Brandon Allin
07/05/06, 12:08 AM
Reel Big Fish/MXPX Featuring Special Guests Streetlight Manifesto, Whole Wheat Bread, and Transition
The Guvernment - Tuesday, July 4th, 2006 - 6:30 PM
I just stepped in the door covered in sweat, smelling like I just fell into a pool of shit, and with a huge grin on my face. Why? Well, it just happened that tonight turned out to be one of the most satisfying, fulfilling concert experience I have ever endured, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. Three friends and I made our way into the big city of Toronto tonight to catch one of four Canadian stops on the Reel Big Fish/MXPX summer, co-headlining tour featuring special guests Streetlight Manifesto, Whole Wheat Bread, and Transition.
Transition
These Pittsburg natives took to the stage immediately once the doors opened around 6:30 and put the show off to a fantastic start. Now, let me make it clear that I wasn't overly familiar with their material and their catalogue, but I can't say I wasn't impressed. I was interested in hearing what these guys could after having a quick conversation with their vocalist, Dan, in the parking lot. Transition got the crowd roaring and ready to go for the acts to come. Although I'm not exactly a huge fan of their sound, as a whole, they performed their material wonderfully, and I would highly suggest that anyone who calls themselves a fan of this band to check out them out when they stop near you. Although there was little to no crowd interaction, the band performed as if there were thousands of roaring concert-goers in front of them.
Thumbs Up
Whole Wheat Bread
Now, before I begin, tell me what you would expect from a band who describes their sound as "Dirty South Punk Rock" and constantly sells merch proudly stating "I Love Black People"? Well, I doubt there's much you can expect than the flag Whole Wheat Bread flys, and that's exactly what you're going to get. The band kicked off their set with "Broke", a powerful, punk-rock inspired pop-punk anthem. The band made sure to waste no time in giving their crowd exactly what they came to see. Now, since the band performed just less than a month ago in the city of Toronto, a number of fans were familiar with the band had to offer, but for the most part the crowd was made up of newcomers like myself. The band won over nearly everyone, busting out one high-energy, punk-rock ballad after another. On top of all that, it was quite a treat to the hear lead vocalist Aaron Abraham's freestyle rap breakdowns covering topics including 79 year old bitches and Oprah's pussy, the band's hilarious banter between songs, and the constant chanting of "When I say Whole Wheat, you say Bread!" All in all, the band performed an excellent, energetic set, and I couldn't be more satisfied.
Thumbs Up
Streetlight Manifesto
I'm pretty sure there isn't a fan of this band in the world that will have even a single negative word to say regarding the band's live performance. Unfortunately, I had not found the opportunity to see Streetlight Manifesto before tonight, and this was an event I have been craving to attend for a solid two to three years now. While the band's set was fairly short, which was unfortunate to say the least, each musician was at the very top of their game and I have never heard a live performance sound so accurate in comparison to recorded material. For a band with such a rotating line-up of performers, everything was played absolutely perfect, and lead vocalist Tomas Kalnoky's ultra-fast vocals have never sounded more appealing. The band ran through fan-favourites including "Everything Went Numb", "Point/Counterpoint", "Keasbey Nights", "Here's To Life", "A Moment of Silence", and "A Moment of Violence", as well as performing two brand new tracks for their audience. I had the chance to speak with Kalnoky once the show had come to a close, and he made a point of saying "the new album will be out in early 2006, or 2007, or 2008, or 2009." But, with Streetlight Manifesto, who knows, right?
Thumbs Up
MXPX
One can make no mistake in saying that there were most certainly a huge handful of hardcore MXPX fans in attendance tonight, and it's safe to say the band noticed, as well. While I'm not exactly what you would describe as an "MXPX fan", I stood and watched what the band had to offer. The band made the most of their set, and for being only a three-piece act, they made use of a fairly large stage rather well. Both lead vocalist Mike Herrera and Tom Wisniewski are fantastic on-stage, and the crowd reacted accurately. Although, in comparison to the opening acts, their stage performance was rather bland, and despite the fact that the band performed excellently, they just didn't offer enough to keep me all that interested. However, don't get me wrong, fans of the band would likely be significantly more enthusiastic while recapping the bands performance. Highlights of the set included "Responsibility", "My Life Story", "Teenage Politics", and "Chick Magnet."
Neutral
Reel Big Fish
Alas, the moment we were all waiting for! It's safe to say that by now the majority of the crowd were out of breath, sweaty, and worn out, so what do you expect? Well, Reel Big Fish took the stage, and I have never witnessed a more enthusiastic crowd in my entire life. The statement that "Reel Big Fish have the best fans in the world" is anything but untruthful, and this Toronto crowd proved just that tonight. The band opened their set with the smash hit "Take On Me", an A-Ha cover, and things got wild. Fortunately for the band and everyone in attendance, they continued this way until the second the curtains closed. As predicted, the band ran through fan-favourites including "She Has A Girlfriend Now", "Beer", "Sell Out", "The Fire", and a handful more, and also threw in a few random tracks here and there that don't usually make their way into the band's set-list ("Trendy", a cover of Operation Ivy's "Unity, a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman", and Why Do They Rock So Hard?'s "Down In Flames"). Overall, the band were once again at the top of their game, creating the perfect atmosphere for the countless diehard ska fans in attendance, and proving that they truly are "the greatest band to ever grace this Earth."
Two Thumbs Way Up
NOTE: I'd like to extend a very special thank you to Tom Ames, Jenny Jensen, Vince Pileggi, Aaron Barrett, Scott Klopfenstein, Dan Regan, Ryland Steen, Matt Wong, John Christianson, Tomas Kalnoky, Streetlight Manifesto, Transition, Whole Wheat Bread, MXPX, anyone I might have forgotten for all their efforts in creating one of the best experiences my friends and I have ever had. Thank you, and we love you.
