Boys Night Out / Living with Lions

live in Victoria (2007)

Darren

It's great to see a couple of well-known Canadian bands taking along some lesser-known ones to help these young'uns build up a fanbase. In this case, it was Boys Night Out and Ten Second Epic (the latter being a band that is apparently getting fairly popular here in Canada, though it doesn't appear they've made too large of a splash on the American/international scene) taking along Sick City and Living with Lions.

Winnipeg's Sick City opened the night, playing a handful of songs from their upcoming Smallman/Trustkill debut, Nightlife. The band plays what can best be related to a (mostly) non-screaming version of Silverstein or Senses Fail done in a lighter, catchier manner. Though the bar wasn't very crowded when they began their performance, they managed to put on the most energetic show of the night. Singer Josh Youngson danced around the stage with a few mic swings, but proved his best frontman ability was the in-between song banter, where he was among the funniest frontmen I've ever witnessed. The rest of the band also brought a lot of energy, with bassist TJ Stevenson in particular having a weird penchant for high-kicking like some sort of evil-looking Rockette. Their set list was a no-brainer, picking most of the catchiest tracks from their upcoming album.
Set list (roughly):

Next up was Vancouver, BC's Living with Lions, who share a lot more than just a hometown with Daggermouth. Yes, Living with Lions play the hardcore-influenced pop-punk that is so popular these days, but blend the two much smoother than some of the recent entries into the genre. They played five songs from their debut EP, Dude Manor, as well as a new song. While they brought plenty of energy (and had a surprising number of fans shouting along), their frontman had a lot of trouble hitting the high notes from the EP. He still brought plenty of intensity to the show, and the musicians were spot on, but the whole set sounded a little lackluster because of these missed notes.
Set list (roughly):

Though I've heard a lot of bad things about Boys Night Out's live show, they dismissed any fears I might have had with their first track. Lead singer Connor Lovat-Fraser danced around the stage barefoot, hitting every note with enthusiasm, only looking slightly disinterested at some of the screams during songs from Make Yourself Sick. Nevertheless, their early songs were not slowed down at all, and had the crowd clapping, moshing, and screaming along. Both the guitarists and the bassist kept the energy at its peak, while drummer Ben Arseneau may have been rocking the dirtiest mustache in the scene today. The band's set list was simply a more condensed version of the one used at the show that Brian reviewed earlier this year, but that was no surprise. It was a solid set list full of fan favourites, and a great performance.
Set list (roughly):

After BNO's set, I decided it was time to leave so that I could catch a bus home rather than fork out the cash for a cab, so I missed Ten Second Epic's set (though a friend told me they put on a great performance as well). Even with missing the final set of the night, I left completely satisfied, having seen three talented young Canadian acts put on a trio of energetic sets.