The Hives bring a full-on Rock and Roll show to TURF’s main stage on day one, Friday, that is big enough and strong enough to rival any stage at any time slot anywhere on the globe. They should be after being in the game since 1989. Their sound, attitude and look has been so emulated and ripped off over the years (particularly in the post-2000s) that having the original before us sounds and seems like something fresh & brand new again. They’ve long been famed as one of the best live acts in rock music.
Today, they are decked out in their finest two-tone suits in the strong afternoon sun at Fort York.
But as front man Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist says early on in the set “there are rock and roll bands that can only play in the sun. There are bands that can only play at night time. And then there are bands that can play, indifferent to outside conditions!” And we’re off.
At TURF, the line up, while broad and capably drawing from bands local, national, and international, is decidedly geared to a slightly more mature demographic. It is, after all, an Urban Roots Festival. There are a lot of men with guitars (and some women) and not exactly an overabundance of stage diving, posturing and real showmanship. An acoustic guitar just doesn’t much allow for that kind of performance. So The Hives are a true breath of fresh air this weekend. They are so much fun, so interesting, so good and so quotable.
They’ve also got their roadies/techs dressed as a black and a white ninja, respectively.
Quotes from Almqvist (there were many more then these selections, go see this band at your earliest opportunity):
“We have taken this fort. We’ve played five songs. Four and then one as kings of this fort.”
“The smartest people in Toronto…and quite possibly, the most self-employed or unemployed people in Toronto are here.”
From Toronto, The Hives went directly to Chicago for Riot Fest the next day.
The Hives 17-song set list included songs from across their catalogue starting with “Come On!”, “Try It Again” and “Hate to Say I Told You So” and ending with a two song encore of “Won’t Be Long” and “Tick Tick Boom”.
The Mekons, founded in Leeds, UK in 1977, make a most intriguing choice to close out the hidden-gem (unofficial) “punk stage” at TURF. Forever after, this stage should be called the Punk Stage or The Mekons stage. Here’s how the cool kids named their bands back in 1977 when they were sitting around at art college:
“They took the band’s name from the Mekon, an evil, super-intelligent Venusian featured in the British 1950s-1960s comic Dan Dare (printed in the Eagle).”*
The Mekons have some Venusian super powers that have allowed them to survive and continue in music for all these years and create 20 albums, even as their first major label release didn’t happen until 1989. They have, as one would expect, a devoted following. The devoted following presents itself like this at the stage in Toronto:
Ripe Old Punk, tapping on a photographer’s shoulder: “Right, now you’re going to be discreet, right? Be discreet.”
Photographer, who is not really a photographer but is a writer standing in for a photographer and loves punk music: “Yes, we’ll be here for just three songs and then out. And then I’m going to watch this gig, I’m excited for it.”
Ripe Old Punk, not getting the rise he wanted, mutters something to his female companion.
Female Companion to Ripe Old Punk: “Don’t worry about it. They’re only going to take a few pics and then they’ll all be out of here and off to Death Cab…”
Photographer, who is not a Death Cab fan, is avoiding them in fact for not the first time, and loves Punk music: “I’ll be watching the gig from the back of the crowd.”
Ripe Old Punk (Sulks).
The Mekons come out and fill the stage with all and sundry, like the best bands, can effortlessly work a non-stage, a tiny stage or a reasonable stage, and the same goes for environmental conditions, levels of drunkenness of various members, or crowds. One member comes out carrying a purse. This is something refreshingly non-hipster, isn’t it? This is something you won’t find anywhere near a Death Cab show. The photographers and audience members who choose to end their festival weekend right here, Sunday night when a hot day turns to a weird chill, are my people. Even the old punks who hate me and mistake me for a Millenial, and who dislike photographers for all the reasons they’ve earned so much dislike in crowds like these.
We are told that at The Mekons gig the night before at The Horseshoe, “A couple of Sadies fell off the stage!” Another great gig, a drunken gig, one joined on stage by members of Toronto’s The Sadies. I’m not only 30 years late, I’m a day too late. I wish myself back there, even though I was here, trying to see other bands. We are told “We aren’t as drunk tonight as last night.”
