Edgefest 2009

I made the trek to Toronto for 102.1 The Edge's "Edgefest 2009".

Sadly, it rained throughout the day, and it was a miserable event in terms of weather. Wind/cold/rain created a fairly unpleasant atmosphere, with a LOT of mud and dirt. As much as I'd like to say that the event was good enough to prevent the weather from ruining it, but sadly, the weather was just too unpleasant. That being said, here's my thoughts:

The Arkells - I haven't heard any of their album, and that's going to change quickly. They were really tight live, and despite the weather, created a really fun atmosphere for the people there. They're only going to get bigger and better from here on out.

The Stills - I love the Stills, but I love their debut album, Logic Will Break Your Heart, even more. Sadly, they only played one song off the album (Still in Love Song), and chose to focus on their newer songs. I really dig the new album, but a couple more cuts from their debut would have made for a better set. I think they fealt the need to play their heavier songs to fit into with the rest of the bill, and left off their slower/softer songs, which is a shame. That being said, Snake Charming the Masses sounded huge, while Being Here was suitably epic.

K-Os - I like KOS enough, but I'm not a big hip-hop fan, and don't really know many of his songs. It was exciting, as he's got a good stage prescence, but it's not really my cup of tea. Led Zeppelin sampling was cool though.

Metric - In one word? Wow. AT this point, Metric made it clear they were a much bigger band then any of the other artists, with their suitably huge and shimmering sound. They played a bunch of songs off all three albums, and it really made me appreciate them more as a band to see them live. Great songs, great set, great band.

Cancer Bats - Despite having a southern drawl despite being Canadian, they were awesome live. REally hard, really rocking, and they got a lot of people into it. They were the hardest band on the bill, and it added some nice diversity to see a band rock with so much force.

Alexisonfire - In terms of getting the crowd into it, no one could beat AOF. They rocked the place hard, and everyone loved it. Part of their live appeal is the fact that their lead screamer, George, acts as a hypeman so well. You want to love it when he's ranting on stage about anything. At this point, with their fourth album coming out, they've got a really great set, with a lot of hits.

Moneen - My favourite band was pretty decent. They played a few new songs (cannot wait for that album), but they seemed to be missing something. Maybe it's the fact that I'm used to seeing them in an intimate setting, but they didn't seem to accept the larger setting that well. That being said, with AFI blaring in the back ground and it raining, it couldn't have been easy. They're still the most underrated band in the world, and I can't wait to see them next.

After a day's worth of rain and mud, we'd had enough, so we bailed on seeing AFI and Billy Talent. I've never seen AFI, but Billy Talent is great live, so I'm sure they lived up to their headliner status.

All and all, not a bad day, that could have been way better with decent weather.

Jesse.

Link to Edge's Page About the Event, Including Video, Pictures and More:
http://www.edge.ca/ConcertsandEvents/Edgefest.aspx