Photograph by Ryan O’Shaughnessy (2015)
A scorching hot Friday night in Toronto was met by an equally scorching hot triple bill of angular post-punk emanating from the stage at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern. I went into the night completely devoid of consumption of any of the appearing bands’ recorded output, but left contented, curious and a tiny bit sweaty.
Headlined by Montreal’s Ought, a very vocally appreciative crowd filled about ¾ of the thankfully air-conditioned venue. Led by vocalist/guitarist Time Darcy whose passion and energy had him looking like he was going to combust after the first song, the four-piece delivered an hour of thrilling guitar rock that kept the crowd on its toes. It was fitting they were playing Protomartyr over the PA before the band came on.
Being familiar with the band’s name only, I can’t say what they played, but did find the set’s momentum grew as the night progressed. The back half was just killer synergy between the band and their adoring crowd. Touring behind 2015’s acclaimed Sun Coming Down, the band sounded impressively tight and genuinely appreciative of the response.
Philadelphia’s Palm preceded Ought with a half hour of experimental excursions that recalled early Animal Collective for me. Never derivative, always interesting, the band featured beautiful vocals and soundscapes. Even more impressive was a member’s dad filled in on bass for the show. More of this please!
The night began with Peterborough upstarts the Lonely Parade. Having caught the band at the Hideout a couple of years ago, the three-piece were the only band who I was vaguely familiar with. If memory serves me well, the band has beefed up their songs and tempo that gave me The Amps meets early Dinosaur Jr. vibe. I remember more varied paced songs the first time, but they went for the jugular right off the bat and never let off the throttle. With a full length imminent, these girls will get every opportunity to tighten up (after a two month break) and win over larger crowds.