Tom Greenhalgh has a great, rambling stage presence, and a terrific vocal which is, tonight, in 2016, reminiscent of Joe Strummer. A notion they might find funny, considering their first music was a satirical take on The Clash’s White Riot “I’ve Never Been in a Riot”. He looks like something Tom Waits has been basing his act on for the past 30 years. He seems to be at least as drunk tonight as he was last night. The messiness is shambolic and beautiful, with unscripted moments today being treasured moments for my generation who knows better but never knew it would all go so sideways, and never took notes, or photos, back then.
I’m compelled to do something I haven’t done all day, and rarely do: pull out my notebook and write down lyrics. The lyrics I catch in the wind are amazing, from the type of band that comes from the thoughtful, well-read art student side of punk instead of the other.
I write down “Lose Your Head”
(fortunately this is the name of the song, so I can actually find it later)
I write down ” Where I land I will be renowned”
I’ve started to develop a critical ear, that real music lover’s ear. I knew from a 5 minute listen before TURF that I would like this, and I don’t, I love it. Sally Timms is fascinating to watch, in a simple white summer shift dress, ageless and naturally beautiful, a slash of red lipstick, the type of woman we don’t see much on stage anymore. The non-photographer with the camera takes frame after frame of this woman that won’t turn out, before giving up and just watching instead.
I write down “A stranger pulls the white sheet from your body” this is from “Now We Have the Bomb” and the lyrics are stunning, as is the delivery by Sally Timms. This song has stayed with me, and will stay with me. It’s everything. It’s about the life and death questions “we thought that we were natural survivors/ forgive me if I go out with a bang” she sings, nonchalantly, chillingly. The song contains a call for audience arm movements, followed by a free form dance break. Everyone does it. No one defies this amazing woman tonight.
In our plan for the 44-band strong TURF in Toronto, the festival that marks the end of the season locally, our Day One schedule was built around one performance: Austin Texas’ post-rock instrumental outfit Explosions in the Sky. Perfectly timed as the sun went down and night fell, the band gave Toronto fans something really special and rare, a full show where words are actually besides the point.
Explosions in the Sky has been gigging and paying their dues since 1999 and are now touring their seventh album. It’s a wonder to find a band these days whose been given (or been able to give themselves) the necessary time to grow and get to seven albums. And the band is as impressive as you’d hope after 16 years.
You’ve heard this band whether you count yourself as a fan or not. Cinematic in scope, their work has been favoured by Hollywood (and Indiewood) for use on film soundtracks as well as in the world of gaming (a market now bigger than film). And the crowd is large at the main stage, mostly standing, woo’d by some impressive lighting effects and the sight of these musicians really jamming and rocking out while making something beautiful for us. The majority of the songs played are from 2016’s The Wilderness. Befitting an instrumental group, their songs have intriguing, evocative titles such as ” Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean”, “Remember Me as a Time of Day” and “With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept” (the last of which is played at this show). One can imagine these titles capturing the imagination of Canada’s (always, but now more publicly celebrated) unofficial Poet Laureate, Gord Downie, and I turn early in the gig to see the private, unassuming humble man himself blending in with a small group of family and friends and seeming to enjoy the entire thing. Unassuming he may be, but he’s a giant to us, and it’s a special, private moment we wouldn’t dare mar with an intrusion.
Moments like this can happen in this strange summer of music and feeling.
Lush has recently returned to the road (with a new EP of music) after a long hiatus in this long, joyous season for Shoegaze lovers that has seen some of our most beloved acts return to the road as well as a resurgence in newer Shoegaze bands forming and taking up the cause of this always underappreciated genre.
Shoegaze, of course, was coined as a derogatory term for those bands so fixed on their pedals, and, supposedly, so socially inept that they only ever saw their shoes. But The Scene that Celebrates Itself has long thrived in quiet pockets of the globe and in the quiet collections of lifelong fans, who’ve lately forged strong communities online in the social media age. And then as now, the bands who defined the genre are much more dynamic and gifted than the old school British music press would have had you believe. Shoegaze music full of reverb, sound washes, dreamy harmonies, and often female-led vocals, is both a necessary and a relevant part of the always important Alternative music scene that has mostly been marginalized (aside from a moment in the early 90s that was soon overshadowed by Brit pop and Grunge) and the recent tours of Gaze pioneers Belly, Slowdive, Mazzy Star, Ride, and now Lush have signaled a rallying cry for music, even if it’s a cry that has to compete with the braying of machine-made pop and electronic music that beats the listener into submission while Shoegaze is a caressing relief from all that corporate noise.
