TPC makes the tamborine look bad-ass
Young Rival, The Coast and Tokyo Police Club finally make it to Fanshawe
Tokyo Police Club's growth over the past few years has been phenomenal. They've gone from playing to 25 people during a lunchtime show in Forwell Hall, to several hundred only one year later. In truth, the turnout would likely have been even greater, had the first scheduled concert not been cancelled due to a severe snowstorm. Nevertheless, TPC made their return to Forwell Hall during yet another stormy night, Tuesday, February 12.
The concert opened with Young Rival, a garage-rock group from Hamilton, who no one in the crowd seemed to have heard of before. At this point, there were about 30 people in the venue and most were gathered around the fringes, drinking quietly. Not the most ideal crowd to play to, I know, but all it meant was that the late-arrivers missed out.
Young Rival's style was more-or-less a throwback to the simpler days of rock and roll. A few solos here and there, sure, but for the most part, they played what sounded like a culmination of the straight-up style of The Who, and more modern rock/garage groups Kings of Leon and The Strokes. Keep a lookout for them - after their upcoming Canadian Music Week debut, they just might be the next Canadian band to explode.
Next up was The Coast, a four-piece indie-pop group in the vain of Broken Social Scene and Bloc Party. For anyone not familiar with the aforementioned bands, just imagine catchy, distant-sounding guitar riffs matched by a drumbeat that you could dance to if you felt so inclined. They played a relatively short set, but the crowd seemed to like them, especially as Forwell Hall was starting to pack in a little tighter.
Their music wasn't the highlight of The Coast's performance, though, but rather their stage presence and style. During one of the last songs they played, two of the members traded their guitars for tambourines partway through, which not only fit well into their sound, but temporarily broke them free from the typical guitar-bass-drums format.
Not only were The Coast musically styled, they also dressed as though they were poster children for the alternative-pop culture. I'm not usually one to criticize fashion sense, but I couldn't help wondering if the band tours with wardrobes that match their guitars, accessorized with the “a-tad-ridiculous” scarf The Coast's bass player wore?
Either way, their set finished after about half-an-hour, and it wasn't long before Tokyo Police Club took the stage to a huge rain of applause. It was past 11 p.m. at this point, and the crowd was at its largest. The four broke into a few of their older songs before treating the audience to some new material on their upcoming release, Elephant Shell. Having never seen Tokyo Police Club live before, I had pretty high expectations, and I am pleased to say that they did not disappoint. From the emphatic drumming of Greg Alsop, to Graham Wright's shouts and hollers, the band gave it everything they had. Also, I have to admit, never have I seen someone make shaking a tambourine look so badass.
When the clock struck 12 a.m., the crowd started to disperse prematurely. Buses were finishing their routes, and students began the trek back home for class the next morning, myself included. TPC treated the die-hard fans and residence students to a few final songs before departing for the night.
Certainly when one looks at Tokyo Police Club's career, success has been a common theme used when describing what they have achieved in their short span. Last month's concert most definitely falls under category of success, as it provided the audience with a wide variety of music, and a perfect way to spend a snowy evening.
Tokyo Police Club's growth over the past few years has been phenomenal. They've gone from playing to 25 people during a lunchtime show in Forwell Hall, to several hundred only one year later. In truth, the turnout would likely have been even greater, had the first scheduled concert not been cancelled due to a severe snowstorm. Nevertheless, TPC made their return to Forwell Hall during yet another stormy night, Tuesday, February 12.
The concert opened with Young Rival, a garage-rock group from Hamilton, who no one in the crowd seemed to have heard of before. At this point, there were about 30 people in the venue and most were gathered around the fringes, drinking quietly. Not the most ideal crowd to play to, I know, but all it meant was that the late-arrivers missed out.
Young Rival's style was more-or-less a throwback to the simpler days of rock and roll. A few solos here and there, sure, but for the most part, they played what sounded like a culmination of the straight-up style of The Who, and more modern rock/garage groups Kings of Leon and The Strokes. Keep a lookout for them - after their upcoming Canadian Music Week debut, they just might be the next Canadian band to explode.
Next up was The Coast, a four-piece indie-pop group in the vain of Broken Social Scene and Bloc Party. For anyone not familiar with the aforementioned bands, just imagine catchy, distant-sounding guitar riffs matched by a drumbeat that you could dance to if you felt so inclined. They played a relatively short set, but the crowd seemed to like them, especially as Forwell Hall was starting to pack in a little tighter.
Their music wasn't the highlight of The Coast's performance, though, but rather their stage presence and style. During one of the last songs they played, two of the members traded their guitars for tambourines partway through, which not only fit well into their sound, but temporarily broke them free from the typical guitar-bass-drums format.
Not only were The Coast musically styled, they also dressed as though they were poster children for the alternative-pop culture. I'm not usually one to criticize fashion sense, but I couldn't help wondering if the band tours with wardrobes that match their guitars, accessorized with the “a-tad-ridiculous” scarf The Coast's bass player wore?
Either way, their set finished after about half-an-hour, and it wasn't long before Tokyo Police Club took the stage to a huge rain of applause. It was past 11 p.m. at this point, and the crowd was at its largest. The four broke into a few of their older songs before treating the audience to some new material on their upcoming release, Elephant Shell. Having never seen Tokyo Police Club live before, I had pretty high expectations, and I am pleased to say that they did not disappoint. From the emphatic drumming of Greg Alsop, to Graham Wright's shouts and hollers, the band gave it everything they had. Also, I have to admit, never have I seen someone make shaking a tambourine look so badass.
When the clock struck 12 a.m., the crowd started to disperse prematurely. Buses were finishing their routes, and students began the trek back home for class the next morning, myself included. TPC treated the die-hard fans and residence students to a few final songs before departing for the night.
Certainly when one looks at Tokyo Police Club's career, success has been a common theme used when describing what they have achieved in their short span. Last month's concert most definitely falls under category of success, as it provided the audience with a wide variety of music, and a perfect way to spend a snowy evening.
