Wednesday, February 2, 2011

A Night at the Horseshoe Tavern

Hey, hey!

For this blog, I'm going to try a different format of writing because I'll be recapping the events that took place on January 26th at the Horseshoe Tavern. I'll try to keep the writing as formal as possible but I also want to give you, the reader, an authentic feel for how that night was represented.

Look at me. Represented. REPRESENTED! That's what I'm talking about. How the night was and how the band sounded and what the overall vibe was. Better wording? Maybe. More relaxed? Definitely.

I stroll into the Tavern and manage to find a spot on the floor where I could lean against a pillar and not let my tallness get in the way of anyone viewing the bands on stage. As I park myself and take off my coat, I notice the variety of ages among the pub. People young and old, knocking back drinks, laughing and having a good time. It was a little surprising at first because usually you don't see many older folks and younger teens mingling with one another; especially at a bar. This was nice though. Young and old coming together to listen to some great tunes.

I also arrive just in time to hear the prior band's set. Blanking on that band's name at the moment but they were very, very good. A lot of the songs were catchy and the members seemed to be having a lot of fun. The lead singer reminded me of a mix of Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age and Chad Kroeger from Nickelback. Don't worry though. He embodied the good elements of Kroeger and, yes, the Nickelback frontman actually has some. For instance, this lead singer was able to involve the audience and was able to establish a mood.

During the set, I briefly meet Brandon Heenan of Avery Island; incredibly nice guy who was very welcoming. I let Heenan know that I'm glad I finally get to meet everyone face-to-face and that I'm pumped to see Avery Island live.

The prior band's set ends and Avery Island sets up. When the show was about to start, the audience flocked towards the stage. It was a cool thing to witness. I've seen the audience gather in front of the stage in clips on YouTube but seeing the excitement in person was very enthralling.

The band plays the first riff of Bundy and the audience eats it up immediately. Swaying in unison along with nodding heads, the onlooking patrons are entranced by the band's sound. I look towards the band with a giant grin on my face and kept thinking that I'm extremely fortunate to be writing for such a great group of people.

As the show progresses, the audience's eyes never leave the stage. During songs such as Bow & Lyre and Jive Talking, or The I Learned To Speak With My Hips, the band provided a unique and fun presence as well as entertaining banter and a strong sense of humour in between songs. Avery Island also played some new songs which were stellar. That smile never left my face and the musicians were having a blast throughout the set.

Afterwards, I was able to talk one-on-one to Lauren Heenan, Jordan Pilshewsky, and Kyle Rawn. Seeing as this is the first time I'm meeting them in person, I convince them that I don't possess a Banksy-esque persona and that I really exist. I proceed to tell them how much I enjoyed the show and each member looked very pleased. Not only are these guys exciting and lively on stage, but they are also pleasant and down to earth in person.

I can't recommend checking out a live Avery Island gig enough. The mood of their music is transferred well via .mp3 but seeing these guys in concert is a whole different experience. Other than the obvious changes like you'll be seeing them in person and not on lovely designed photos, their sound is incredibly rich and the charm the band manifests is portrayed effectively and in a joyous manner.

That said, here's the next show date.

AVERY ISLAND & FRIENDS LIVE @ THE HIDEOUT

Date: Thursday, February 17th
Time: 9:30pm - 2:00am (AI are on at 11:10)
Location: The Hideout
                484 Queen St.
                Toronto, ON

There is no cover whatsoever at this show so that means everyone should definitely be there to get their socks blown off their feet.

As for me, I will not be attending. But, for those who go, be sure to post a comment on this blog and tell the band and I how much fun the show was. We'd definitely appreciate that.

Hope everyone has a great weekend up ahead and I shall talk to you all later.

-Addison

Monday, January 24, 2011

Avery Island: Kicking it off with a Bang

Happy 2011 everyone and welcome back to the blog.

Hope everyone had a stellar night of partying, being with family and friends, listening to free and legal Avery Island music courtesy of the Internet.

I'm sorry? You didn't get the memo? Well, let me explain further.

On December 22nd, Avery Island posted the entirety of Transmissions From The Mother Ship online as a free download to wish all the devoted fans a Merry Christmas. I snagged my free download and it's certainly one of the best presents I received last Christmas. The tracks include Bow & Lyre, Grapes Study Me....I've Seen The Reports, Bundy, Gilly, and Jive Talking or The I Learned To Speak With My Hips. All tracks have been recorded exceptionally well and are in top notch quality. I've been sending this link around because once you listen to these five tracks, you'll immediately want other people to catch the Avery Island wave.

