2. Big Announcement!!

Herro People of the Earth,

I felt it was time to fill everyone in on a very crucial website with which I have become recently involved.

It's called earnityourself.com & is dedicated to the time tested art of D.I.Y (do it yourself).E.i.Y is run by many, many dedicated music lovers including Sarah Saturday the original creator of EiY, Ernst Schoen-Rene, care-taker of BYOFL.org (book your own F***ing life), and Wyatt Glodell, a computer guru who colaborated with Sarah, in the creation of the E.i.Y website and the weekend group. These three individuals are the E.i.Y Gods and the people you turn to for the right information.

Oh contraire, this site is not only run by the Gods, it's run by regular people like myself, who simply have a love for the music and want to help support their favourite bands. It's afloat because of the bands who show up, post their music and interact with fans on the website.
My point being that every person who joins E.i.Y and shares their input, makes an impact on the site and the people on it.

With this little tid-bit, I also have a pretty big announcement. (it's really important to me)
After being a regular ol' Scene Supporter, for a little over a month, I have been recognized for what I do by being "crowned" (as Dean and Sarah said) as a Scene Guide!
Myself, along with SammyB, and Stacy have all had our statuses raised, so that we can be out front as examples of "What to do" on the E.i.Y Website.
For me this, is absoloutely amazing and I actually feel really, really flattered to be up there with Stacy and Sammy, because they do so much more then me.

I know in the real world, this means nothing, because it's just the internet.
But this means on oppurtunity to become more involved with what I love.
Music & everything about it.
Having this position will push me to the forefront for helping out kids on the site, welcoming new bands and just being there to be a part of it all.

I would really love for everyone to come check out the website, get involved, get your favourite bands involved and help them out.
We really need more Island bands and more canadian bands, as well as fans, to get involved and show E.i.Y, that Canada has amazing talent too.

Some amazing E.i.Y bands everyone should check out:
A Cassandra Utterance (Ernie Ball & EiY, Esquared band of the month)
New Liberty (SammyB's Favourite)
Say When(New Friends!)
Use as Directed (Wicked Canadian Band!)
The Easy Brothers (Rancid called, they want their sound back!)
Two Degrees Faster (Mark Hoppus wants you to know, that this is not early blink recordings, but they still rip.)
Archie Star (Dope)

That's the news & I'm outta here!
-AmyInertia

Victoria, March 6th 2009

Sometimes fortune becomes misfortune.
Like going to Vic for a show and making the effort to bring my camera and note pad, then having it locked up in Bronson's house, because I thought I would get the chance to come back for it.

SAD!

This Friday was the monthavirsary of me discovering/meeting The band On Call heroes and we celebrated (unintentionally) with a show at the legion in Victoria!

There were 5 bands that played,the first, a group of 5 young boys, with a lot of budding talent. Lost in the Masses are a hardcore/screamo band from Victoria, BC. Keeping in mind that this group is only in its beginning stages, they were impressive but lacking in experience. The crowd response was surprisingly good, but the band seemed to lack the confidence to respond adequately, as they rarely spoke to the crowd.
If Lost in the masses works on the stage presence and crowd interaction then their talent will definitely shine even more.

Second to play was solo artist Danny, with his electronica/rock project D4NG3R R4NG3R. Even with strep throat this kid killed it. It was obvious that Danny has experience on stage, which would have come from previous bands such as "Where infinity Ends" (r.i.p). But D4NG3R R4NG3R allows Danny to take a front seat and it's exactly where he should be. With just a microphone and the beat in the back ground he owns the entire stage, using it all to maximize his presence.
Each original piece was delivered in a fun enthusiastic way and interaction with the crowd was great. A cover "low" originally by Flo-rida was met with singing, screams of appreciation and lots of bad gangstur-inspired dancing.
D4NG3R R4NG3R may not be the kind of music you'd expect at one of these shows, but it has definitely found a home.

