United Steel Workers of Montreal
The Montreal six-piece known as the United Steel Workers of Montreal, whose blue-colar roots run far beneath the surface of their name and deep into their music, are currently touring the country and will be making a stop in Toronto at Lee’s Palace on March 3.
Check out the earthy sound featured on “Shot Tower” from their third record Three on the Tree below:
The Wooden Sky @ Lee's Palace (in the back alley) - Photo by Riley Taylor
My condolences go out to the many people that were without a ticket for Saturday’s sold-out show at Lee’s Palace last week. Not only was the night comprised of an ideal collaboration of talented musicians but The Wooden Sky put on a performance that is likely to be talked about for the next few weeks.
From the moment the opening band These United States took the stage, you could sense the comradery among the bands. Unbeknownst to anyone, this would be the fundamental element that elevated the entire evening’s performance. These United States played an impressive set, exhibiting a bluesy-country-alt sound which they executed through the rotation of multiple instruments. The twangy sounds of the lap steel and soothing harmonica further demonstrated their country roots. With the help of Yukon Blonde and The Wooden Sky, they wrapped up with an energetic rendition of Bob Dylan’s “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” with a folksy twist.
Vancouver’s Yukon Blonde took to the stage next, incorporating a clean, upbeat pop-alternative sound to the line-up. The pulsing drums and melodic vocals had the crowd dancing and chanting to songs like “Wind Blows” and “Brides Song.” Following suit, they also called The Wooden Sky to the stage before ending their set with a high-energy performance of “Babies Don’t Like Blue Anymore.”
Finally, a switch ignited lights that shown through three canvases etched with the words “The Wooden Sky,” causing the crowd to inch toward the front. The title track off their debut album When Lost at Sea, was the first to emit the soothing sounds of violin and guitar while Gavin Gardiner executed his ever-consistent and captivating vocals. However, these Toronto-natives, known for their harmonious indie-folk sound, played with a certain intensity that confirmed their excitement to be home. While incorporating popular favourites, their performance was more so comprised of fast-paced songs from their most recent album If I Don’t Come Home, You’ll Know I’m Gone. Exhausting every instrument on stage, from the guitar to the xylophone, The Wooden Sky also introduced a couple of new songs that exhibited the same up-beat folk-rock style. Collaborating their efforts, the three bands wrapped up the show with an impressive, multi-percussion version of “Something Hiding for Us in the Night” as members of Yukon Blonde tested out their crowd-surfing abilities.
Thankfully, the persistent chanting of the crowd ensured the night was not yet over. After returning to the stage to belt out yet another favourite, “North Datoka,” The Wooden Sky announced they would perform a second encore in the back alley of Lee’s Palace. Following twenty minutes of anticipation, “Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me)” quickly transformed the encore into a take-off performance that left over a hundred people singing along on Bloor Street West. With traffic stopped both ways for blocks, it was utterly impossible to deny that this was one of the best performances anyone had seen in a long time.
To see photos of The Wooden Sky click HERE.
To see photos of Yukon Blonde click HERE.
To see photos of These United States click HERE.
Still soaring from a serious nostalgia high, myself and many others gathered at Lee’s Palace Wednesday night to pay homage to one of the most well-known ska-punk bands to achieve mainstream status; Sublime. Playing off the legacy of Bradley and the boys, the California-based tribute band 40 oz. to Freedom showed this diverse crowd just how much ‘funky-fresh stylee’ they really had.
Establishing the vibe for the evening, local bands Ghetto Blaster and The Good Rats took to the stage to warm up the anxious fans. The two bands individually catered to the diversity of the crowd while sharing a common rock-fusion in their sounds. The Good Rats’ performance in particular was a great reminder of the contagious rhythm a high -nergy ska/reggae/rock group can generate, as few people could resist dancing with the person beside them.
Once 40 oz. to Freedom finally sauntered on stage it was obvious who people were really there to see. Starting the show off with a fast paced version of “STP,” the band began to thrash out the first of a series of medleys. The uncanny resemblance between Dane Scott’s voice and that of Bradley Nowell was hard to deny, however the band incorporated their own twists on most of the songs. Mashing Zepplin covers and three-man drum solos into their extended Sublime medleys, they were out to prove that 40 oz. to Freedom aren’t just another tribute band.
Crowd favourites like “Bad Fish,” “Smoke Two Joints” and “Waiting for My Ruca” had Lee’s looking like the inside of a high school house party. Everyone was dancing to the reggae vibes and singing along like they’ve heard the words a million times. Not surprisingly, after wrapping up the set with “Santeria,” fans chanted demandingly for an encore. Coming back with a four-song performance that included some impressive vocal percussions to the track KRS and a funky rendition of the Proclaimers song “500 miles,” 40 oz. to Freedom honoured their fellow Californian brethren. Overall, it was an experience that took you back to the simplicity of youth and self-indulgent behaviour as encouraged by the vast majority of Sublime’s lyrics. It is no question that Thursday morning may have had some party-goers reciting the lyrics “…it feels like I must have had some fun…what happened?”
