What
      You
      Should
      Have
      Seen
      on
      ECMA
      Weekend
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      ALTER-CASEsS:
      Day
      2
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Saturday
      afternoon
      at
     
     
      Brennan’s
      Pub
      ended
      up
      being
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      most
      special
      moments
      of
     
     
      ECMA
      weekend
      for
      me.
      It
      was
      Day
     
     
      2
      of
      the
      Alter-Cases,
      and
      I
      should
     
     
      have
      been
      sleeping
      after
      a
      long
      and
     
     
      memorable
      night
      at
      the
      Barn.
      The
     
     
      concept
      of
      this
      show
      was
      going
      to
     
     
      be
      a
      brunch/concert
      with
      an
      assort-
     
     
      ment
      of
      unknown
      Atlantic
     
     
      Canadian
      artists.
     
    

    
     
      Unfortunately
      the
      timing
      of
     
     
      this
      show
      and
      the
      venue
      proved
      to
     
     
      be
      detrimental
      to
      attendance,
      but,
     
     
      thanks
      to
      the
      bands
      and
      some
      really
     
     
      supportive
      fans
      of
      the
      Sydney
     
     
      music
      scene,
      it
      turned
      out
      to
      be
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      most
      special
      events
      of
      the
     
     
      weekend.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Butterfly
      Effect
      from
     
     
      St
      John
      opened
      the
      show
      with
      a
     
     
      wonderful
      ambient
      set.
      Andrea
     
     
      Curry
      and
      Perfeckt
      Blue
      from
     
     
      Sydney
      were
      up
      next.
      The
      band’s
     
     
      jazz
      influences
      combined
      with
     
     
      Andrea’s
      folk
      style
      make
      a
      com-
     
     
      pelling
      and
      unique
      pop
      sound.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Jody
      Chapman
      Band
     
     
      were
      like
      a
      more
      mature
      polished
     
     
      version
      of
      Perfeckt
      Blue,
      but
      lacked
     
     
      their
      warmth.
      :
     
    

    
     
      In
      my
      opinion,
      the
      noises
     
     
      made
      by
      The
      Rudy
      Huxtable
     
     
      Project
      created
      the
      most
      excitement
     
     
      of
      the
      weekend,
      and
      they
      gave
     
     
      everyone
      in
      attendance
      a
      sneak
     
     
      peek
      into
      what
      the
      evolution
      of
     
     
      rock
      music
      can
      be.
      They
      were
      true
     
     
      originals,
      and
      played
      their
      instru-
     
     
      ments
      in
      innovative
      ways
      that
      I
     
     
      could
      never
      imagine
      possible
      with
     
     
      tremendous
      punk
      energy.
     
    

    
     
      3
      Piece
      Suit,
      a
      surf-rock
     
     
      outfit
      from
      Industrial
      Cape
      Breton
     
     
      were
      a
      ton
      of
      cool
      fun
      with
      their
      set
     
     
      of
      sunny
      instrumentals
      that
      almost
     
     
      made
      me
      forget
      that
      it
      was
     
     
      February.
     
    

    
     
      GuiltTRIP
      defied
      all
      expec-
     
     
      tations
      and
      played
      one
      of
      the
      best
     
    
   
   
    
     
      16
      The
      Cadre
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sets
      I
      saw
      all
      weekend.
      I’m
      not
      sure
     
    
   
   
    
     
      whether
      I
      was
      more
      surprised
      at.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      how
      much
      energy
      and
      passion
      this
     
     
      band
      hammered
      into
      every
      song
     
     
      they
      performed,
      or
      that
      they
      actual-
     
     
      ly
      opened
      my
      mind
      into
      enjoying
     
     
      heavy
      metal
      music
      as
      much
      as
      I
     
     
      enjoyed
      them.
     
    

    
     
      Charlottetown
      locals
      and
     
     
      ECMA
      nominees,
      Flush,
      did
      an
     
     
      excellent
      job
      rocking
      out
      with
      their
     
     
      typically
      tight
      set,
      and
      emotional
     
     
      energy.
     
