Here we go again. SXSW insanity,Canadian-style.
There’s lots of groups I want to see, and I won’t get to see all of them. But the ones I do see, starting with that fineyoung singer from Jamaica, Terry Lynn, who started off the Last Gangshowcase at Wrongbar on Thursday, impress me. Her voice was a bitquiet, and her performance a bit timid, but there was something lurking beneath. Ro Ro Dolla of the mighty Black Jays held her down with uplifting hype-mannery,but she didn’t explode the venue in what was likely was her first appearance on Canadian soil.
Speaking of exploding the venue, Let’s Go To War did. Oh,these guys are about to do something disgusting to the music world.Their drummer? Lethal. The cuts on the turntables? Ninja shit. Synthswere hot, but could have been hotter (soundman, turn it up!) and thevocals? PJ is on fucking fire as a frontman, that guy knows how towork a crowd. When he jumped in the middle of the fray to declare “The Whole City’s Got A Cold,” it was fun frenzy deluxe, and everyone inthe venue was losing their collective marbles.
There’s something about Wrongbar that subtracts a few frequencies of bass from certainsongs/groups, I’ve found, but it’s still a wonderful spot. Just notperfect live sound, yet (the DJ sets there are phenomenal. But ofcourse, it’s Nav’s spot). The night ended with at least 9-pieceroots reggae outfit O’Luge jammin’ it down until the big head nattydread spliffs were little roaches – dope!
Over at the Gladstone, I saw The F! featuring Rochester, Mhedikc andtwo other rappers doing what they do. Lots of wonderful people werethere, but I didn’t get to see them all. As is NXNE. Meh. Gotta learnto live with regrets.
