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Eighties nostalgia was in full swing last night at the NXNE showcase at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto, Canada, as Men Without Hats and Devo were on the same bill.
What an excellent pairing, if I do say so myself.
Since the Yonge/Dundas shows were open and free to the public, I knew if I really wanted to see these bands, I would have to get there early and stand at a spot in front to get a decent view (having already failed to see Stars in the same location by showing up late). After we got off the Bruise Cruise (more on this later), we walked over to Yonge because with rush hour traffic, it was just quicker to walk the distance.
We got in to see The Coppertone, a sort of bluesy band with Amanda Zelina doing most of the heavy-lifting. Zelina would argue that it's "not traditional blues", and I'm not an expert to say otherwise.
The band weren't on the original schedule for this showcase, but it's a great opportunity for them to play in front of a nice crowd.
I think their latest release is called Hymns For The Hollow, which came out on vinyl (and digital) last month (May 31st). I actually have a review copy of her 2010 album, Hidden Dreams, which was written in a span of a few days.
The set was a typical NXNE festival, about 40-minute and I only caught three songs, or so, from The Coppertone. I can only say that it was also really hot on the ground, in response to their statement about it's hot on stage.
Cults is a favorite among the bloggers, as apparent by the million photographers. Their self-titled album came out a week, or so earlier, on Lily Allen's record label, In The Name Of, and I guess people are in love with it. They were pretty catchy, even threw in an F word after the lyrics "I can't be the way you want" (from "Never Saw the Point").
The one thing I will say is that singer Madeline Follin only has one mode of dancing. While not a terrible thing, it's not a whole lot of stage presence. Look for them on tour on the West Coast in July and some festivals in August.
After forty years, Men Without Hats, are still an excellent band. Known in America as a one-hit-wonder band for "Safety Dance", but I have to say, I love them anyway. Singer Ivan Doroschuk (who ironically was wearing a hat) still has the moves, as he hop and jump and does his Mick Jagger moves on the intro cover song, "Jumpin' Jack Flash". Song selections from their set includes their "hits" like "Antarctica" and "Pop Goes The World" are from their early 80s album, Rhythm of Youth, Folk of the 80's (Part III), and Pop Goes The World.
Highlight of the show was when they asked Ivan's brother, Colin, to come on stage to help them play "Where Do the Boys Go?". Of course, they ended their set with the song that everyone was there to witness: "Safety Dance", it's an excellent song to end the show.
Devo is in top form. They have their show down to an artform, complete with their own lights and fog machine and images on screen. With this sort of tight control over their images, I suspect the setlist might be practically the same every night. They started off with "Don't Shoot", followed by my favorite Devo song, "Peek-A-Boo!" in their "modern" Devo roboto look and masks.
The band quickly changed outfits to their "original" Devo costumes with their signature "pots" energy hats (in blue) for "Girl U Want". It would all be over too quickly as they set in their big hit song, "Whip It" and ended their set with "Planet Earth".
They did an encore, which is kind of unheard of at these sort of festival, but a final costume change for "Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA", as you can see on their website.
Anyway, had a fantastic time, can't believe this excellent show was completely free.
Since the Yonge/Dundas shows were open and free to the public, I knew if I really wanted to see these bands, I would have to get there early and stand at a spot in front to get a decent view (having already failed to see Stars in the same location by showing up late). After we got off the Bruise Cruise (more on this later), we walked over to Yonge because with rush hour traffic, it was just quicker to walk the distance.
The Coppertone |
I think their latest release is called Hymns For The Hollow, which came out on vinyl (and digital) last month (May 31st). I actually have a review copy of her 2010 album, Hidden Dreams, which was written in a span of a few days.
The set was a typical NXNE festival, about 40-minute and I only caught three songs, or so, from The Coppertone. I can only say that it was also really hot on the ground, in response to their statement about it's hot on stage.
Cults |
The one thing I will say is that singer Madeline Follin only has one mode of dancing. While not a terrible thing, it's not a whole lot of stage presence. Look for them on tour on the West Coast in July and some festivals in August.
After forty years, Men Without Hats, are still an excellent band. Known in America as a one-hit-wonder band for "Safety Dance", but I have to say, I love them anyway. Singer Ivan Doroschuk (who ironically was wearing a hat) still has the moves, as he hop and jump and does his Mick Jagger moves on the intro cover song, "Jumpin' Jack Flash". Song selections from their set includes their "hits" like "Antarctica" and "Pop Goes The World" are from their early 80s album, Rhythm of Youth, Folk of the 80's (Part III), and Pop Goes The World.
Highlight of the show was when they asked Ivan's brother, Colin, to come on stage to help them play "Where Do the Boys Go?". Of course, they ended their set with the song that everyone was there to witness: "Safety Dance", it's an excellent song to end the show.
Devo is in top form. They have their show down to an artform, complete with their own lights and fog machine and images on screen. With this sort of tight control over their images, I suspect the setlist might be practically the same every night. They started off with "Don't Shoot", followed by my favorite Devo song, "Peek-A-Boo!" in their "modern" Devo roboto look and masks.
The band quickly changed outfits to their "original" Devo costumes with their signature "pots" energy hats (in blue) for "Girl U Want". It would all be over too quickly as they set in their big hit song, "Whip It" and ended their set with "Planet Earth".
They did an encore, which is kind of unheard of at these sort of festival, but a final costume change for "Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA", as you can see on their website.
Anyway, had a fantastic time, can't believe this excellent show was completely free.
MEN WITHOUT HATS |
DEVO |
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