Let's Go to the Ex! Food, Fun and Marianas Trench

I always look forward to August because I know that the Canadian National Exhibition is once again holding up fort at the Exhibition grounds in Toronto. The Ex is virtually a staple of Ontario summers and a family tradition to many. There is always something for everyone and everyone has fun no matter what age you are. I've long grown out of the rides (...well, I will go on them, I just can't find anybody else who wants to go with me - heh), but I thoroughly enjoy walking the grounds, taking in the sound, the music, the shopping and the overall atmosphere.

We all know that the CNE is technically just an over-zealous version of your typical small-town small fall fair, but we also know that it`s so much more than that. It's a multi-cultural, family oriented gathering for people all over Ontario and Canada to get together to share memories and create more.  I enjoy the time spent with friends, remembering our childhoods, eating deliciously bad food (aka deep fried "cola") that we'd never get away with on a regular day and listening to great music at the bandshell.

One of the main things I love about the Ex is the talent they schedule every year. Whoever is in charge of scheduling has a great mind and knows that in order to please a large variety of people, you need to be able to have a wide variety of talent on stage. They also are smart enough to know that kids, teens and young adults will also be the majority of the attendees when it comes to these events. I for one love the shows, the outdoor atmosphere and the fact that the stage isn't too big or gaudy.

Marianas Trench has been around for ages. I first heard of them when I was nearing the end of my high school career...and yes, that has been awhile ago now - thanks for reminding me. I remember hearing them sing a capella and I was floored. Their vocals were incredible, in tune and pleasing to the ear. Lead vocalist Josh Ramsay showed power and range that you really don't see in many singers these days. When Myspace was popular, I remember spending hours talking back and forth with Mike, their guitarist and having the most random conversations.  And as much as I love who they've become, and how successful they've been when it comes to their music and song-writing, I miss those times. I miss being able to talk to them at a show for a half hour, I miss them recognizing you instantly and giving you a hug.

As you have probably guessed, I've seen Mtrench in concert quite a few times. And ever since I saw them play at the Commodore during Juno weekend in 2009, I've kind of been comparing their shows ever since. Their show in Vancouver was beyond amazing. The vocals were perfect, their stage presence was impeccable and their overall performance was beyond what most bands do. I will admit that mtrench hasn't had some great performances, but then again, no band is ever perfect - that's life. And with Josh having vocal troubles sometimes, it's completely understandable. The show at the Ex on August 21st, wasn't as good as the show in Vancouver but it was pretty darn close. I was able to remember those times in the past and just have fun. They were fun, the music was catchy and their new music was inspiring. I know for a fact they work their asses off to get the fans what they want and I am proud that they are able to do so still. Even though their new music is becoming more mainstream, I am still an avid fan and I hope they stick around for more great music.

The lone issue I seem to have lately with the band is that Josh never seems to come out and greet the fans after their shows. I can't pinpoint one time I've witnessed this because I've seen it numerous times. Maybe it's just my experiences but I've had a friend who's tried to meet him countless times and each time he's disappointed her as well as many others. Some see it as stand-offish and I see it as a little snobby. Again, maybe it was just my luck in the situations but I have heard other stories when he's been the most sincere person there is. I've seen that side of Josh and I love it, but I've also seen the side where he stands on the other side of the barriers smoking (...maybe THAT'S why you're having vocal troubles Josh? Just a thought...) and ignoring the adoring girls. The entire band is sweet natured and very humble so I just hope that what I've witnessed on numerous occasions was just flukes and because he was having bad days...Don't worry Josh, I still love you but I just had to say what was on my mind!

Taryn

P.S. Keep your eyes open, I have another review of the TDSB show at the bandshell and my second day at the Ex coming up soon!

Blink 182 Rocks Toronto August 17th

 Photos Courtesy of Savannah Miranda

It seems like Blink-182 has been around for as long as I can remember. I think the first time I'd ever heard of them was during a talent show in middle school when my fellow classmates stood up to perform "Adam's Song" in front of the entire school. I must admit, at the time I began listening to them because my girly crush at the time was in the band, but even today, 15 years later (yet another hint as to how old I am really getting - haha), they are still a band that I will occasionally fall back on.