The album is still available for download at this link. Get it while it's hot! Thanks again to the band for this wonderful gift.
TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE MOTHER SHIP

In other news, the band has a show approaching. Here are the details.

AVERY ISLAND HITS THE HORSESHOE TAVERN

Date: Wednesday, January 26th
Time: 10:00pm - 11:30
Location: The Horseshoe Tavern
                370 Queen Street West
                Downtown Toronto, ON

Ah, yes! The classic Horseshoe Tavern. Avery Island returns to the Tavern to rock more socks and blow more minds. The tavern has an incredible environment where the overall mood will be very easy going. The cover for this show will be $4 and, as far as age groups are concerned, there is no age cutoff which means if you're under 19, feel free to come and listen to great music.

This is also a show where I'll be attending. Yes! I can't wait to meet this incredible band as well as you guys, the awesome fans.

So, there you have it. Free tunes and a sure-to-be incredible night. What more could you want? Let's start the 2011 shows off with a bang! Bring a friend, lots of friends, your family, your Mom, your....step sister? Come on down to the Tavern and let's all have a night we'll be sure to remember.

Take care!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Last Show of 2010!

Hey Avery Islanders!

The last show of 2010 is just around the corner and I'm here with the details.

Like always, thank you to everyone who has attended the past few shows. From what I've been hearing, the fan turn out has been sensational. The band and everyone involved behind the scenes has been extremely thankful for the energy and the gusto each audience has represented at each show. Cheers have been uproarious and the applauses have been impassioned. Even from what I've experienced online, I haven't met fans like these who are so thrilled to see Avery Island live. The event pages the band has been setting up on Facebook.com in order to generate buzz have had numerous replies with positive feedback. Again, we all can't thank you guys enough.

Onto the final show of the year. The months have zipped by so fast, haven't they? It feels like it was just yesterday that I was reporting about just how this music has lifted my spirits. Anyways, yes, the show.

JINGLE BELL ROCK 2010
Date: Friday, December 17
Time: 7:30pm
Location: El Mocambo
                461 Spadina Ave.
                Toronto, ON

What a wonderful way to spend the holiday season. Not only will you get to hear the sweet sounds of Avery Island but if you attend this festive outing, you will get great shows from Soundspeed, Get Loot, Papa's Delicate Condition, and Symphony of Nine. That's five bands! Five bands who are sure to knock the wool socks right off of your feet. Five bands, a fun crowd, and a most excellent concert setting. All you have to do is pay either a $5 cover in advance or an $8 cover at the door. This show is also 19+ and will be hosted by the charismatic Joel Martin. To buy tickets in advance, head on over to Glenmorerecords.com and you'll be able to punch your name in for an incredible, musical ride.

If you guys wish to get acquainted with the bands that will be performing at El Mocambo, here are the MySpace pages for the groups.

SOUNDSPEED: http://www.myspace.com/soundspeedband
GET LOOT: http://www.myspace.com/getlootmusic
PAPA'S DELICATE CONDITION: http://www.myspace.com/papasdc
SYMPHONY OF NINE: http://www.myspace.com/symphonyofnine

All these bands have an incredible sound and will compliment each other with how different they each sound. Once again, this show is going to be amazing!

It's been a great year and I'm definitely glad I got this opportunity to blog and vlog for this wonderful band and to bring the information to you, the avid fan. I hope to bring you more blogs and videos in the future and I hope you all have been enjoying the content just as much as you guys have been enjoying the tunes.

One last quick bit of information, another Twitter account has been opened and it's much better than the previous one. With the previous Twitter, I could only make tweets. With this new account, the band will be able to tweet up a storm. That said, I highly suggest you follow Avery Island in order to get the full Twitter experience with direct updates and posts about the shows.

FOLLOW AVERY ISLAND HERE!

Hope everyone has had a stellar week. Take care!

-Addison


BLOG EXTRA: Check out this recent interview Greg Hempel conducted with Avery Island.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Support From Avery Island and You

Hey everyone,

Hope everyone is doing well. I have information in regards to the upcoming show on November 29th at 9:00pm at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and the shows taking place for the next six months after that.

