Music lovers love to share their music. Entrepreneur Greg Nisbet has given these generous aficionados yet another tool by which to share, learn, and embrace new music. Enter Mediazoic. This company makes software that allows individuals and organizations to create, customize and deejay their own radio stations. Members of the press and public came together to celebrate the launch of this revolution in internet radio at Revival last Thursday, with a night of good food, good friends, and great music (streaming live online!)
A literal cavalcade of musicians opened the show as Dave Borins lead his band in a procession from his acoustic set downstairs to the main stage above, where Borins and company launched into “Let the love back in”. Borins pumped his upcoming CD pre-release party at the wonderful Dakota Tavern this Thursday (April 7th), promising another great performance. Closing the set with “Let the love back in” (featuring the angelic backing vocals of Angie Hilts and Blaise Alleyne’s mesmerizing fiddle), Dave Borins proved to be a very hard act to follow.
Up for the challenge were Kitchener natives Courage My Love. Their melodic metal sound was a stark contrast to Borins’ folky style, as evidenced by the mini moshpit that formed for their performance. Headbanging and thrashing through their powerful set, the band played their hit single “Bridges” and closed with the riff heavy “Smoke and Mirrors.” They may have been the youngest band there but they certainly rocked the hardest.
The eccentrically fashionable Ruby Spirit took the stage next. Resplendent in lace, leather and feathers, lead singer Paige Boy proceeded to seduce the crowd with her throaty voice and coy dance moves. Three part harmonies, duelling bass and guitars courtesy and a flair for the dramatic came together to create a rich and gorgeous performance.
Not to be outdone in the drama department, Jumple put on a theatrical production, complete with kidnappings, impersonations and various nautical headgear. Canada’s answer to Gogol Bordello, the eastern European band eschewed the stage to play their flamboyant set among the audience, to many a female fans’ delight (but that could have just been the standard reaction to their leave-nothing-to-the-imagination costumes). Playing without their drummer and bassist, Jumple still put on a great show, and promise to be even better with their full lineup at the El Mocambo on April 16th.
Those who lacked the foresight to stay until the end of the night missed a real treat in the form of Nova Scotia’ Gloryhound. Playing their final Ontario appearance before heading back east, these boys played as if the house was packed. Hints of Irish punk seeped from the seams of their sleek style, sometimes reminiscent of Rancid, sometimes the clash, but all rock and roll. The boys played songs from their Electric Dusk record, dedicating “Yes you are” to Cool Planet’s Cam Carpenter before ending the night with a kick ass cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”, with singer Evan Meisner looking down at CML’s Mercedes Arn Horne and declaring “we’ve got the rebel yell right here”.
MC Bob Segarini meant it when he said that no two bands that played that night were alike. The Zoics featured an amazing lineup of homegrown talent, all vastly different, and all remarkable in their own right. Each band rained compliments on the one before, heart-warmingly supportive of each other. All these things came together to create an incredible night of music.
And of course no internet radio station launch would be complete without a mock awards show! Honourees and recipients of the coveted Zoic gnome were:
Dave Borins – Best Plaid
Courage My Love’s Mercedes Arn-Horne – Sexiest Guitar
Jumple – Best Dressed and Undressed
Gloryhound – Furthest Travelled
Ruby Spirit – Best Hair
Check out the Mediazoic tool and start sharing all these and more artists and musicians, and get ready to seriously expand your musical horizons.
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