The show itself was like no other that I've been to this year so far. A lot of the shows I've attended were geared towards the younger crowds as they either a) haven't been around long or b) are focused on that of a younger generation. Blink has been around for quite some time now and a lot of their "young" fans have grown up and are living their own lives. The average age at the Molson Amphatheatre on August 17th was 25 or older. There were of course people of all ages but when I looked around, everybody seemed to be in my generation.

Molson Amp, Aug 17, 2011. Photo Courtesy of Savannah Miranda

A friend approached me about going to the show with her as she couldn't find another companion who was able to go on such short notice. I can never say no to a concert (and I thank her endlessly for taking me with her) and so I agreed because we always have fun when we're together! To be honest though, when she mentioned the show I was more excited to be seeing My Chemical Romance more than Blink 182. MCR was probably one of the first "punk" bands (if you want to call them that) that I ever listened to. I was a country girl growing up and then I was all about the Boy Bands for the longest time. They were the opening to more music and a wider variety than I was used to.

Now I know this is supposed to be a review of the show but since I only knew about 10 per cent of all the songs that were performed, it's kind of pointless for me to go on about something that I don't know all about. So I guess I will talk about the vibe of the entire venue. This show at the Amp was probably the first one I'd been to there since 2005. I'd forgotten how much a huge venue like that could fill so easily and how much more fun it seemed than just going to a show at the Air Canada Centre. The open concept, the amphatheatre shape and the full crowd just made everything seem so much more intimate - even with 15,000 people in the sold out crowd. It was a full out rock show. Fist pumping, people smoking weed everywhere, and everybody singing to the music they knew so well. I know you see that at every concert you go to, but this time (to me at least) it was a little different than what I am used to.

Molson Amp, Aug 17, 2011. Photo Courtesy of Savannah Miranda

I guess my only complaint of the evening was the sound quality. The last show I went to at the Amp we were in the pit and I was a little tipsy (no use in denying), but I do remember it sounding better. I am going to put the blame on the placement of where we were sitting (great seats btw) but we were to the far left of the stage and the speakers were directed towards the front so the sound ended up being muffled. And being somebody who is hard of hearing to begin with, I just had to go with the flow and bob my head to the beat. The songs I did know the words to I sang along, but with most of the music, I just listened and enjoyed viewing people singing to their  favourite band.

Check out Blink-182's website on news of their album, which gets released on September 27th, 2011. 

Molson Amp, Aug 17, 2011. Photo Courtesy of Savannah Miranda

Mat McHugh to Play at the Drake Hotel Tonight Sept 06

photo courtesy of Mat McHugh

Okay ladies if you're willing to open your ears, you need to check out a very sexy Aussie man who goes by the name of Mat McHugh. When I was listening to his EP what came to mind was a mixture of Michael Buble and Maroon Five. I know it's a little bit of an odd mixture but with his smooth vocals and likable lyrics, it was hard not to put two and two together. *random thought* After I finished listening to more of his music, I also found that he sounded a little like 100 Monkeys when they did they're slower songs. Maybe I'm crazy, but maybe not.

The acoustic guitar is subtle but very well played and the vocals are nice. I like the nice, relaxed feeling I got when I was listening to the music...and after the stressful end of the day I had, that's saying something for sure!

He's also the front man of the Australian band The Beautiful Girls, which also has a similar sound to what he is doing with his solo work and tour. His EP "Go Don't Stop" was released in June of this year with the expected release of his full length album to follow.


“I want to contribute to the musical landscape in 2011 by making something more about feelings and
emotions than it is about musical cleverness,” McHugh says in his biography.

If you feel like learning more about Mat or his band Beautiful girls check out their websites:

http://www.matmchughmusic.com
http://www.thebeautifulgirls.com
http://www.facebook.com/matmchughmusic

Be sure you check Mat McHugh and The Beautiful Girls out!

Busy Busy Busy!

Wow...August has been insannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnely busy and I am super excited to tell you guys all about it! I realize I haven't been as fast as I normally have been but that's because I've had so much to do and so little time!!

Now, I still have to write about Jackie Valentyne and Marianas Trench at The Ex  last Sunday (Aug 21), but let me tell you about the weekend I just had.

I literally did four straight days of amazing music. I was fortunate enough to win all-access guest passes to this year's "Dellspot End of Summer Party" which took place in Bala, Ontario. This year included bubble machines, milkshakes and bouncy castles as well as performances by the one and only These Kids Wear Crowns and Marianas Trench!

