First up on Day 1 of FredRock on Friday afternoon were The Poor Young Things. Originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario they put on a good little rock show. I honestly didn’t know much about them, so thanks to FredRock for exposing me to these guys. They’re worth paying attention to.

After Poor Young Things was the highly anticipated Walk Off The Earth. And for only being the second act of the festival they almost stole the show. Highlights would include when both Sarah and Giovanni hopped in the crowd while never missing a beat, and of course their cover of “Somebody That I Used To Know” with the entire band all simultaneously playing the one guitar.

Next up was Halifax’s Matt Mays, and in my opinion he could have headlined the entire show. He played songs that everyone could sing along to, and interacted with the crowd, having a chorus sing-off on the song “On The Hood” between the beer garden side and the dry side (which he referred to as the loser side). Another great part to mention was when he brought on Fredericton’s own Andy Brown and the Poor Young Things onstage for a song. Great show from Matt Mays.

AWOLNATION was next, and they can only be described as loud. Being in the front row for these guys almost hurt, the force coming out of their amps honestly made it hard to take a breath at times. The constant wave of bass straight at me rattled my innards, they totally had a Spinal Tap “turn your amps to 11 moment”. At the time, I was only familiar with their monster hit “Sail” but like the rest of what I heard.

The closing act for Friday was Matt Good, who as a performer never lets you down. I’ve seen him a couple times before. He played many favourites even though he couldn’t play them all. He made the great point that all of these other bands only have a couple albums to choose their set list from, Matt Good has 13. So obviously we’re not going to get to hear the entire catalogue. As long as he played “Everything is Automatic” I would have been happy. And a concert goer actually somehow got past security and climbed on top of the stage! Good paused after finishing playing “Alert Status Red” so security could get him down safely, cause y’know, safety first.

And that wrapped up Day 1 of FredRock. The only part that sucked was that I had to get up and go to work in the morning. I was not functioning at the proper level Saturday morning after only a couple hours of sleep. I hope my boss isn’t reading… But it’s nothing a little Day 2 of FredRock wouldn’t cure the following night.

FredRock Day 2 started off with Cape Breton’s Carlton Stone. He was a fun one to watch. AND he’s got a contest going now that you can win a Carleton Stone show at your home!

Up next were Elliot Brood, a trio from Toronto. But don’t let their snappy outfits fool ya, these guys are real musicians, their set constantly changing from mandolin, guitars, ukulele and banjo. The singer Mark Sasso even brought out the kazoo for a song… like a boss. I really really REALLY liked these guys. October 18^th they’re in Halifax and I really recommend you go. Check http://www.elliotbrood.com for more details.

Besides Steve Earle, The Sheepdogs were the band I was looking most forward to for the weekend. And they followed Elliot Brood. The Sheepdogs will be THE hairiest band you’ll ever see. And seeing them you’d think they just travelled here from 1972. And even a lot of their songs have a vintage rock sound. It was great seeing them live. Completely lived up to my expectations.

The Trews followed The Sheepdogs. I think Nova Scotia was well represented this weekend, eh? The Trews always put a show, playing all their hits. Coolest part of the weekend was when they brought out The Sheepdogs and Matt Mays for a song. It was one crowded stage, but what a great moment for Canadian rock.

Last up was the man of the weekend, the legendary Steve Earle and the Dukes. As most of you know, I’m a rock n’ roller, so many people questioned why I was so excited to see him. But I grew up listening to him. The way I explained it was, when it comes to Daddies and their little girls, most got lullabys. I got Steve Earle. That’s just the way it was in the Bond residence, and I’m thankful for that.

So hats off to FredRock 2012, Fredericton was the place to be this weekend for music. Definitely the biggest FredRock to date, and already looking forward to next year.

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Let me start off by saying good music is just an opinion… isn’t it? Mitch Miller said it best when he said “It’s not music, it’s a disease.”, which is exactly the way I feel. Except it’s a disease I don’t want cured. See, I have a love affair with rock n’ roll. And I’m talking about the real rock n’ roll. I should point out that I’m not even 30 yet, so please don’t think I’m the cliché person who always thinks the music of my generation is better than everybody elses. My generation gave you Ace Of Base, and for that I apologize.

The point I’m trying to get to is that rock today isn’t as good as it used to be. Was Kratviz right when he sang rock n’ roll is dead? I’m not sure that it’s dead, I think it’s just hard to find. Today’s music charts are bombarded with pop and R&B, and most rock bands today all sound the same. I know all bands are influenced by someone, but some musicians need to understand the difference between “influence” and “imitation”. And it seems like everything today is pre-packaged/mass marketed, and it’s all about the “image”. I think today’s music lacks soul, it’s no longer an art. A great analogy I heard used a box of cereal. You consume it, enjoy it, then throw away the box and go buy another one that tastes the same.

I will admit that there are great and talented musicians out there currently, but they’re being pushed aside to make room for mediocrity at best. If you’re looking for good music you’ll most likely find it in the pubs and small venues with bands who play and sell their own albums. The rock n’ roll I love grabs you by the guts and kicks you in the face. It’ll take you on an emotional ride and has that certain something that words can’t describe. Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Cream, The Who, Ted Nugent, Guns n’ Roses, The Ramones… I fear this music I long for is long gone…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS | More

Let me start off by saying good music is just an opinion… isn’t it? Mitch Miller said it best when he said “It’s not music, it’s a disease.”, which is exactly the way I feel. Except it’s a disease I don’t want cured. See, I have a love affair with rock n’ roll. And I’m talking about the real rock n’ roll. I should point out that I’m not even 30 yet, so please don’t think I’m the cliché person who always thinks the music of my generation is better than everybody elses. My generation gave you Ace Of Base, and for that I apologize.

The point I’m trying to get to is that rock today isn’t as good as it used to be. Was Kratviz right when he sang rock n’ roll is dead? I’m not sure that it’s dead, I think it’s just hard to find. Today’s music charts are bombarded with pop and R&B, and most rock bands today all sound the same. I know all bands are influenced by someone, but some musicians need to understand the difference between “influence” and “imitation”. And it seems like everything today is pre-packaged/mass marketed, and it’s all about the “image”. I think today’s music lacks soul, it’s no longer an art. A great analogy I heard used a box of cereal. You consume it, enjoy it, then throw away the box and go buy another one that tastes the same.

I will admit that there are great and talented musicians out there currently, but they’re being pushed aside to make room for mediocrity at best. If you’re looking for good music you’ll most likely find it in the pubs and small venues with bands who play and sell their own albums. The rock n’ roll I love grabs you by the guts and kicks you in the face. It’ll take you on an emotional ride and has that certain something that words can’t describe. Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Cream, The Who, Ted Nugent, Guns n’ Roses, The Ramones… I fear this music I long for is long gone…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS | More