I loved watching him to his thing. During the hour long set people young and old were dancing around with huge smiles on there faces, and dozens ended up onstage. If you missed the set, you missed out. I definetly want to see Teenage Head again. Like the song says: Nice day for a party, isn't it?

This was a show to remember. Y108 really knows how to put on a show. Check back next Saturday to read my review on the Sharia show at the Underground this Thursday.