After that very loooong day, I packed up the car and my mom and I went to the very first (and hopefully not the last) CMT Music Festival! Yes, that's a huge difference in musical genres, but I must say I am a country girl at heart! Day one (friday night) consisted of Blake Shelton (yeah, you know, the hottie from the new TV show The Voice?), and Lady Antebellum. Day two was full of incredible acts like Tara Oram, Dean Brodie, Ronnie Dunn, Sarah Evans and Rascal Flatts! Sunday unfortunately we didn't stay the entire afternoon (we were just too damn tired) but we did manage to catch The Good Family do the "Sunday Morning Gospel Brunch" before we decided to pack up and head home!

Tomorrow I will be heading BACK to the Ex to spend some time there during TDSB Day (even though I'm not a student anymore) and we'll also be catching JRDN, Stereos, Shawn Desman and Down With Webster to end off the evening. I promise to keep you all updated!

Thanks for reading,
Taryn

Rest In Peace Jack Layton

Courtesy of MartinHo

News spread fast about the passing of NDP Leader Jack Layton. And grief spread just as fast, if not faster. Jack may have been the opposition to get Canadians believing change could happen, but he was also a family man, a community man, a lover and a fighter for all things good. He was also a survivor of prostate cancer. Not even a month ago he announced he was temporarily stepping down as he found out that another kind of cancer had appeared that was different from what he had beaten before. It took a turn for the worse though as his body didn't respond to treatment and on August 22, 2011 Jack Passed away surrounded by family.

Even if you weren't an NDP supporter, you knew who Jack was. You knew what he was about and you knew how passionate he was about youth and his community. He made a believer out of me and many other young voters who didn't believe Canadian politics could be changed.

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future. 


Jack you will always be apart of the legacy of great Canadians who set out to change the world. You were the best Prime Minister we never had and an amazing person. Even tho I never met you, I felt like you were a close relative. With your heartwarming smile and soulful speeches, it was hard not to like you - even if you rooted for the other team. 


Forever in our hearts.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

REST IN PEACE JOHN GILBERT "JACK" LAYTON <3

Q&A with The Good Brother's Bruce Good

With the exciting weekend of the CMT Music Festival looming (it's next weekend!) Bruce Good and his family have been in the music business for over 40 years (his sons, a little less). I had the opportunity to chat with Bruce, who is well-known for his musical talents in the Good Brothers, and The Good Family. He's also in another band with his family members called The Gospel Bluegrass Bunch. This traditional bluegrass band, with a hint of Gospel music, will be performing on day three of CMT Music Festival's festivities on August 28, 2011.


Here's what he had to say:


Taryn: First off, could you tell me a little about yourself and your family?
Bruce Good: We are actually a combination of members of two well-known groups from Canada. One being members from the Good Brothers who have been around for 40 years and then members from a band called The Sadies  who have been around for about 15 years. The tie-in is that two of the four members of The Sadies are my sons. I am Bruce Good, they are Travis and Dallas Good. Myself, Travis, Dallas and their mother Margaret originated a group called The Good Family. We used to do shows on occasion when the Good Brothers and the Sadies weren’t working.

Then later Travis and Dallas cousin Darcy Good and my brother Larry Good also joined in on this musical adventure and thus became the Good Family as it is today!

T: And to readers who have never heard of The Good Family, what would they expect to hear if they were to ever see you live?
B:  That’s where the interest comes from this. The Good Brothers and the Sadies are very different. The Sadies have a high energy leading towards country-rock. You can’t even call it country-rock. It’s been known as surf punk country blues rock. And you can combine that with the more traditional sound of the Good Brothers and the Good Family, and you’ll get bluegrass and straight on rock.

T: I know you've been around for quite some time and have probably performed at many music festivals. Do you think that festivals have changed over the years?
B: It depends on what festival you’re playing – they are very diverse sometimes. I’ve watched festivals grow. For example, There’s a festival called the Havelock Jambouree. We’ve watched it grow from 300 people to 30,00 people. We’ve watched the stage grow from a flack block, to a full on stage. Yeah I see festivals change mainly because I’ve been around so long and I’ve seen it change. And then there is the fact that you play one one weekend and one the next. They are all the same but different. Whether it be the stage, or the music, or the genre of music that’s been played.