The Guvernment - Tuesday, July 4th, 2006 - 6:30 PM
I just stepped in the door covered in sweat, smelling like I just fell into a pool of shit, and with a huge grin on my face. Why? Well, it just happened that tonight turned out to be one of the most satisfying, fulfilling concert experience I have ever endured, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. Three friends and I made our way into the big city of Toronto tonight to catch one of four Canadian stops on the Reel Big Fish/MXPX summer, co-headlining tour featuring special guests Streetlight Manifesto, Whole Wheat Bread, and Transition.
Transition
These Pittsburg natives took to the stage immediately once the doors opened around 6:30 and put the show off to a fantastic start. Now, let me make it clear that I wasn't overly familiar with their material and their catalogue, but I can't say I wasn't impressed. I was interested in hearing what these guys could after having a quick conversation with their vocalist, Dan, in the parking lot. Transition got the crowd roaring and ready to go for the acts to come. Although I'm not exactly a huge fan of their sound, as a whole, they performed their material wonderfully, and I would highly suggest that anyone who calls themselves a fan of this band to check out them out when they stop near you. Although there was little to no crowd interaction, the band performed as if there were thousands of roaring concert-goers in front of them.
Thumbs Up
Whole Wheat Bread
Now, before I begin, tell me what you would expect from a band who describes their sound as "Dirty South Punk Rock" and constantly sells merch proudly stating "I Love Black People"? Well, I doubt there's much you can expect than the flag Whole Wheat Bread flys, and that's exactly what you're going to get. The band kicked off their set with "Broke", a powerful, punk-rock inspired pop-punk anthem. The band made sure to waste no time in giving their crowd exactly what they came to see. Now, since the band performed just less than a month ago in the city of Toronto, a number of fans were familiar with the band had to offer, but for the most part the crowd was made up of newcomers like myself. The band won over nearly everyone, busting out one high-energy, punk-rock ballad after another. On top of all that, it was quite a treat to the hear lead vocalist Aaron Abraham's freestyle rap breakdowns covering topics including 79 year old bitches and Oprah's pussy, the band's hilarious banter between songs, and the constant chanting of "When I say Whole Wheat, you say Bread!" All in all, the band performed an excellent, energetic set, and I couldn't be more satisfied.
Thumbs Up
Streetlight Manifesto
I'm pretty sure there isn't a fan of this band in the world that will have even a single negative word to say regarding the band's live performance. Unfortunately, I had not found the opportunity to see Streetlight Manifesto before tonight, and this was an event I have been craving to attend for a solid two to three years now. While the band's set was fairly short, which was unfortunate to say the least, each musician was at the very top of their game and I have never heard a live performance sound so accurate in comparison to recorded material. For a band with such a rotating line-up of performers, everything was played absolutely perfect, and lead vocalist Tomas Kalnoky's ultra-fast vocals have never sounded more appealing. The band ran through fan-favourites including "Everything Went Numb", "Point/Counterpoint", "Keasbey Nights", "Here's To Life", "A Moment of Silence", and "A Moment of Violence", as well as performing two brand new tracks for their audience. I had the chance to speak with Kalnoky once the show had come to a close, and he made a point of saying "the new album will be out in early 2006, or 2007, or 2008, or 2009." But, with Streetlight Manifesto, who knows, right?
Thumbs Up
MXPX
One can make no mistake in saying that there were most certainly a huge handful of hardcore MXPX fans in attendance tonight, and it's safe to say the band noticed, as well. While I'm not exactly what you would describe as an "MXPX fan", I stood and watched what the band had to offer. The band made the most of their set, and for being only a three-piece act, they made use of a fairly large stage rather well. Both lead vocalist Mike Herrera and Tom Wisniewski are fantastic on-stage, and the crowd reacted accurately. Although, in comparison to the opening acts, their stage performance was rather bland, and despite the fact that the band performed excellently, they just didn't offer enough to keep me all that interested. However, don't get me wrong, fans of the band would likely be significantly more enthusiastic while recapping the bands performance. Highlights of the set included "Responsibility", "My Life Story", "Teenage Politics", and "Chick Magnet."
Neutral
Reel Big Fish
Alas, the moment we were all waiting for! It's safe to say that by now the majority of the crowd were out of breath, sweaty, and worn out, so what do you expect? Well, Reel Big Fish took the stage, and I have never witnessed a more enthusiastic crowd in my entire life. The statement that "Reel Big Fish have the best fans in the world" is anything but untruthful, and this Toronto crowd proved just that tonight. The band opened their set with the smash hit "Take On Me", an A-Ha cover, and things got wild. Fortunately for the band and everyone in attendance, they continued this way until the second the curtains closed. As predicted, the band ran through fan-favourites including "She Has A Girlfriend Now", "Beer", "Sell Out", "The Fire", and a handful more, and also threw in a few random tracks here and there that don't usually make their way into the band's set-list ("Trendy", a cover of Operation Ivy's "Unity, a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman", and Why Do They Rock So Hard?'s "Down In Flames"). Overall, the band were once again at the top of their game, creating the perfect atmosphere for the countless diehard ska fans in attendance, and proving that they truly are "the greatest band to ever grace this Earth."
Two Thumbs Way Up
NOTE: I'd like to extend a very special thank you to Tom Ames, Jenny Jensen, Vince Pileggi, Aaron Barrett, Scott Klopfenstein, Dan Regan, Ryland Steen, Matt Wong, John Christianson, Tomas Kalnoky, Streetlight Manifesto, Transition, Whole Wheat Bread, MXPX, anyone I might have forgotten for all their efforts in creating one of the best experiences my friends and I have ever had. Thank you, and we love you.