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Concert reviews Music

Shows that rocked Toronto

THE WOODEN SKY at Cabin Fever, Soundscapes and Kops on Bloor, Saturday, October 18. Rating: NNN

Before they commenced, the Wooden Sky frontman Gavin Gardiner called what they were about to do crazy: play three sets at three record stores, biking to each one with their instruments on their backs.

Though Gardiner’s voice was often drowned out by the sound of milk frothing at the tiny Cabin Fever café/record shop, the acoustics were fantastic for the band’s mic-free soulful folk. Their harmonies on Baby, Hold On were a highlight, but hearing Gardiner casually chat with the bearded dude behind the bar was also a treat.

At Soundscapes it was largely a Gardiner solo set. He slowed down their barnburner Maybe It’s No Secret by drawing out the chorus, while the rest of the band stood by looking like they wanted to browse the new releases.

A short trip up Palmerston to Kops and their harmonies re-emerged on Don’t You Worry About A Thing – the slow, rolling closer on their new album, Let’s Be Ready.

Joshua Kloke


KING TUFF at the Horseshoe, Tuesday, October 14. Rating: NNN

King Tuff, born Kyle Thomas and signed to Sub Pop, embraces a loose and gritty beer-soaked aesthetic, from his band’s hesher fashion sensibilities – trucker caps, handlebar moustaches, patch-covered jean vests – to the back-to-basics good-time fuzz rock they energetically deliver.

Perfection isn’t the point, but a little more tightness during their Horseshoe set would’ve made the songs land harder. Headbanger, the strongest tune on terrific new album Black Moon Spell, fell flat during the choruses because Thomas couldn’t come close to reaching the high notes. In other songs, flubbed chords and a too-thick guitar sound distracted.

He found his footing during the second half, and developed a jovial rapport with the college-aged crowd. A wah pedal solo in soft rocker Eyes Of The Muse grabbed attention, bassist Magic Jake whistled wickedly during Eddie’s Song, and the superbly clear tone of Anthem’s masterful lead riff (from 2012’s King Tuff) left us absolutely amped.

Proof Thomas got the crowd onside? When he declared at the start of encore song I Love You Ugly that he’d never seen more ugly people in a city before, it earned him loving cheers.

Carla Gillis


FLEETWOOD MAC at the Air Canada Centre, Saturday, October 18. Rating: NnN

By the time Fleetwood Mac played Rhiannon, early in their two-and-a-half-hour revue at the Air Canada Centre, it was clear that despite the brouhaha over the return of long-time member Christine McVie after a 16-year hiatus, it’s still the Stevie Nicks show. Nicks can get a crowd excited by waving her arm or doing a little twirl. Every time she sang (and she was singing well) the packed house got out of their seats.

Starting with The Chain, the Mac played through nearly every song from their bestselling hit machine Rumours, pulling out Silver Springs in the encore with an abundance of ridiculous chime sounds. (The band clearly love their synths – why, oh why, did they not bring along a live horn section?)

Not to be outdone by Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham prepared for a Big Love solo turn by charging up his right hand like a robot before launching into the loudest, most ferocious classical playing imaginable. While other members took the occasional break, admirably, Buckingham almost never left the stage, though some of his other songs came across as overwrought.

Sarah Greene


TORY LANEZ at the Drake Underground, Sunday, October 19. Rating: NNN

Toronto native Tory Lanez is an R&B-loving, hook-singing 22-year-old emcee whose sound is indebted to OVO. In the current climate, those qualities point to success, and judging by Sunday’s energetic, polished performance, Lanez is headed for it.

For instance, Henny In Hand, from his latest Lost Cause mixtape, is a falsetto-crooned slow jam. Yet he managed to have the crowd jumping up and down with their ones in the air, all while delivering a theatric, decently sung rendition.

But from his unsuccessful crowd-surf on the third song to the onstage videographer blinding anyone looking in the rapper’s direction to the Drake Underground’s strange 10 pm curfew, things often got weird. After his mic cut out just after 10, Lanez was pissed, but carried on after grabbing a functioning one, and ploughed forward for another couple of songs. His just-over-an-hour set seemed a little short though, for such a hyped homecoming with no opener.

He managed to successfully crowd-surf, and the audience enthusiastically rapped along to standout tune The Godfather. It seemed disingenuous when he peaced out of the venue super-quickly, though, especially after promising to take a picture with every fan who wanted one.

Julia LeConte

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