T: How important are festivals like the CMT Music Fest, to musicians? New and experienced?
B: I think they are really important for many reasons. They are important for the fans to see that kind of music and support those kinds of shows.  It gives new bands experience they need later on in their careers. We [The Good Brothers] are doing a show on Sept 8^th with The Sadies. Opening our shows are six of Ontario's premier country bands. And this is sponsored by the CMAO [Country Music Association of Ontario].  And this gives a performance opportunity for a showcase of six of Ontario’s up-and-coming country entertainers.
 

T: Do you have any favourite festival memories that you feel has helped shape you as a musician?
B: I remember playing a festival with Roy Orbison. In a small way we befriend him while on tour and I think we were playing a festival in Owen Sound and we had just gotten to know him a little bit. He came down to our dressing room after our performance and he complimented us on our show. To be complimented by him is one of the greatest accolades  for us I guess. It was great to hear him come and comment on something we worked so hard on.

Also, touring with Gordon Lightfoot and learning  big - I was going to say little - tricks of the trade. He was the one who always encouraged us to be original as impossible. We’d probably be doing less if he hadn’t told us to be original.

T: What can fans look forward to hearing when they see you next Sunday with The Gospel Bluegrass Bunch?
B: We will most definitely pepper our show with gospel but it won’t totally be gospel. Because Gospel is very important part of bluegrass, and bluegrass was always an important part of our [The Good family’s] lives so we know a lot gospel songs. If they are coming to hear The Sadies or The Good Brothers songs they will be disappointed.

Here's where we get a little off course from festival talk and I asked him about a few things that a good friend of mine mentioned to me. She just happens to be a fan of music from the 70s and I was interested to hear what he had to say!


T: A friend of mine mentioned that The Good Brothers played in Northern California in the early 70s. Were you ever involved in the Haight-Ashbury scene?
B: We were on the fringe of Ashbury. It was 1971-1972. It was still happening. We were doing hippy folk music and that was when we were involved with the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. Yeah we were down in Cali those days. It was a great experience. That’s where we recorded our  very first album with James Ackroyd.  It was an experience with a capital E.

T: You also signed to Columbia records in the 70s. What is your opinion on record labels then vs. now?
B: Record labels to day are struggling with the internet and downloading. It’s a completely different ball game than before. Plus there are so many indie labels out there as well. These indie labels probably carry more weight compared to the major labels and the talent pool is a lot greater. People are being signed all the time, but very few people are breaking the big brink.

As for the music, to each their own. I like certain types of music, as you do. I think everybody likes their music and favourites. I don’t like where music has gone as recording, and tuning voices go. It doesn’t sound real and using synths and getting different sounds. To me that’s getting far beyond the sound of real music. I like hearing real music and real voices...Tell it to Neil Young, Johnny Cash. Their voices have never been changed, never been enhanced, never enriched,  and never tuned.

T: My mom mentioned she used to see you guys perform at The Kee to Bala in Muskoka, and you've also played the legendary El Mocambo in Toronto. Do you ever go back to play these venues? Do you think it's important to remember these roots?
B: Yes we do. The last time we played at the El [Mocambo] was at a fundraiser for someone, which was a little over a year ago. It’s been awhile since we’ve played the Kee, but we have some great memories






Well, that's it! I hope you learned a little bit about somebody who you didn't know before! Bruce was easy to talk to and had lots of stories to tell. It's always a good thing as a writer to have somebody who is so willing to talk and share his past experiences with somebody he doesn't even know!


Thanks Bruce! 

Bear with Me!

I am in a bit of a rut at the moment - a writing rut that is. Words just don't seem to want to come to me...which is definitely NOT a good thing!

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the site though! I just thought I'd let you know that I'm still out there, I am just trying to find a way to say what I want!

My Warped Tour Article will FINALLY be up ASAP...I PROMISE.

Then I have more than a few things coming up that will be posted soon too! First off next week we have the Blink-182 and My Chemical Romance show at the Molson Amphatheatre, then soon after that there is the kick off of the wicked awesome Canadian National Exhibition (aka the CNE or Ex!) and that includes a review of the fair as well as the Marianas Trench and Down With Webster show!

And hopefully (I'm still waiting for confirmation/declination), I'll be heading up north to catch a weekend of AMAZING country music at the CMT Music Festival at the end of August!

See...lots of things planned and stuff to do...so I'll be back with a vengence VERY soon!!

- Taryn xox