Arietta and The Junction w/Serb Superb @ The Horseshoe

It's been almost a week and a half since I attended the show that I'm about to tell you about. Wow, I'm slipping! Actually it's been quite the hectic and stressful week so I have a good excuse, but that doesn't mean that remembering the details is going to be any easier. Thankfully, it was the type of show that possessed such an inordinate amount of power that I don't think that I could forget it even if I tried to.

It really has been a long time since I've attended a loud and aggressive, in-your-face, punky rock show. Truth is, for the most part, I've pretty much outgrown my harder edged leanings of the past. But every once in a while, a music lover needs to have his face rocked right off, and if you're gonna do it, then you may as well get it done by Arietta. As I had mentioned in my review of their album, Arietta is not just one of those bands who play loud music simply for the sake of being loud. There is a definite maturity in their sound, and that means that they are generally appreciated by mature fans which enabled me to take in this punk rock assault without literally being assaulted by an out of control audience. Their wickedly infectious songs are meant to be experienced live, and this band held back zero punches as they leaped and bounded across the stage with reckless abandon. Frontman Tyler Johnston is a pistol onstage, impossible to ignore, while the rhythm section is one of the tightest I've seen. It was cool to see Lowell Sostomi from Great Bloomers join the band onstage for a song. Finally, one has to give props to Shehzaad Jiwani, the drummer and undisputed backbone of the band. Although he remained in the relatively silent background, his hyperactive pounding of the skins was definitely the ingredient that firmly solidified the performance into creating an undeniable force of nature.

Photos: Arietta @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: Arietta

Although several other bands performed that night, the only other full set that I caught was from Brampton's The Junction. The band has been around for quite a bit longer than some of the other bands we see milling around the city, and their professionalism and experience is certainly apparent in their live show. The music boasts a pretty straightforward pop rock sound with melodic hooks and roaring choruses. I'm not sure if it's because they knew that Arietta was going to be melting our faces off later on or not, but they seemed to be cranking out a slightly harder edge than their recorded material would suggest. This made them the perfect complement for the evening lineup as they held their own with a top notch, solid rock performance.

Photos: The Junction @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: The Junction

The only other act I caught was the evening's master of ceremonies, Dinosaur Bones' Branko Scekic's altar ego, the kooky and schticky Serb Superb; doing more of that silly freestylin' rap thing that he does so well. Always entertaining.

Photos: Serb Superb @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: Serb Superb