Evening all. Following Cornerstone 2005, there will be a plethora of interviews/pictures/random tidbits in this space, since it's my space and it was my first time hitting Cstone. So there. Having gone through five disposable cameras, there'll hopefully be about a hundred pictures that actually turned out decently, so in due time we'll post those with amusing little captions for the edification and amusement of all of you. A lot of weird stuff goes down at festivals like this, and I got pictures of all the weirdness I could. Like the guy crowdsurfing at the Roper show with a full-on Winnie the Pooh costume on. Random.
One of the small things I picked up in Illinois was this six-song sampler containing two new tracks from Evergreen Terrace and Gods, and one each from Winnipeg's Every New Day and The Burning Season. Good bands all - and while I'm not at all surprised that the new ET material is miles ahead of their older recordings, Gods really impressed me. I'd heard for over a year now that they were kind of electronics-tinged, and that kinda turned me off, but they know their way around a breakdown.
This band from Montreal, Onlyforward, has been in Ottawa a few times now, and I've managed to miss every show to my chagrin - and now it turns out that singer Dave Martel is kin to Marc Martel(downhere), which only makes me more eager to see this band. Their debut album Everything's Perfect is reviewed over here. Sounds like something I'd dig.
A band that, from most accounts, disappointed at Cornerstone was Switchfoot, who allegedly played a "really mellow" set. That would have been fine by me at any rate, but I was off somewhere else watching No Innocent Victim tear the place apart. Anyway, Switchfoot's new one, Nothing Is Sound, comes out September 13th(two delays and counting).
One exceptionally cool thing about last weekend was taking part in a Jars of Clay press conference, because the lads had just gotten off the plane from Philadelphia, where they'd performed at the Live 8 show there - at Bono's behest. As in U2's Bono. Wow, that's high-powered friends. Other artists appearing in Philly included Dave Matthews, Linkin Park, Maroon 5 and about ten other multi-platinum rock bands. Impressive. Did you know Jars have over five million in career record sales? I had no idea.
Cave In - aka one of the best bands ever, period - are putting out a new album called Perfect Pitch Black later this year, and since drummer J.R. Connor is out of the country(US), Converge drummer Ben Koller will be filling in for rehearsals and possibly a tour. Just thought y'all Cave In fans would like to know. [hxc]
Oh wow: The Used and Underoath's tour is hitting Canada:
09.07: Montreal, QC @ The Stade Uniprix
09.09: Quebec City, QC @ Agora
09.10: London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
09.11: Ottawa, ON @ Civic Center
09.13: Mississauga, ON @ Arrow Hall
09.15: Thunder Bay, ON @ Community Auditorium
09.16: Winnipeg, MB @ Winnipeg Convention Center
09.18: Saskatoon, SK @ Wheatland A
09.19: Edmonton, AB @ Northlands Coliseum
09.20: Calgary, AB @ Calgary Stampede
09.22: Vancouver, BC @ Pacific National Exhibition Concert Bowl
Opening acts include the amazing Head Automatica and Alexisonfire. Wow. I will be there September 11th.
In further replacement-drummer news, and to absolutely no one's surprise, Zao drummer Stephen Peck has bailed due to "financial difficulties"; Jeff Gretz(no idea) will join the band for their upcoming Strhess and Warped tour dates.
More later.
Posted by mike at July 6, 2005 09:41 PM