    

    
     
      Coping
      were
      a
      _
      perfect,
     
     
      quality
      pop
      rock
      band
      from
      New
     
     
      Glasgow
      that
      did
      a
      great
      job
      repre-
     
     
      senting
      mainstream
      music
      among
     
     
      such
      a
      diverse
      crowd.
     
    

    
     
      Stumble
      were
      a
      unique
      folk
     
     
      act
      with
      a
      trippy
      vibe.
      |
     
    

    
     
      East
      Coast
      rock
      veterans,
     
     
      Madhat,
      who
      were
      nominated
      for
     
     
      best
      alternative
      band
      at
      the
     
     
      ECMAs,
      played
      a
      great
      rocking
      set
     
     
      of
      pop
      music.
     
    

    
     
      I
      was
      happy
      to
      see
      the
     
     
      return
      of
      Summerside’s
     
     
      punk/power
      pop
      group,
      Lending
     
     
      Jane,
      who
      did
      a
      great
      job
      entertain-
     
     
      ing
      the
      audience
      with
      their
      aerobic
     
     
      stage
      presence
      and
      catchy
      punk
     
     
      tunes.
     
    

    
     
      Due
      to
      a
      misunderstanding
     
     
      with
      the
      bar,
      we
      had
      to
      wait
      an
      hour
     
     
      after
      Lending
      Jane’s
      set
      before
     
     
      Port
      Citizen
      took
      the
      stage
      to
      wrap
     
     
      up
      the
      Alter-Cases.
      I
      went
      home
     
     
      and
      tried
      to
      get
      some
      rest
      during
     
     
      this
      break,
      and
      ended
      up
      missing
     
     
      Port
      Citizen’s
      set.
      But
      having
      seen
     
     
      them
      pay
      several
      shows
      this
      week-
     
     
      end,
      I
      think
      it’s
      safe
      to
      say
      that
      the
     
     
      best
      rhythm
      section
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown
      blew
      everyone
      away
     
     
      with
      their
      repertoire
      of
      mellow
      reg-
     
     
      gae
      and
      dynamite
      rock
      songs.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -SML
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      Goops
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I’m
      not
      sure
      who
      felt
      worse,
      DJ
     
     
      Gordski
      from
      the
      Goods,
      or
      their
     
    
   
   
    
     
      roadie
      who
      dropped
      and
      broke
     
     
      Gordski’s
      mixer.
      Things
      got
      off
      to
      a
     
     
      bad
      start
      for
      the
      Goods
      because
      of
     
     
      that
      accident,
      and
      a_
      few
      technical
     
     
      difficulties,
      but
      that
      didn’t
      prevent
     
     
      lyricist,
      Kunga
      219,
      from
      giving
      a
     
     
      memorable
      performance
      Friday
     
     
      night
      at
      the
      Barn.
      Kunga’s
      spiritual
     
     
      reflections
      combined
      with
     
     
      Gordski’s
      dreamlike
      prerecorded
     
     
      beats
      and
      samples
      exposed
      the
     
     
      audience
      to
      a
      higher
      level
      of
      intelli-
     
     
      gent
      entertainment
      and
      some
      of
      the
     
     
      best
      independent
      hip
      hop
      in
     
     
      Canada.
      Despite
      the
      lack
      of
      a
     
     
      mixer,
      Gordski
      managed
      to
      enter-
     
     
      tain
      the
      crowd
      by
      mimicking
     
     
      scratches
      and
      DJ
      actions
      during
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kunga’s
      set.
     
     
      -SML
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FERMENTED
      REPTILE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Watching
      Pip
      B
      Skid
      of
      Fermented
     
     
      Reptile
      perform
      is
      like
      seeing
      the
     
     
      genetic
      splicing
      of
      Chuck
      D
      and
     
     
      Flavor
      Flav
      into
      one
      man.
      He’s
      got
     
     
      a
      lot
      of
      serious
      things
      to
      say,
      but
      he
     
     
      is
      also
      aware
      of
      the
      value
      of
      enter-
     
     
      taining
      a
      crowd
      with
      his
      twisted
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sense
      of
      humour,
      dance
      moves
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (which
      included
      a
      reference
      to
      MC
     