It must be said that the Lush show in Toronto which was part of TURF, a really great local music festival, was under attended, mostly due to a heavy rainstorm on Saturday. The same lackluster fan turnout could be observed at this June’s Cure stop this past June (reliably a stadium sell out), which saw an otherwise dedicated, setlist-time breaking stadium tour break with that plan in order to headline our Bestival Toronto with mixed results. In both cases, the issue is not the draw or the merit of the band (or the performances, which, shame on you fans if you missed them) but rather the disdain with which devotees hold outdoor music festivals in general (whether or not they’ve actually ever attended one, or seen the vast improvements in recent years). Die hard fans want to line up outside a venue all day, meeting other fans, and get to the barrier in General Admission music halls. They want to at least compete for the setlist. They want to imagine that Robert or Miki has seen them, is singing to them. They don’t want to pay for a day of acts they don’t care a whit about, and take their chances with the barrier, sound problems in the outdoors, see a truncated set, or be 20 feet from set list and security charming range. They’re wrong, but this is the general attitude.
But if you’ve been a fan of Lush for any length of time and especially from the time of their 1987 -1998 debut, and were within range of downtown Toronto last weekend, and stayed away, you missed out. It rained for hours. But in recent years of unpredictable and sometimes dangerous summer weather including extreme heat and severe, event-cancelling storms, it was a positively pleasant “English” afternoon. If covered up (in a free Indie88 poncho), all was really well. The weather was mild. And Lush was here, at last.
The band came out amidst non-stop rain and played like champions while stepping around puddles. They remained good humoured, apologizing for bringing the English weather (you have to wonder) and assuring us that once they left town in a few hours it would no doubt clear up (strangely, it did). The crowd felt like champions too, the ones who are made of stronger stuff, and the audience steadily grew over the course of the set which was actually a very respectable time for an afternoon slot (an hour and 15 minutes). Miki’s vocals were more pronounced live than on the classic recordings, and this was really enjoyable. Despite the weather the photo pit was crowded and after photographers got their first three songs, the pit was opened up to VIP guests to crowd the front like the usual rock club show, in fact, like the kind of rock club show from the old days when there was no barriers and we could touch the edge of the stage. This change seemed to have a good effect on the band- it seemed more natural for all concerned than a very spread out field of identically clad shadows with branded ponchos from one local radio station like a wall of clones.
This is a band that represents an enduring survival story, the kind that music has tragically, been known for and that signals the deep power of music to heal and to create anew, something much needed today. Having lost their original drummer, Chris, back in 1996 to suicide (putting an end to the stricken band of dear friends) it was not without careful consideration and time that the band has finally reformed due to popular demand. The new formation of Lush and the one seen at TURF in Toronto includes Justin Welch on drums (Elastica) which seems a reassuringly natural fit as the band jokes and banters easily on stage. This was a band who has earned their healing and their place in the sun, even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, who was on the rise in 1996 and it’s simply wonderful to have them back with us rain or shine. And they are a force.
The 17 song performance is chock full of stellar early gems and the very appealing new music as well, including: Downer, Out of Control, Ladykillers, Etheriel, Lit Up, Thoughtforms, Lovelife & Ladykillers.
Toronto Urban Roots Festival (TURF) celebrated another great year at Fort York, which has become the jewel of Toronto’s downtown area, in large part, to this festival.
In an increasingly crowded & competitive local music festival scene, TURF maintains its strongly curatorial knack and ability to draw bright stars from all over the map. Solid music acts (44, to be precise) from Canada, U.S., U.K. and Europe are the hallmark of this end of summer music fest, with this year’s draws including Ween, Death Cab for Cutie, Dropkick Murphys, Lush, Explosions in the Sky, James Bay, The Hold Steady, Matthew Good, The Hives, Whitehorse, Limblifter, Okkervil River, Julia Jacklin, The Mekons and more.
