January 2004

Autumn Round Up

In this the second of two parts, we hear from our contributors and regular attendees on what happened during those Wavelength music evenings upstairs at Sneaky Dee’s during the final three months of the Wavelength zine’s hiatus. Although these dates were not as far off as the summer months we covered in our previous issue, it still took a bit of effort to recall these autumn nights from the beginning of September up to our re-release party on November 29th.

September 7 -- WL 179
I AM ROBOT AND PROUD + I CAN PUT MY ARM BACK ON, YOU CAN’T + DJ Goat Herder
As the punters started arriving, we discovered an unidentified box of earplugs at the front table where Dwayne Slack holds court. The stunningly beautiful crowd, which IARAP had attracted with the promise of tasty beats and electro-grooves, were quick to grab for earplugs as soon as the violently startling ICPMABOYC jumped on stage. After their opening number, the band claimed responsibility for the ominous box. It was a strange and sparkling night of artificial life forms and their lovely friends and foes. We rawked, we danced, it was way better than Cats. — WJR

September 14 -- WL 180
DAMO SUZUKI backed up by the Wavelength Toronto Sound Carrier Network (Team Tago + Team Mago) + DJ Revenge

A haunting evening of improv work by some of this town’s finest indie scenesters, backing up the legendary vocalist for two sets. Team Mago first took to the stage, attacking with Marco Landini (bass), James Anderson (drums,) Greg Chambers (guitar), Shahin Etemadzadeh (guitar), Minesh Mandoda (guitar), Derek Westerholm (guitar) and Nick Taylor (bass). Then after a brief change-over, Team Tago spaced us out with Jonny Dovercourt (bass and Korg synth), Craig Fraid (bass), Dwayne Slack (guitar), Rob Gordon (drums), Dave Rodgers (guitar) and Steven Kado (percussion and bass clarinet). I might have yelled “Holy fuck!” a few times. — WJR

September 21 -- WL 181
JACK BREAKFAST & THE DUKES OF EGLINTON + SHAWN HEWITT + THE WINTER BLANKET + NORFOLK & WESTERN + DJ Anastallion

You’re at your Grade 8 dance. “It Takes Two” is blaring over the PA, bouncing off the walls of the school gym. There’s a dance circle around Kevin Shepherd doing the running man (outta sight, indeed). You look on from a distance, but your gaze is continually divided by the presence of Heather Tanning: a goddess in pink shoes. Your balance shifts slightly as George Michael’s “Father Figure” swells across the dance floor. This is your big chance. You hold your breath, count to ten, but by six Corey Davis already has his sweaty hands on her hips. They sway side to side (‘til the end of time). In many ways, this Wavelength was like the soundtrack to that moment in your mind, only sexier. — BP

September 28 -- WL 182
RAINBOW THUNDERBOLTS + ZHOUNDZ + DJ Sonic Reducer

I saw the first song and the last song by Zhoundz. During the middle songs I wandered to 7-11 and bought a pack of spearmint flavoured gum. I chewed said gum as The Rainbow Thunderbolts launched their rock opera’s swan song. It was something a little bit different and a lotta bit good. They even had a program. A Program! With lyrics and plot outlines! They had toga-like costumes! Props! Movable backdrops coloured in red, yellow, orange and brown! They had extras receiving Actra rates! They were covered in muddy make-up! And it was a rock opera! A rock opera! — KS

October 5 -- WL 183
QUASIMOJO + MALL + COLLETTE CARTER + ARKITEKCHUR + DJ Viva Puff + Mayor Mel

While visiting from Santa Fe, and after drinking a fair amount of beer and helping my esteemed colleagues unload and set up their equipment, I was ready for a DELICIOUS BURGER to come out of those bins. Collette Carter's glossy mix of breaks and singing was tasty, but only whet my appetite. Arkiteckchur and Mall followed up by layering on the noisy relish - extra spicy. But the real nachos came from QuasiMojo: a meal which is best described by its total caloric value and contribution to an early death from cardiac arrest. Needless to say I woke up with cheese on my sleeves and a really bad hangover. Seriously, cheese on my sleeves. Thank you, Toronto! — i

October 12 -- WL 184
SING THAT, YELL THAT SPELL + THE SILT + THE FINE OPTIONS DJ SohCahToa (note: revisionist-historical correct spelling!)

I remember crawling up to the bar pretty early that fine evening, devastated from the crushing defeat I had endured that morning at the hands of a ten-year-old checkers hustler. Then I suffered equal damage at the hands of the kid’s aunt, who unceremoniously dumped my sorry ass sometime in the afternoon. Once I started drinkin’, I tried hard to carefully monitor my Rye and Ginger intake, but I have to admit, I found it difficult to do so. At about 11pm, trying to figure out what was taking the bands so long to get started, I asked the bartender: “When are The Silt going on?” She replied: “Where do you think you are, man? We don’t have bands at the Midtown.” She sent me home in a cab. — CW

October 19 -- WL 185
LENIN I SHUMOV + DOPPLER DEFECT + music selected by: Concise answers to burning questions

I was in the back of Sneaky’s in a photo shoot in which I had to pretend to sleazily try to pick up my girlfriend. We were advertising a new energy drink for a friend’s graphic design homework assignment. Meanwhile Doppler Defect jammy jammed on stage. The photo shoot and Doppler Defect ended and Lenin I Shumov began. Now, I’ll be honest. I don’t speak or understand a word of Russian. There’s no use pretending I do or hiding the fact that I don’t. I haven’t a clue as to what Eugene is singing about. But that’s okay. That’s the beauty of this band; they rock, pure and simple, well maybe not so pure and simple, maybe extremely hectic or chaotic. Just go and see them and you’ll understand, whether you speak Russian or not. — KS

