No One Forgets Their First Time

By Evan Newman

There are times when you look back at past concert experiences and nothing beats the time when you see "that band", the band that hit you right in the gut and leaves you in a dazed and confused state. Akin to falling in love, the first time you experience that feeling in music is something you ll never forget.

That "feeling" hasn t hit me in quite a while, possibly since the first time I saw Phish back in 1993 at the Concert Hall in Toronto. Well, it came pretty close to a repeat last Monday when The Disco Biscuits returned to Toronto after a three-year hiatus.

This time, the Biscuits played the more comfortable Lee s Palace rather than the cramped quarters of the Comfort Zone as they did back in 1998. The band seemed to enjoy their prior excursion north as guitarist Jon Gutwillig informed the audience that the band had composed the track "Helicopter" during the last visit. Jon also shared his affection for Toronto sushi and the ease at getting the raw snack anywhere, anytime.

See, I ve heard about The Disco Biscuits for quite sometime but really never took the time to actively search out there music, aided by the fact that they had avoided Toronto for so long. When The New Deal appeared on the scene, comparisons to The Disco Biscuits were sometimes made, and that in itself, peaked my curiosity. It hadn t been until now, that I had the chance to fully immerse myself in their music.

Opening with the driving "Overtures" the bands obvious affection for the beat was evident; Marc Brownstein was laying down some intense and powerful bass lines. Accompanied by the strength of drummer Sam Altman. The Disco Biscuits have one of the most potent rhythm sections in music today. The band ripped into the Toronto penned "Helicopter" next and then continued non-stop for another hour until setbreak.

The second set was just as intense, maybe a little too much for the Lee s Palace circuitry. During the "Trooper McCue", the mainstage power went out, leaving the band yet another opportunity to improvise with only the vocals, drums and bass remaining.

Overall, an amazing evening in music with the only drawback being some rowdy New Yorkers complaining about the security of the venue. We don t cause trouble when we go to your house!

Christmas Arrives Early in Vancouver

By Deke Arrowsmith

Vancouver music fans got more then they bargained for when San Francisco groovesters Vinyl rolled into the Starfish Room on March 23. The night was filled with incredible music with some of the most pleasant surprises imaginable

On the heels of a mini vacation Billy Nershi of the String Cheese Incident dropped by to do a little dancing before a morning flight on the 24th out of Vancouver. He was invited on stage for a song or two, near the end of the first smoking set from Vinyl, Billy stepped up and joined them for a couple of reggae/groove tinged songs. The place was going nuts!

On the same night as Vinyl in Vancouver our friends The Dirty Dozen Brass Band were playing with Vernon Reid and Vancouver locals Metalwood at the Commodore Ballroom. Upstream Entertainment had invited them to come down to the Starfish if they felt like keeping the funk flowing after their set and to our surprise, DDBB showed up mid second set.

Vinyl then proceeded to invite them on stage and they busted into a Booker T song (sorry don't remember the name) and another couple of New Orleans classics. The Starfish Room has probably never had that many high end musicians on stage in one evening and will be hard pressed to ever have that many fine talents ever again. The place was full of energy and happiness! Hats off to Vinyl for sharing the stage with some special guests and not missing a beat. These guys really know how to put a crowd into frenzy.

For more info on upcoming events in Vancouver, log onto: www.upstreamentertainment.com    

The Flood Gates Open on the Toronto Concert Scene.

With the summer approaching, many acts are hitting the road and coming through Toronto.

Here's a list of some upcoming shows in the Greater Toronto Area. Check the listings for updates. Some bands you might have not heard of but are definitely worth checking out.

Willard Grant Conspiracy 4/19 Horseshoe Tavern

JGB 4/23 The Comfort Zone

The Wailers 4/24 The Opera House

Soulive 5/2 Lava

Maceo Parker 5/5 Palais Royale

David Byrne 5/8 Lee s Palace

Yo La Tengo 5/12 The Guvernmnet

Rainer Maria 5/13 The Horseshoe Tavern

Alejandro Escovedo 5/16 Ted s Wrecking Yard

Black Crowes 5/22 Molson Amphitheatre