Bringing up the middle, Apparatus Theory brought the mood back down a little. Hailing from Victoria, AT is a hardcore band that plays like it has something to prove. By that I mean they F****** rip.
The gut wrenching vocals by lead singer Kenny leave little to be desired, except maybe more. And although not as polished as they could be, this group brings the fire on stage and are not lacking in the energy department.
Each song is delivered with power and feeling and shows just how much they want it. They're almost scary, so I think we should just give them what they want. :)

Second to last, your friends and mine, On Call Heroes! You just can't say anything bad about these guys. Cracking jokes and having fun is what they like to do, ("Daddy is this right?"). Like many of the bands who played on Friday, OCH wasn't pitch perfect but they make up for it with their enthusiasm and happy-go-lucky attitudes.
Bringing out the crowd favourites such as "Epic", "The Mario Song" and "Shiver" which featured a beautiful sing along with the crowd in its closing chorus, they put on a great show.
A few technical difficulties with guitars, as well as their new light (a box with the letters OCH carved into the front) weren't enough to damper the night as the guys rang spirits high with a cover of Blink 182's "The Rock Show".
Always the nice guys, On Call Heroes will go far, as long as they keep thier heads up and pointed towards the horizon.

Closing the night, another popular Victoria band, in the running for Taste of Chaos was Fall In Archaea. Hard and fast is the name of the game with these boys and their Confidence is apparent. F.I.A know how to work the crowd and bring them into the show.
Lead Vocalist, Alex, is one of the few screamers who melts your ears off without destroying your desire to ever listen to hardcore music again. Accompaniying him, the instrumentals in this band come hard and heavy, with power and precision.
The most unfortunate part about F.I.A is their small repertoire. It was disappointing for the band and fans alike when at the end of their set the requests for "ONE MORE SONG" were met by nothing.
Don't fret though; Fall In Archaea, has many more shows and much more hard hitting music to bring to the scene. Who knows, maybe if they're bring it hard enough, they can beat the heart of this dying music scene, back to life.

See you on the flip side,
-Amy Inertia

Lantzville Hall, Feb 27th, 2009

Another day, another show.

This time, a line up that was so mindblowing, I couldn't even take notes.
But seriously, I locked my keys in the car and missed the first two/half bands.
So unfortunately, this time no pictures.

-fail-

The first band that played was Stokes the Mute, a rock/soul group from Nanaimo.
Although the enthusiasm was there, Stokes still has a bit of work to do in the presentation. They looked like an odd mish of several different styles and it reflected in the music.
Luckily the individual talent of each member brought enough to the table to still be entertaining.
The bassist in particular showed an intense connection to his instrument, bringing out some impressive bass lines.
As a whole, I believe with a little more co-ordination and experience, Stokes the Mute has potential and a good outlook in the island scene.

Following Stokes the Mute, were Nanaimo veterans My Broken Hero. Always a crowd favourite, MBH wowed even me with incredible growth in both performance and musicality since the last time I saw them play. The new material is smoother and incredibly engaging.
Lead singer, Dustin Dame sings with such intensity and feeling that it leaves the hairs on the back of your neck standing up.
Don't get me wrong, all of My Broken Hero play with the kind of energy and feeling most bands spend their entire career trying to grasp. It's really beautiful to watch and always enjoyable.

Coming in third, are Vancouver natives, Mass Undergoe. Bringing humour, experience and sometimes pants that are a little too tight to the table, these guys are always a delight.
This evening however, I'm not sure if it was the venue or just the atmosphere but it felt like MU wasn't at their best.
The whole set was not nearly as polished, as previous visits and the although as a band they appeared put together, the singer was sloppy and didn't come across with the same strength I've seen before.
As engaged as some fans were, there were many people standing off to the side and back who only came to life in the last half of the set with the favourites "Middle of the week forever" & "Youth Anthem".
I hope to see MU back in Nanaimo soon and hopefully they'll be out of their funk.