As you've read, Avery Island is a local indie band who thinks of everyone in the grand scheme of things. All the members are always concerned to what's going on around them and they are committed to equality. Because of the tragic events involving homosexual teens being ridiculed and then considering and carrying of their own demise, this is a time where people must take a stand. Avery Island is taking their involvement within the music industry to the next level. The proceeds of the gate and the money fundraised at the gigs within the six month period will be donated to The Trevor Project and GLSEN. These foundations were brought up previously in the blog before this. For those who haven't caught that particular blog, here are the links for both organizations.

THE TREVOR PROJECT: http://www.thetrevorproject.org

GLSEN: http://www.glsen.org

The band wants to generate support and awareness for these two important organizations. The band, the crew, and I would like to ask for your support by spreading the word to your friends, family, and anyone else about these shows. Be it on Facebook, Twitter, any other social networking site, or simply by word of mouth; every little bit counts. Also, to show your support at these shows, we ask you to wear purple to show your solidarity and the reinforcement each of you holds within you. By doing this, we make a statement by our presence, our words, and our song.

We thank all of you in advance and we can't wait to see you all at the upcoming shows. They are going to be beyond stellar and AI will be sure to rock those socks right off your feet.
:) <3

Take care!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Two Upcoming Shows!

Addison here with another Avery Island blog. It's certainly been a while, wouldn't you say? Hopefully, I can make up for the absence here with this write-up that's sure to get you excited and in the mood for some excellent beats.

There are two shows coming up; one show is very very soon and the other is in November. Let's talk about the one that is fast approaching.

AVERY ISLAND w/ Friends At The Central
Date: Thursday, October 28
Time: 9:00pm - 1:00am
Location: The Central
               603 Markham St.
               Toronto, ON

Some of you may already know about this concert if you have liked the fan page on Facebook. This is going to be a memorable night, no doubt, AND it's for a good cause. The cover is strictly a "pay what you can" deal with all the collected proceeds going towards The Trevor Project and GLSEN. Here are two links describing what exactly those two foundations are; very kind hearted, individuals behind both of those.

At 9, the doors open to the venue where you and your friends are able to mingle around, grab some drinks, and perhaps talk to other fans. The show begins at 9:45 where Dan Brooks will play a 30 minute set. Dan is a great musician and definitely has a unique voice. Check out his MySpace here:


After Mr. Brooks, Avery Island will take the stage at 10:30 until 11:15 where they will play an incredible set. The reception at the past gigs have been stellar and we can't wait to see how the audience at The Central will react to the music. After Avery Island, Triple Gangsters will perform at 11:30 until 12:15. Haven't heard their music but I'm sure they will be great nonetheless.

Hopefully, everyone can make it out to this show and if you see any of the members of any of the bands, throw them a "hi" and a hand shake; tell them how well they did. I'm sure all three bands would appreciate the kindness and take the time to speak with their fans.

In my last blog, I talked about a show in November. That show is still planning to take place and is still planning to blow some minds.

AVERY ISLAND @ The HorseShoe Tavern
Date: Monday, November 29
Time: 9:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: The Horseshoe Tavern
               368 Queen St. W
               Toronto, ON

Mark your calendars, kiddies, because this show is going to be planted into your brain. THAT'S how hard this show will rock. Right now, the information I have is that Avery island will start their set at 9:15. What if I told you the show is absolutely free? That's right. FREE! It just doesn't get any better than that. You and your friends, your family, your profs and your pets need to come to this show. If not, you may not see these guys until next year. This could very well be the last time you see Avery Island LIVE this year. If that doesn't light a fire underneath you, I don't know what will. 

If I get any more information about these shows, I'll be sure to provide it as soon as I obtain it. In the meantime, everyone should rush out to the show that takes place on the 28th. It's going to be a blast.

Hope everyone is having a great week and make sure you follow AI on Twitter @averyislandband!

Cheers!


P.S: Here's a bonus! Avery Island at the Phog Lounge. Enjoy and thanks to the special individual who took this video.




Saturday, October 9, 2010

Rancho, Atria, and More Shows! Oh my!

Hey all,

Addison here with some Avery Island details that are sure to excite you. But first, let's talk about the past.

