Toronto Unplugged

This was one of the nights many in the city were looking forward to…including us. The line-up consisted of a diverse mostly Canadian line-up stretching from Coast to Coast.

Vancouver’s own Said the Whale are gaining a loyal following across the Country with their acoustic pop/rock sound.

Toronto’s White Cowbell Oklahoma play some of the wildest and craziest gigs of any band with onstage antics that include chainsaws, strippers, bear suits and rivers of Jager.

And there was a great buzz around this 9-piece band from Sydney Nova Scotia called The Tom Fun Orchestra. Everyone seems to have a tough time putting a label on this band. I’ve read ‘Tom Waits meets Moulin Rouge’, and ‘like Broken Social Scene but different?’, and ‘weird, but very very cool.’ Regardless of labels Tom Fun’s recent album is being heralded as one to hear…immediately.

White Cowbell Oklahoma played a much shorter show than usual – their shows run hours and hours. Too much to do onstage, too little time. They fueled the crowd with their Southern bully rock and the crowd fueled themselves with generous volumes of booze. The great thing about Cowbell is you know what you’re going to get. Other than the length of their show, this was quality Cowbell.

The Tom Fun Orchestra was to take the stage at roughly 3am. This is a tough time slot when following such quality acts that entice rich booze sales. Those that paced themselves throughout the evening were treated to a fresh new sound and a great show by new to the scene band. The band rock-waltzed through tunes from their hyped release You Will Land with a Thud and showed the audience first hand what they are capable of. As this fad of large multi-instrumental groups keeps playing itself out, the key will continue to be the sound. This sound is unique and they offer a unique variety. Lead singer Ian MacDougall’s roar leads the way through Celtic sounds, jazzy rock vibes and Southern roll and weird rock.

Although by 3am the night was hazy to say the least, one thing was still clear…this is a band you have to check out.

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