It was your typical Canadian spring day in Toronto, cold and wet. This however didn’t stop the music fans from lining up in front of the iconic Opera House venue hours before the show.
Carlos Santana brought his Blessings and Miracles Tour to Victoria
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana played Victoria BC on Mar 30-2022 for a much-anticipated stop of their Blessings and Miracles tour. The 10-time Grammy award winner and amazing band wowed the crowd with hits from his five-decade long career & from his new album Blessings and Miracles.
Big Star Small Stage
The stage is simple; adorned with a few stools, a guitar rack, a piano and some music stands holding the nights setlist. A light setup for one of Canada’s top entertainers. I knew right away we would be in for something special tonight.
Royal & The Serpent at Newport Music Hall
Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Ryan Santiago is Royal & The Serpent and her career has been one continuous viral rise since her start in 2017 with the independent release of “Temperance” followed by “Together” in 2018. She signed with Atlantic Records at the end of 2019, releasing “Overwhelmed” as her first single for the label in June 2020. The single spent 22 weeks on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart and is now RIAA- certified gold.
Her most recent EP IF I DIED WOULD ANYONE CARE, released in January of this year, features the singles “PHUCKBOI REJECTS” and “I’M NOT SORRY” as well as four brand new tracks.
Darkness Descends Upon Edmonton
A postponed tour, a new album and rejuvenated energy after not being on the road for quite some time led to a great party in Edmonton at Union Hall as The Darkness continues it’s long awaited North American tour.
Five Days in July: A tribute to Blue Rodeo presented by The Dungarees
On March 25th, 2022, The Dungarees performed at Festival Place in Sherwood Park, Alberta. It was a tribute to Blue Rodeo; specifically, they played Blue Rodeo’s album 5 Days in July in its entirety. They opened the show with “5 Days in May”, which was met with resounding applause and cheers. Between songs, James Murdoch, Robb Angus, Kiron Jhass, and Ben Shillabeer shared what makes them fans of Blue Rodeo, as well as stories from the road.
“Trinity Of Terror” Tour 2022 ft. Ice Nine Kills, Black Veil Brides & Motionless In White – Edmonton, AB 03/23/22
(Photos and Review courtesy of Rich Moreland/SCE)
The first show I’ve had the opportunity to bring my camera out for in almost 5 months was a complete and total RAGER!
3 bands that I was only familiar-ish with, meant a lot to digest as it was my first time seeing any of these bands live. I missed the opener, Lilith Czar, but arrived in time for Ice Nine Kills.
I’m still reeling from the performance I witnessed. Fantastic theatrics, an absolutely punishing sound, and some really catchy subject matter and choruses. INK heavily focuses on horror movie and serial killer story retellings, from JAWS, to IT, to Pet Cemetery, Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees… plus so many more.
Lead singer Spencer Charnas went from donning a suit, to a butcher’s apron while wielding cleaver, a scientist coat, and at one point even dressing as Pennywise the Clown. Through the show he was all over the stage, pumping up the crowd, and masterfully delivering his vocal lines in all sorts of different registers ranging from manic highs to crushing, guttural lows. Truth be told, I haven’t stopped listening to these guys since, and I strongly recommend if you have a chance – GO SEE THEM!
Highlights – “Welcome To Horrorwood“, “Stabbing in the Dark“, “Take Your Pick“, “Funeral Derangements”
Up next were the Black Veil Brides – photographers were not allowed pit access for this band, so all shots are from the crowd. Drums overpowered the vocals (and everything else) and was a tough set to enjoy for me personally. The crowd seemed to love them though! Plenty of smiling faces were seen screaming along to the lyrics, jumping around, and having a great time.
Highlights – “In The End“, “Scarlett Cross“, “The Legacy”
The evening’s festivities were capped off by metalcore giants Motionless In White – Who delivered a blazing set to a rabid audience who ate up every last note they delivered.
At one point singer Chris Motionless stopped the show to help a fan in distress, scolding the security crew for not keeping a proper eye out. He brought down a bottle of water, then offered the fan to come enjoy the rest of the show from the stage, which the fan happily accepted. It’s good to see bands looking out for their fans.
Highlights – “Thoughts and Prayers“, “Cyberhex“, “Eternally Yours”
Dragonforce Finally Back In Edmonton
To say I’m excited with tour season approaching, (and restrictions lifted for the time being) would be a HUGE understatement. Aside from photography and reviewing, I’m also a local stagehand for touring acts, and to say the least; the last two years has been tough. I had the opportunity to work with the Dragonforce crew all day setting up the show and it was a great time. Super dudes to work with. Watching a production come together is an amazing thing to see.
Nu Metal Night with the Kill The Noise Tour Featuring Papa Roach
Last night, the Place Bell in Laval hosted 3 generations of Metal bands.
KENDRA KAY VISITS EL MOCAMBO
Kendra Kay, Manitoba’s rising country star, came to the legendary The El Mocambo in Toronto, ON, this past Thursday March 10th to show why she has several MCMA Awards to her name as well as being a two-time Manitoba Country Music Award Winner.