Even though I couldn't make it out, I hear the Rancho show was sensational! The crowd in attendance clocked in at about 100 people which is, to my understanding, a record turnout for a show that fell on a Wednesday night. We know people are getting into the swing of school so the band and I really appreciate that a lot of you were able to manage making it out on Wednesday. The support is a great help. When AI was performing, the crowd was very involved; bobbing their heads slowly to the music and moving their feet to the sweet sounds. The crowd went wild when AI finished their set. From the sounds of it, you can tell that the crowd wanted more.

The Atria show in Oshawa was last night and it was another show that went extremely well. Like the Rancho show, the crowd was immediately hooked to Lauren's vocals and their eyes were glued to Jordan and his bass, Kyle and his drums, and Brandon knocking out some stellar guitar riffs. Big thanks to the Oshawa crowd that were able to come! The crowd also ate up the stylings up The Warped 45's. Great job, 45's! For those who might've missed this excellent pairing and also missed The Warped 45's on stage, you can check out their music here.

THE WARPED 45's: http://thewarped45s.com/wordpress/

To the talented Warped 45's, AI loved performing with you. Hope the band and I meet you down the road sooner than later.

As you know from Facebook links and the video that I shot and edited, a few updates have been utilized on both the main AI webpage as well as the MySpace page. In the video, I briefly talked about what I thought of them. I thought I could go into slightly more detail here. I think these updates were certainly for the better. The MySpace, for instance, had a very nice layout with everything being easily accessible. After the revamp, I find the page to be a lot more appealing on the eyes. The background graphic is a great picture that was wonderfully chopped. I really like those filters that have been applied to that background image. I also think the background complements the text well making everything on the site very easy to read. I hate when I'm on a site and someone's made the text dark blue and the background dark purple. You can't read a single thing unless your eyes are three inches away from the monitor and you squint like mad. I digress though. I also love the official AI website. Again, everything is easily accessible and I adore how the song of choice that begins to play is "Grapes", head-over-heels with that song, I say. I like the addition of quotes from reviews and the slideshows present are put together very professionally. Overall, the websites are tweaked for the better and the developer(s) deserve a hearty pat on the back as well as a nice warm mug of hot chocolate for their hard work.

The AVERY ISLAND Webpage: http://www.avery-island.com
The AVERY ISLAND MySpace: http://myspace.com/averyislandmusic

Now onto the concert news. Just for a reminder, here are the next two shows coming up.

AVERY ISLAND @ Phog Lounge
Date: Saturday, October 9th
Time: 9:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Phog Lounge
157 University Ave. West
Windsor, ON

THIS IS TONIGHT! That said, the status of this one has stayed the same; no additional information. Hope you guys have a blast; it'll be a lot of fun. AI, break a leg!

AVERY ISLAND & JUMPLE! @ The Drake Hotel
Date: Monday, October 11th
Time: 10:00pm - 2:00am
Location: Drake Underground
1150 Queen St. West
Toronto, ON

Still desperately want to make it out for this show on Monday. Like I said before, if you like rowdy, original, party music with a mix of a lot of fun, you're going to love these guys. Here is their MySpace:

JUMPLE's MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/jumplemusic

Listen immediately to Na-Na-Na and You and Me. Highly recommend those tunes. The fact that you'll be seeing these guys as well as Avery Island will make this show incredible. Why not wash that turkey down with some stellar tunes. Want to know what else is incredible? There's no cover and, in case that Turkey and those mashed taters didn't fill you up, there's a free buffet at 10pm. Sure to be an excellent topper to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Now, finally, the big news. Some of you might've caught this bit of information on our Twitter earlier but, in case you haven't heard, Avery Island will be playing a set at The Horseshoe on Monday, November 29th at 9:15pm. There's no cover but it'll be a 19+ show. This very well could be the LAST Avery Island show of 2010 so we have to fill that tavern up to the brim, ladies and gentlemen. For those on Facebook, once an event page is created, you'll all be hearing about it. Not on Facebook? I'll be blogging about it right here so don't you worry. However, I definitely suggest signing up for a Facebook account and I wholeheartedly recommend liking AI on Facebook and following their Twitter (@AveryIslandBand). You'll be the first to know any details about any concerts these guys will be appearing at.

Phew, well there's all the information all out on the table. Now, it's up to you to show up to these sure to be awesome shows. Looking forward to coming out to one of these shows, meeting some people, and overall having an excellent night with Avery Island.

Happy Early Turkey Day, everyone!