To close up the night, was much anticipated Victoria based band, Theset. A throwback to the Pleasant Valley days (those of you who are old enough to remember those days that is), Theset were poised to impress and certainly did not let us down.
Tristan, Martin, Elliot, Jory and Dean do an incredible job of bringing you into their world. For that 45 minutes, it is as if you are enveloped, as if nothing can touch you.
Down you go into the rabbit hole, and into a world all their own, created by each and every chord, drumbeat and bass line.
The fragile facade is held together by the fine phrases and notes, brought to life by lead singer Martin McPhail's eerie, but comforting vocals.
Theset showed off with new songs such as "Survive" which has an accompanying video now on Much Music, "Red Spider" the final song off the new album, & heartwrencher "little one" a beautiful but melancholy rock-ballad, all from the latest release, Never Odd or Even.
For the old school, Pleasant Valley kids, they brought back two hits "12:34" and the encore song, "Sunshine Dust".

Not soon to be forgotten, the 27th was a night to reminisce, but also to embrace the new, the future of the “scene”. We can only hope that we will soon see a line-up as mighty as this, gracing the Nanaimo Stage in the near future.

All's well, that end's well
-Amy Inertia

Lantzville Hall, Feb 6, 2009.

Hello again cyberspace,
I must apologize for my lack of diligence.

I got slammed with a wave of being really lazy/very tired.
& I had the misfortune of misplacing my notes...=(

Unfortunately The Perfect Trend, was too busy to have an official chat with me, but I have a little review of the show...
& the best pictures of the night have been posted on the Inerti-A Deviant account. (Link at the bottom of the page)

The night started fairly uneventfully, I arrived at around 5:45 pm, to find out that the doors weren't open at 6:30, but 7pm! Thankfully knowing one of the bands got this girl out of the cold and into the fun inside. Namely, Chasing Satellites, complete with wife and kids setting up to start the show.

As the first group took the stage, there was a certain anticipation running through the room and the excitement was written on every face as Chasing Satellites began playing. Along with Incura, Chasing Satellites were definitely a different sound for the regulars of the Nanaimo music scene. A complete throwback in time, with their simple rhythms and catchy hooks, Satellites are a grass roots rock band that brings you right back to the garage. Don't get me wrong though, these guys aren't what you'd hear in your neighbor’s garage on a Saturday afternoon, no Satellites are very mature musicians, in both their instrumental skills, as well as on stage as performers. The group possessed a good stage presence, as friendly rivalry between the members erupted and helped to fuel crowd involvement and enjoyment.
As Chasing Satellites' set came to a close, a special guest joined the group on stage. One of the little boys, who arrived with Satellites, presumably the son of lead singer Daniel Bryant, accompanied the band, playing the song on his mini guitar, but still rocking out just as hard as the rest of the group. Definitely a highlight of the show, it also went to show that a members of a band can in fact balance both a "rock star" lifestyle and a family life and have each have a positive influence on each other.
In all, Chasing Satellites put on a very enjoyable set and set the bar for the following four bands.

Following Chasing Satellites was the pop-punk anthems of Everyone Everywhere, a feel good, make you want to pogo and get really stoked on life, band out of Victoria. Right away the crowd went wild moshing and singing along to every word.
The energy of EE and all the fans in the room held-fast through the entire set. No room for "emo" kids here.
The set included a new song entitled "Wonder bread", which was definitely a hit with the crowd, as well as other hits like "Left Behind" & "You & me to the moon dude." as well as a cover of popular Taking Back Sunday song, "A Decade Under the Influence."
As the EE's set came to a close Drew, the lead singer, encouraged everyone to pick up an EE CD stating, “it's cheaper then two lattes." Which I digress, isn't walways -that- cheap.