October 26 -- WL 186
THE MIDWAYS + THE Z-RAYS + DJ Barbi

Where were you guys? Are you all allergic to fun? The Z-Rays, consisting of scene vet Sara Montgomery (The Magnetars, The Co-operators, Venus Cures All, Gesundheit, etc.) on skronkin' good lead guitar, Shannon du Hasky (Tetrezene) on rhythm axe and Cheryl Steele (The Plath) on the kit, are a booty-shaking beach party on the Bikini Atoll. Thisskull-tastic pre-Halloween evening's boy component, The Midways, proved to be a pretty rockin' organ-driven classic garage combo, and their line-up also offered another scene vet, Mr. Sean Dignan (Suckerpunch, Dodge Fiasco) on drums, while the singer/bass dude just happened to be the guy who sold me my first hit of acid. Mum and Dad, I hope you didn't read that, I don't do that sort of thing anymore. (Sob.) — JD

November 2 -- WL 187
CORPUSSE + KNURL + DJ Threshold of Pain

The night before, I ran into Steve K. outside the Butler’s Pantry on Markham. He gave me some very good advice for the next day’s Wavelength: “Wear earplugs guy, or you’re asking for a very quiet Monday.” Steve, I am grateful for your wisdom. How anyone in the audience without earplugs survived Knurl’s sheer aural shock is beyond me. Yes, it was pure noise, but yes, it felt sooo good. And then there was Corpusse. I’m living
a more fulfilled life for having seen Corpusse live. There’s nothing else I can say except “HOT WATER PIPE!” — KS

November 9 -- WL 188
AIDAN BAKER WITH MNEMOSYNE + MN-L + DJ Greg Clow

MN-L's sure-to-be-seminal blend of electrofuckery and guitar jangliness is something you're going to wish you'd listened to me about when he and I are enjoying cocktails by a pool, and the only pool you have is the one your tears have left in your applesauce. I'll level with you - it's a guy sitting on a stool with a guitar and a laptop. But if anybody has the lap to pull it off, it's MN-L. His lap is one of the top laps in town. With something for the live camp, Mnemosyne rocked out with Ozric-inspired dramatic crescendos and sublime washes. By way of criticism, the music seemed a little vague; it ebbed and flowed but never really made any measurable progress. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “but isn’t ambient just French for vague?” Well, for a prog set, progress is *key*, man. Jon Anderson, the patron saint of prog, must have been overseeing a Fripp cover-band across town that night. — BB

November 16 -- WL 189
SEA SNAKES + I/O + Del’s Stereo and Sound

Walking down Lippincott Street in the fallen autumn leaves with friends, heading to Sneaky’s; winter cap and scarf season which I love. Arriving into the first set. Ordering
beer to quell the nerves. Watching I/O from the back: improvisational sax and drums duo. High energy for me. Ordering another beer. Changing gears. Heading to the front while Sea Snakes set up. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, waiting. Starting, falling into the music, surrounded and swimming in it. Hardly blinking or moving for a whole set. Not touching my glass or moving a muscle. Wanting more music. Moving outsideward with the crowd when it’s done. Pouring autumn rain and walking home to my warm bed and million quilts. Finding a $20 bill on the sidewalk on the way. Moving. Wonder. — JL

November 23 -- WL 190
TINKERTOY + DE LA CAUCASE + i_khider

It took a bit of investigating to figure out what "De La Caucase" meant -- and that is literally, "from the Caucasus region," appropriate since vocalist Hrair is of Azerbaijani descent. A quartet of Francophone Montrealers, DLC are a true Canadian cultural hybrid, with Hrair's melodies reflecting his Central Asian ancestry and his stage presence evoking the Australian rock dramatist Mr. Nick Cave. Not to mention the group's awe-inspiring young guitarist, who shredded without the aid of a pick. This was one Wavelength where the audience didn't know what to make of the proceedings, especially since the theatrics were followed up by the laptop-bound head-bobbing of Tinkertoy's lone Paul Shrimpton (Andrew Wedman couldn't make it back from Barcelona), who eventually turned his ambient set into some kind of special-invitation dance party. — JD

November 29 -- Wavelength zine fundraiser + re-launch party
ANAGRAM + THE SICK LIPSTICK + CONTROLLER.CONTROLLER + MEAN RED SPIDERS + JUST LIKE THE MOVIES + DJ Will Munro

Success, excess, exes. Sequins, sequencers, SWM seeks Lions Club Member: 60+ Only. The glitz, the glamour, the gastrointestinal dysfunction - this event had something for everyone, and took nothing from no one. A successful re-launch of Wavelength's print incarnation, but more importantly, a night of kick-ass music and grab-ass good times. The audience squirmed with delicious discomfort and audible confusion to the unique sounds of the magic-codpiece-sporting Just Like The Movies. Mean Red Spiders unleashed a lazy fury that is best described as the sound of that scene at the end of Raiders Of The Lost Ark, where everybody's face is melting and Karen Allen is looking all windblown and disheveled. controller.controller caused a commotion of the ass-shaking variety. The wonderful dichotomy of The Sick Lipstick inspired me to double-fist; so ugly and beautiful at the same time, shrill, painful, perfect. If you want a brief, concise idea of how crazy this evening was, and how much you suck for missing it, or reverse-suck for un-missing it, check this: At some point, a horse was released into the crowd. I left as Anagram were tuning up - but hey, they're a cover-story band now, they don't need me ranting to help them out. Oooh! — BB