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The Gigs of 2015: Part 1(Shows 17 – 9)

As the end of 2015 looms, it is time to start thinking about the Musical Year that Was.  I will begin with a two – part post on the gigs I attended, starting at the bottom and working my way to the Show of the Year.

I took in a lot of gigs this year, more than I realized.  A few of those were post-rock or related shows in the style that generally does not appeal to me; I went in large part because some notable bands in the genre passed through town.  I was willing to give them a chance because more than once I have been pleasantly surprised by a band’s live performance when I was not a fan of their albums. The major news of course was the return of Riverside to North America; I managed to take in four of their shows via a massive roadtrip.

  1. Swans, (Opera House)

I was actually excited to see Swans, a rather legendary band in some corners, and one that has been around for a long time.  Their last two albums have been interesting.  But…an hour and three long drony meandering musical excursions later I had had enough.  Bored to tears, I left, the first time I had walked out of a gig in memory.  Even a naked Thor Harris was not enough to keep me there.

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  1. Mono (Lee’s Palace)

Mono is a well-regarded Japanese post-rock outfit and would seem a shame to miss them, but that slow atmospheric going-nowhere-fast style of post rock is just not for me. I stuck it out for most of the gig but split early.  I got the point,  and I can say that I saw them.

  1. Haken (The Hard Rock)

I wrote a brief and rather scathing review of their album The Mountain for Prog Archives, and I still do not understand what appeal these guys have.  However, I decided to take a chance because sometimes a band whose studio stuff you don’t like can put on a decent live show (see: Anathema)…but nope.  Their derivative style of prog is no better live and the frontman is exceedingly irritating with all his rock-star posturing.

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  1. Explosions in the Sky (Nathan Phillips Square)

Another iconic atmospheric post-rock outfit, this time from the US.  It was a free gig around the PanAm games that were held in Toronto over the summer, and that was the main reason I went; I already knew I was not fond of them.  They were energetic, and skilled, but all the songs ended up sounding the same.

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Continue reading The Gigs of 2015: Part 1(Shows 17 – 9)