Great Good Fine OK and Tigertown at The Garrison

Last night I took a bit of a deviation from my typical tour of DJ sets, to check out Great Good Fine OK and Tigertown at The Garrison (a venue I've been to before, albeit only for stand-up comedy). As you may have noticed, I've been branching out recently, finding myself enjoying live, dance music as opposed to purely electronic productions, so this show couldn't have come at a better time. While I'm sure I'll always enjoy DJ sets, and there's no questioning the skill and value behind them, there's just something so fascinating about watching someone perform their song live. Whether a flamboyant, energetic exhibition or a restrained and muted matinee, the simple act of taking a stage and performing is equally revealing and powerful. After having drowned myself in EDM for years, last night I was awakened to the art that is a live performance (band, DJ or otherwise). To close off this idea, I would suggest checking out my article on FUXWITHIT, where I pose questions about the nature and value of live performance in the ever changing electronic music scene, here. Now, on to last night.
I arrived at The Garrison with very few expectations overall, and absolutely zero knowledge of the openers Tigertown. The Aussie trio was already well into their set, with a growing crowd becoming more and more captivated. Led by Charlie's warm smile and infectious energy, their mix of electronic elements and Chris' guitar worked wonders, getting the dance groove going while leaving room for extended solos and singalongs. Their chemistry was almost immediately palpable, and as it turns out today is Charlie and Chris' seven year anniversary, lending greater insight into songs like "Papernote" and "Come My Way." They even shared a new song they had only just written the day before, and whether slow or upbeat, their songs were always warm and fun. Finally they announced their last song, "Lonely Cities" which absolutely rocked and cemented me as a new fan. Tigertown and the crowd showed their appreciation for each other, as we waited for Great Good Fine OK to take the stage.
After quite the extensive set up was complete (nearly a dozen guitar effect pedals, a keyboard, drum pad, drum set, laptop and 3 mics), dozens of flashing multicolour disco-ball ring lights were given to the crowd. Russ, Danny and Luke then took to the stage, the latter throwing glow sticks to half the crowd. They then started their first song "Already Love," to which Jon made his grand entrance with light up shoes and his trademark kimono, throwing more glow sticks to the other half. It didn't take long for the crowd to be swept up in the incredible, uplifting and funky energy the foursome was pouring out. Jon's vocals were as wonderful and emotive as ever, Russ wailed away on the guitar, effecting it in seemingly infinite ways, while Luke orchestrated the complex arrangements and Danny delivered dance ready drum rhythms. Luke's incredible ability was on full display during "By My Side" as he worked between the pads with four sticks, the keyboard and eventually the keytar.  This crowd favourite was followed by a brand new unreleased song, led by some special guitar work from Russ.
By this time everyone was sufficiently warmed up, which led to some spectacular solos, particularly in "Bring You Back." It saw the both the guitar and keytar play rivaling solos, as the former leaned out into the ravenous audience, even allowing one fan to lick the guitar mid-solo. The love and fun continued to climb as the foursome moved through their newest releases, "Holding You," "Always," and "Find Yourself." In spite of it's name, "Too Much To Handle" had the crowd demanding more, bringing GGFO back out for an incredible encore of "Get Away," to which Jon ingeniously included lines from their Chainsmokers collab "Let You Go." As the four took their final bows, amidst an extended applause with hooting and hollering, some of us in the crowd we left stunned. Their set was everything I could've hoped for and more. It was the perfect mix of strong sing-along content, deliriously delightful dance grooves and just down right magical music. Without a doubt I'll be eagerly awaiting Great Good Find OK's return to their "favourite place on earth."

FOLLOW GREAT GOOD FINE OK: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW TIGERTOWN: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

A November To Remember

I've spoken/written about it being club season ad nauseam lately, so I'm here put an end to that with one fell swoop. This November is going to be one to remember; as you can see above, there are at least a dozen artists I'll be making my way to the clubs to see. So read along below as I do a quick detailing of the 5 Ws, setting up the massive month of music ahead. I'll include links to tickets, Facebook event pages and most importantly, music to whet your appetite. Hope to see you out!

NOV 3 - Trippy Turtle w/ Henrik The Artist @ Velvet Underground
November starts off with a bang, with perhaps my most anticipated show of the whole month. I've been waiting for Trippy Turtle to come for years and even more so for Henrik The Artist, who I've gushed over several times on this blog. In my eyes there is no better Jersey Club bootleg artist than Trippy Turtle nor is there a more kawaii chiptune composer than Henrik. Over the past while, I've found my feet more glued to the floor than ever, but I'm confident the craziness that these two will conjure from the speakers will have me back bouncing up and down like I were a teenager again. The Velvet Underground is perhaps the perfect venue for such a wild and wacky show (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 4 - Great Good Fine OK @ The Garrison
To be honest I can't remember where/when I first heard GGFO, but I do know that the song I first heard, "By My Side," immediately gripped me. Jon Sandler's falsetto vocals are stunningly beautiful and play perfectly with the sublime synth pop construction of their songs. They're funky and groovy and I can't wait for their vibes to wash over me in the comfy confines of The Garrison (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 11 - RL Grime w/ graves & Kittens @ Danforth Music Hall
Trap titan RL Grime brings his Nova Tour to the big stage, with support from graves and Kittens. Other than TNGHT, no one has made a bigger or longer lasting effect on trap than RL. All evidence (his most recent releases "Era" and Halloween VI) suggests this is going to be absolute madness. Add to the bill rising stars and badasses in their own right, graves and Kittens, and you can see why this is a can't miss event for those that demand the best booty and brain shaking bass (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 17 - Pete Tong @ UNIUN
Now most people know Pete Tong as the inimitable voice behind BBC Radio One's Essential Mix, but less know about his mixing and production abilities. While he skews more towards baleric, which doesn't really suit Toronto mid-November, he is of course incredibly versatile, dabbling in all things electronic and dance. Even if he breaks out just one of his Classic House orchestral pieces, the trip to UNIUN is well warranted. Expect the atmosphere to be warm, friendly and fun (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 18 - Mura Masa w/ Lunice @ Danforth Music Hall
Both of these amazing artists dropped their debut albums this year, and both are incredibly well respected in the music sphere, just take a look at the long list of features on either album. While both craft incredibly infectious club tunes, the mix of dirty dusters from Lunice and clean crisp cuts from Mura Masa makes for one of the most magical nights in recent memory. Even though this will be the 3rd time seeing Mura Masa in around a year, this is without a doubt one of my most anticipated shows in that same time frame. These a truly two legends, and an absolute can't miss event (RSVP/Tickets).

NOV 23 - Ekali w/ josh pan & Y2K @ Velvet Underground
This month of madness gets capped off with perhaps the most mayhem one bill can handle. By now you better know about Ekali, and to be fair, I've covered just as much josh pan and Y2K as Ekali on this blog. It is however Ekali's Babylon tour and he's got his own stage production set up, although it will likely have to be scaled back to fit Velvet's smaller stage. And while it's a shame (visually), the intimate atmosphere will only improve the onslaught of energy. Each of these three have dabbled in a diverse range of sounds/styles, so I'm not sure what to expect, except the unexpected (RSVP/Tickets).

As above, I'm aiming to attend each of these six shows (health permitting, as my body often fights me following back to back late nights), and as usual I'll likely be live tweeting. Follow me @OggieJames, catch coverage here and on Bump In The Hump, and perhaps I'll see you in the clubs!