S.C.E.N.E.fest 2011 Wrap-up

First off, I want to say sorry for lagging behind these past few weeks! I've let the reviews build up and finally they are starting to go insane!

So I attended the wonderful S.C.E.N.E. Music festival in St. Catherine's on June 26th, and it couldn't have been a more perfect day. For the first time in six (yes six) years there was not a cloud in the sky and the rain (finally!) stayed away! The weather was perfect, the music was plentiful and the people were peaceful - well almost.

We (my fellow friend ZebraPrintSky's Jenny Ellis and I) kept to the main stage to check out The Johnstones. These guys have been around for quite some time now and I swear, every time I see them live they get better and better. Not to mention they seem to appear younger as well...do we have a case of Benjamin Button here?? Needless to say, they were definitely a great kick off to the day!

Between sets on the main stage we checked out some of the War Child Busking for Change sets. I first spotted Courage my Love in the hallways at the Fairmont Hotel during Canadian Music Week and I was pleasantly surprised when I got to see them during the festival. They may be young but they have some pretty amazing voices and supporting a great cause is even better. They were definitely a hit on the old Court Room steps outside the Market Square!

Next up was KO. To be honest, I had never heard of him up until that day but it was definitely a surprised to hear his music. While not altogether my taste, he does a mix between rap and rock and he does it very well. There's something about his lyrics (taken from his own life experiences) that make the songs real and raw. He may be singing about drugs, alcohol and getting into trouble, but his lyrics are meaningful and more than a few people can relate to his past. Pretty sure I even smelled a joint or two light up at one point! Jenny (Zebraprintsky remember?!) interviewed KO later on during the day and he was nothing but humble, friendly and willing to talk. He was enjoyable to talk to in front of and behind the camera and it was nice to see that!

After KO was the wonderfully addictive These Kids Wear Crowns. Getting their big break on MuchMusic's Disband, they have been slowly making a name for themselves for the past year or two. With their funky pop-rock vibe and super stage skills, these guys definitely had the crowd rocking. I personally enjoyed their version of "Dance with Somebody", the ever popular hit by Whitney Houston. It was definitely a fun song and honestly just made you want to dance! Jenny caught up with Alex and Alan from TKWC later on to chat about S.C.E.N.E. and their crazy trip to get there! Again, super nice guys who looked like they were having a great time!

In between another lull we caught Dean Richards and Ian Blackwood from The Artist Life on the War Child stage singing acoustic to raise money. These guys are super fantastic and extremely talented.

Then it was time for The Reason to hit the stage. I've only listened to them a handful of times but they are extremely talented. They definitely had the crowd riveted and continued to rock out the S.C.E.N.E. crowd as did their successors before them. They have a distict rock sound and it was awesome to hear them perform live.

We arrived late (went wandering down the streets of St. Kitt's to take in the scene) for Silverstein but they put on a great show as well. Screamo-type music (sorry but true) hurts my ears (I'm partially deaf to begin with haha) but I have to say that when it comes to Silverstein I can always make an exception. There's just something about their music that is different to me than all the rest. They have a great mix between actual vocals and screaming and it's not too overpowering. They were definitely a great addition to this year's Scene.

Finally it was the much anticipated set for U.S.S. If you have never heard of them I highly recommend you look them up. Their unique take on dj'ing and singing puts a different twist on what you hear today on the radios. The two man band (who go by the names of Ash and Human Kabob - no lies) are so friggin' full of energy it's utterly insane! For their entire set (especially Human Kabob), they were all over the stage, into the crowds and even standing on their heads. It`s only something one can witness in person to actually believe. I can fully understand now why they are so popular!

To end off the day (which went by WAY too quickly if you ask me) we made our way to Mikado to see The Little Black Dress. These Toronto boys may have been squished onto a small stage with low lighting but they still managed to put on a great show. The mix between pop and rock has them fitting in perfectly with the scene in St. Kitt`s. I thoroughly enjoyed their set and I was glad to finally get to see them live after many missed chances in the past.

The last of the night was the much anticipated (for me anyways), The Artist Life! Again, I've heard of, and listened to their music for quite some time now but I've always managed to miss them (whether it be in Toronto or at SCENE). They have a wonderfully awesome band and they play extremely well together. Their music off their new album reminds me of a mix of Blink 182 and something else. They honestly have a great album and I totally recommend checking them out if you haven't already!

In between these main sets we got to experience the overall atmosphere of the festival. It's always overrun with the teens trying to see their favourite bands and the hardcore people who come every year but it's also a mix of everybody who just loves the music scene. I love the way the streets fill with people who are just there to have a good time. It's not often where you can pay a mere $35 dollars and get into numerous venues for as many times as you want to catch some great tunes. Although there was a venue that got shut down due to rowdiness (to what extent I never found out) and there was also a massive mosh pit that caused some ruckus at Barracuda Pretty, everything was mainly calm!

Needless to say, while it was a long day I was super thankful for the sun, the amazing music, the awesome people I got to meet and the coolest chick I got to spend the day with! Til next year folks!

-Taryn

We also managed to catch Mean Tangerine, Mookie and the Loyalists