With two large main stages set on opposite ends of the Fort York/Garrison Commons site, a third, slightly smaller one with ample hillside seating, and a fourth, intimate stage amid the old Fort York barracks that felt like a secret gig, minimal scheduling conflicts, sensible set times and a site you could yet walk in five minutes, TURF has perfected logistics. The now expected screens, state of the art lighting and sound set ups did not disappoint. For those who haven’t already made this a September destination, the scene at TURF is uncommonly relaxed and laid back, with space to spread out and and few lines or crowds. Always family friendly, TURF affords a setting that can be tailored for front row barrier types and those who bring their own pop up couches alike. When a space is used this well, enjoyment is maxed for all attendees whether towing four kids or a younger couple with nothing at all to carry. It’s rather Utopian.
Having done the local festival circuit for several years now with a packed 2016 slate, we identified a number of really impressive things about TURF that encourage us to recommend this festival to even the most discerning music fan who maybe feels like V.I.P. options are minimal requirements just to get a picnic bench seat and a chance of avoiding rainstorms or porta-potty nightmares. Without reservation, TURF delivered options and sensible, thoughtful offerings that turned General Admission passes into something that surpassed many a festival’s V.I.P. list. Notably:
*More food trucks than we could count or have seen locally (3 rows, in fact), with all the variety you could want from the basic poutine and ice cream to numerous organic & vegetarian offerings, our weekend included delicious jerk fried chicken, fish tacos, waffles, nachos and hamburgers and enjoyed it all. There were many more than these options, at decent prices (average for a meal was $8.00).
*Ample bar stands set up all across the site, which, to our great relief took good old fashioned cash AND offered free water refilling stations at the same locations. We never lined up for a beer or cider.
*No one’s favourite topic but one that is all-important and make or break for your weekend’s enjoyment: Porto-potties were ample, cleaned daily and were stocked with paper.
*Sponsor Moosehead Lager set up a white-picket fenced area full of picnic tables and umbrellas which was available to all guests above 19. The main stage was clearly visible and audible from here and it was a cozy hangout, as well as a necessary respite from Saturday’s rain.
Bistro tables and chairs were set up in an open areas for people to enjoy their food. With the exception of Saturday’s rain, there was ample soft grassy space to cop a squat anywhere one wished, in view of the stages or away from the action as well.
*Bricks & Sticks set up a beautiful mobile bar area with a wooden deck, strings of white lights, and ample seating and tables for guests above the age of 19. This was a lovely spot to spend some time in between acts.
*The site was continually cleaned and most attendees kept up the trend to an uncommon degree. Security was friendly and professional and we found the entire weekend from entry to exit to be hassle free.
*There was a shaded kids crafting/hang out area, and plenty of open space for families and kids to enjoy away from crowds.
*The cutesy and crafty elements of other festivals make for great Instagram bait, but it seems TURF spent their resources toward sensible, convenient and customer-experience focused elements instead of arts & crafts. In a weekend that ranged from perfect (Friday) to downpour (Saturday) to sweltering (Sunday), we have to say we prefer the latter approach.
*Most importantly, headlining and even non-headlining acts were staggered so there were minimal conflicts for attendees allowing for maximizing time and festival spend.
We got to see a lot of bands we hadn’t seen before and were not disappointed. Some true highlights were the all-Canadian stage which included heavy-hitting talents The Rheostatics, Corb Lund, Whitehorse & Dwayne Gretzky doing a stellar Tragically Hip tribute set. This was probably our favourite stage of the weekend.
Of course, for Shoegaze fans the iconic Lush’s Saturday set was a major draw for us, who performed a killer set in utter defiance of the teeming rain (and real risks of performing in those conditions). (We’ll have a separate review and photo gallery of Lush.)
A major draw since the 1990s, Matthew Good was a major highlight of Sunday performing a set of non-stop hits and rockers that set him apart from so many 90s acts who tried and often just missed the perfect blend of emotional and musical songs. Good is not to be missed and his set was a full one that both tugged the heartstrings and got people moving in some soaring heat on Sunday. “Flashdance ii” and “Apparitions” still hold a lot of allure for this writer but Good has continued to make great, original, compelling music since that 99 heyday so go and see him.
