Month: October 2009

By: David Stuckey

October 26, 2009

Initially, my first concert experience at El Mocambo seemed bleak. The place was empty apart from a few music junkies taking position for the night by the bar.  As the opening band Michou quietly set up their gear, frontman Michael Hargreaves informed the audience that only two of the band’s four members were present for their set. Skeptical regarding the abilities of only half a band, I mulled over the idea of returning my opened beer for a refund (always a question of etiquette) and finding another show, but decided to stick it out as a point of journalistic integrity. I meandered my way over to a table in front of the stage as Michou launched into their first song.

By: Caroline Fernandez

October 26, 2009


Gonzales, aka Chilly Gonzales, aka Jason Charles Beck, visited the Mod Club earlier last month wearing white gloves and a dark polyester bathrobe. By the end of the night, his carefully-coiffed pompadour was drenched, dripping all over the doting fans leaning on the stage as he beatboxed and sprayed droplets of spit on their upturned faces. He resembles a mad scientist and rants endlessly like your grandfather and mine. It’s hard to pinpoint the artist’s forte during performances—is it in his piano prowess, his Adam Horowitz-like bratty freestyle rap or in his storytelling skills? In this case, it is completely accurate for him to have named a past album The Entertainist, as he has acquired a reputation for often absurd, interactive shows.

By: TJ Liebgott
October 13, 2009

The Mod Club got its Thursday night live to air started early as Dragonette, Ruby Jean and The Thoughtful Bee’s and Egyptrixx transformed the venue into a dance party for an early live show.  Sex, sweat and swagger were definitely the themes and it seemed that every band did their best to get the at capacity crowd’s booties shaking on the dance floor.

By: David Stuckey
October 10, 2009

Our beloved Indie Week is upon us once more, and to kick things off proper, The Hideout hosted the annual launch party that serves as both a showcase for some of the bands playing throughout the week, and a place where we can all go drink on a Wednesday night. Indeed, the party atmosphere was palpable all over the small, packed venue, and the bands didn’t disappoint in adding an exemplary soundtrack to a night celebrating the vibrant and virile state of independent music in Canada and abroad.