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Amy Winehouse and Peter Bjorn and John may be no-shows, but there are still tons of great acts to catch at this weekend’s V Fest. We’ve flagged some of the hotshots hitting the Toronto Islands Saturday and Sunday (September 8 and 9). For complete listings, check the Concert Calendar on page 104 or go to www.virginfestival.ca.
Most Likely To Summon Your Inner Diva
Dragonette (Saturday)
The deliciously tawdry, glittery electro-pop of couple Martina Sorbara and Dan Kurtz’s musical lovechild made instant fans of Scissor Sisters. They’ve already colonized camp-loving listeners in their new home across the pond, but their V Fest set will be a coming-out party for their slick full-length debut (out September 25).
Most Likely To Inspire Collective Hallucinations
Earl Greyhound (Sunday)
Bolstered by wicked Afros, tripped-out astral funk riffs and the hugest, sickest drum kit known to humankind, this rising triumvirate of Brooklyn stoner-friendly rockers should provide an ideal soundtrack for those smoking contraband in Island paradise.
Most Likely To Set The Scene For Indie Rock Marriage Proposals
Stars (Sunday)
When it comes to unabashed romanticism, Montreal-Toronto collective Stars have always worn their hearts on their sissy sleeves. The combination of warm beer fuzzies, the sun setting on the water and dreamy anthems about “love at first light” is enough to catalyze more than a handful of “Be mine” text messages.
Most Likely To Storm Off The Stage After Too Many Back-Catalogue Requests
Smashing Pumpkins (Sunday)
Considering that the current incarnation of the “reunited” Smashing Pumpkins lacks half the principals from the band’s heyday, fans hoping to relive their flannel days by moshing to tunes from Siamese Dream and Gish are probably shit outta luck. And chances are Billy Corgan, anxious to move more units of his group’s comeback record, will be less than thrilled if their lacklustre new material is greeted by blank stares – or worse, boos.
Ohbijou Award For V Fest Breakout Act
DD/MM/YYYY (Sunday)
Up till now, frenetic spazz-rock outfit DD/MM/YYYY have maintained a totally committed core of all-ages indie rock fans, based on playing living room shows and unconventional venues across North America. But playing this Sunday to more people than probably all those shows combined could create a mighty breakthrough.
