SLOAN

Ok so I haven't taken up any challenges yet, but I was at a gig and thought I should let you know what that was like. The first show on 6th October wasn't so good, considering it was cancelled because bassist Chris Murphy was sick. We went for drinks at the Biermarket instead and on route we passed a glowing lightbox (outside a theatre for posting posters) which Neil stood in front of for this photo.

The show was postponed till last night night, 30th November. The weather has been unseasonally warm for the past week but it rained a bit. Yoko Casionos were the support band and I couldn't say I was awed by them. But to be fair this kind of music isn't my scene, so really who am I to judge?

However when Sloan came on stage the energy level of the room lifted, as fans chanting the ritualistic "Slooo-oan... Slooo-oan... Slooo-oan..." (it sounded exactly when Bart and Lisa called out "Daaaa-ryyyl... Daaaa-ryyyl..." in The Simpsons) were finally rewarded with their presence and sounds at around 10.30pm.

Far more polished and commanding than the Yokos, Sloan were relaxed on stage, exuding that typical Canadian ease I find so present in almost every Canadian person I meet. They are a band with a career spanning more than 10 years and you can see the crowd enjoying them as they once did in their teens. As a Canadian indie band they've done well to garner the affection of their fans in Toronto, their home city for most of their lives. When the band announced their last song of the night, I was surprised at the number of people heading to the door. Weren't they the beloved home-grown punk/rock/pop band they were chanting and cheering for throughout the night? Did the rain really play on their mind about how the journey home would be affected? But for those who stayed, an encore replenished them with Sloan and Yoko Casionos coming together and playing as one. Awwww... What a nice lot these Canadians are.




Visit their website at http://www.sloanmusic.com/