     
      Hammer
      at
      one
      point),
      and
      skills
      on
     
     
      the
      mic.
      He
      exposes
      issues
      that
     
     
      people
      do
      not
      feel
      comfortable
      talk-
     
     
      ing
      about
      (rape,
      racism,
      minimum
     
     
      wage),
      and
      forces
      the
      audience
      to
     
     
      seriously
      contemplate
      these
      things
     
     
      with
      a
      captivating
      performance
     
     
      that
      never
      comes
      across
      as
      being
     
     
      too
      preachy.
      An
      artist
      with
      a
      con-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      science
      as
      big
      as
      his
      talent
      is
      a
      rare.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      find.
      Not
      only
      did
      he
      give
      me
      a
      lot
     
     
      to
      think
      about,
      but
      after
      seeing
      how
     
     
      his
      performance
      affected
      the
      people
     
    
   
   
    
     
      around
      me,
      I
      felt
      hopeful
      that
      Pip
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      spreading
      awareness
      of
      huge
      issues
     
     
      to
      audiences
      that
      never
      would
      have
     
    
   
   
    
     
      given
      these
      things
      much
      thought
     
    
   
   
    
     
      otherwise.
     
     
      -SML
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Buck
      65
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Buck
      65
      is
      easily
      the
      greatest
      hip
     
     
      hopper
      in
      Atlantic
      Canada
      because
     
     
      of
      his
      skill
      and
      innovation
      as
      both
      a
     
     
      DJ
      and
      a
      rapper.
      At
      Baba’s
      Lounge
     
     
      on
      Sunday,
      Buck
      also
      proved
      to
      be
     
     
      a
      first-class
      performer.
      Mostly
      per-
     
     
      forming
      songs
      from
      his
      upcoming
     
     
      album,
      Man
      Overboard,
      Buck
      was
     
     
      obviously
      having
      a
      lot
      of
      fun
      in
      the
     
     
      small
      venue.
      Buck’s
      songs
      can
     
     
      sometimes
      be
      hard
      to
      wrap
      your
     
     
      mind
      around,
      but
      he
      has
      a
      way
      of
     
     
      making
      them
      accessible.
      In
     
     
      between
      songs
      he
      engaged
      the
     
     
      audience
      by
      talking
      to
      them
      in
      his
     
     
      own
      subversively
      mocking
      way.
     
     
      One
      of
      the
      best
      moments,
      however,
     
     
      was
      his
      crowd-pleasing
      song,
      “The
     
     
      Centaur,”
      to
      which
      he
      altered
      the
     
     
      lyrics
      on
      the
      spot
      out
      of
      respect
      to
     
     
      the
      youngsters
      in
      the
      room
      (it
      was
     
     
      an
      all-ages
      dry
      show).
      Another
     
     
      great
      moment
      was
      when
      he
      rapped
     
     
      and
      DJed
      in
      a
      sort
      of
      game
      that
     
     
      required
      extreme
      concentration
      and
     
     
      coordination.
      Buck
      has,
      once
      again
     
    
   
   
    
     
      amazed,
      me.
     
     
      JC
     
    
   
   
    
     
      COLLEEN
      POWER
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Colleen
      Power,
      Newfoundland
     
     
      songstress
      and
      occasional
      House
      of
     
     
      Rock
      tenant,
      gave
      a
      beautiful
      per-
     
     
      formance.
      Her
      songs
      were
      heartfelt,
     
     
      and
      her
      voice
      was
      strong
      and
      true.
     
     
      She
      demonstrated
      an
      unexpected
     
     
      amount
      of
      originality,
      which
      is
      no
     
     
      small
      task
      when
      forced
      to
      compete
     
     
      with
      countless
      other
      female
      singer-
     
     
      songwriters
      crowding
      the
      airways.
     
     
      Power
      certainly
      has
      lots
      to
      say,
      but
     
     
      had
      too
      little
      time
      to
      say
      it
      all.
      A
     
     
      smaller,
      more
      intimate,
      venue
     
     
      would
      also
      have
      brought
      her
      per-
     
     
      formance
      to
      near
      perfection.
      Power
     
     
      has
      been
      featured
      on
      MuchEast
      and
     
     
      in
      Reverb
      magazine.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -SKM