Though smack dab in the middle, On Call Heroes were the real stars of the night, as this show was their Nanaimo CD release for their first studio album, All Roads End Here. The room was full of anticipation for this relatively unknown band, who’ve been on the scene for less then a year and all eyes were on them as they started the set off strong. Heroes ran through a string of songs with good hooks, catchy choruses and entertaining bantering in between.
The songs to note for the evening included a rock version of the Mario theme song, which garnered an ecstatic crowd response. A humorous rivalry between Chris' (Guitar) song 'Apollo', a passionate rock-ballad, highly reminiscent of early Angels & Airwaves, & Bronson's (Lead Vocals/Guitar) 'Death to Maximus', which has a heavier feel and sound, highlighting the skills of Bass player, and Bronson's twin, Blaine.
But in the end, On Call Heroes pulled out all the stops for one of the best received songs of the night, a crushing cover of recently reunited, Blink 182's, 'The Rock Show'. Very quickly followed by an overexcited fans collaborative announcement about the return of Blink 182 as a three piece to present at the Grammy’s, which only served to fuel crowd excitement more. ( At the time of the Feb. 6th show, Blink had not yet officially announced their return.)

Fourth on the docket, you hate them or love them, it’s never in-between, were The Perfect Trend, D.I.Y. experts and one of the more seasoned groups of the Island music scene. These four guys always put on a good show complete with a personally controlled light show, which this evening was controlled by Carly, 'mother' of the band and girlfriend of lead singer Liam.
In a new twist TPT began the set with their usual closing song and crowd favourite, 'The Opposite Corner' a hard hitting, high energy, rock song whose studio gang vocals encourage live crowd participation. 'Opposite Corner 'was followed by 'Aaryn', another crowd favourite off their third studio album, "In Unison" and the newest song to TPT's ever-growing repertoire, entitled 'Separation'. In addition to a new song, the group had prepared a new cover, Thrice's 'All That's Left', an old favourite off one of Thrice's most popular albums, Artist in the Ambulance.
As is quickly becoming tradition, The Perfect Trend had the biggest crowd of the night and almost every song; the kids were simply a sea of moshing bodies, getting really stoked on the music.
The intensity brought to the stage by Liam (Vocals/Guitar), Cam (Drums), Josh (Bass) & Peter (Guitar) continued right to the last song, 'This town (is slowing me down)' where the crowd created an impressive death wall that pushed the moshing through right until the end of TPT's set.

Last to play was Vancouver Band, Incura.
Definitely a wild card in the mix, Incura is a Metal/Prog-Rock Band who landed the 2008 CFOX seeds Platinum award in Vancouver thanks to fan support and sheer talent.
The crowd response on this evening, though not as large as that for The Perfect Trend, was very impressive.
As the crowd warmed up to the band, the band, in turn, warmed up to the crowd and became very talkative and enjoyable between songs.
Songs played included radio hit "Here to blame" And "I'd give anything" For which the band shot a video late last year.
The vocals of the group, (Kyle), bring to mind those of Davey Havok from A.F.I. but the backing instrumental was much darker, true to the heavier genre that they classify with.
As the show came to a close and the instruments were packed away once more, this photographer left with a renewed faith in the Island music scene. This scene will only die if we let it, & I for one don't intend to.

& that's time.
-Amy Inertia

Coming soon...

Show tomorrow in Lantzville.
On Call Heroes cd release, so it should be excellent.
Actually, I've never seen On Call Heroes, but I've wanted to and I'm excited to discover if they're any good.
I will also be getting together for a quick Q&A with good friends of mine, The Perfect Trend, who are a local Alternative band. TPT has been active in the music scene for a few years now and are the epitome of D.I.Y!
Josh, Cam, Liam and Peter are also some of the most genuine guys you'll ever meet.
I'm hoping to have a quick review of the show as well as the Q&A posted by the end of the weekend.
I'll also be putting up pictures in the gallery on Deviant. (link at the bottom of the page)

This is the beginning of something big, I can feel it!

You stay classy San Diego,
-Amy Inertia.