We’ll be following up with some additional focused reviews of our favourite performances and full photo galleries of those in the next few days (Lush, Explosions in the Sky and The Mekons). Here is our overall photo gallery to give you a taste of TURF 2016.
With thanks to TURF – Toronto Urban Roots Festival organizers.
Jacqueline Howell
Photos: Dave MacIntyre
Remove term: Matthew Matthew Good, The Hold Steady, The Mekons, Death Cab for Cutie, The Rheostatics, Corb Lund.
TURF, Toronto’s Urban Roots Festival and one of the leaders in the city’s downtown music festival scene (that put Fort York’s Garrison Common on the map as an event destination) returns Sept 16-18th with 3 full days packed full of diverse live music. There is still news to come from TURF, with one more artist to be announced as of August 3rd.
TURF takes a different approach this year to the over-analyzed “Headliner/tiny font/ who should be on what line” postering style of many other festivals that arm-chair critics are more into than music fans and attendees themselves. In fact, this well-established leading local event has a solid base of returning attendees that need little prompting. And what newcomer and established music/ TURF fans need most of all is a list and a breakdown of days, then of stages, and they go forth and enjoy it. The website is refreshingly straightforward and informative. The broad line up of acts includes James Bay, Death Cab for Cutie, Lush, Ween, Barenaked Ladies, Dropkick Murphys, The Sheepdogs, Whitehorse, Matthew Good, The Rheostatics, & Dwayne Gretzky (doing The Tragically Hip). With over 40 bands on the bill including some of Canada’s very best artists and visits from great bands both south of the border and abroad, there is something for everyone during what’s usually the most seasonably perfect time for music festival goers in Toronto: September.
Flying the flag of Shoegaze as we do here at Step On Magazine, one of the biggest draws for us is the long -awaited return of Lush, who’ve come back in 2016 with new music (EP Blind Spot, which we’ve reviewed as one of the very best releases of the first half of the year) and have embarked on a big tour this summer on the strength of the back catalog and new song. We are really excited to see them and see the crowd rediscover the beauty of British Shoegaze sounds in the open air (for the first time for us).
But TURF really has something to offer for every music fan. With our local and nationally strong tradition of rock and bar bands, our homegrown (and down to earth) stars have ways of entertaining people from coast to coast and in any setting. As we’ve said before, traversing this country is no small thing, and the bands who’ve been out playing for years are absolutely world-class. The New Pornographers are among the brightest lights to emerge in the scene in the last decade. Matthew Good has been shaping the sound of Canadian music since the historic music industry heights and creative riches that we all enjoyed in the 1990s.
Swedish Garage Rock/Punk band The Hives whose music ranges to the timeless sounds of storytelling and pure folk rock as well, is on the bill with a six-album strong catalogue of their own brand of sounds after a big tour with AC/DC in late 2015.
Folk-rock husband and wife duo, Whitehorse, are one of the most talked about bands in recent years. Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland are now touring new album The Northern South Vol 1.
Explosions in the Sky, an experimental band full of layered, pretty sounds and musicianship, come out of the Texas post-rock scene, offering Toronto music critics and fans who’ve not yet been able to make the trip to SXSW and other great music sites a great chance to see them live. (See our review of Explosions in the Sky’s album, The Wilderness, here.)
Julien Baker had one of the best sleeper records of 2015; Sprained Ankle was one of our favourites of 2015, which we reviewed here.
TURF’s ticketing structure and pricing is both uncomplicated (how refreshing in the ever-more complicated festival landscape) and extremely reasonable: One day passes are only $85 for GA and $145 for VIP, while Tier 1 GA passes are $185 (for 45 bands!). Note that TURF is a 19 + event.
TURF is also hosting a number of pre & after shows that are seperately ticketed at super-reasonable rates, offering more chances to catch TURF bands an additional time in intimate venues via their Club Series, which kicks off at The Horseshoe September 14th. (Bands include The Sheepdogs and Limblifter) (Note TURF VIP Master Pass holders can see the Club series at no extra charge.)
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