The Spades’ April 10th show at Lee’s Palace proved to be outstanding, even though I didn’t get to see the headlining band perform. For me, watching Ben Rough, the Warped 45s, and of course, Huron, was satisfying enough.
Ben Rough and his band opened that night around 9:45pm with his throaty blend of folk/rock. As it was fairly early, the floor in front of the stage was devoid of an audience, but the people sitting around and standing by the bar seemed to perk up when he began his set. By the end of it, there were claps, whistles, and shouts of appreciation.
Ben Rough, onstage at Lee's Palace
The Warped 45s were next. I had never heard of the “Rock/Indie/Americana” quintet before, but I looked them up as soon as I got home that night. The Toronto-based band, comprised mostly of family members (throughout their set, three of them referred to each other as cousins) were impressive, and their performance was evocative without being overtly emotional. After their set, I found myself singing “Radio Sky” under my breath while I waited for Huron to set up.
The Warped 45s' frontmen Ryan Wayne McEathron and Dave McEathron
Then, it was Huron’s turn. There is nothing bad I can say about Huron, and I don’t think anyone else has either. Believe me, I looked. After listening to them all week in anticipation, I was looking forward to a good old rock ‘n’ roll show; a good old rock ‘n’ roll show is exactly what I got.
Huron in action
Ben Rough, the Warped 45s, and Huron were all opening acts that night, but Huron were undoubtedly the stars. Perhaps it was the timing or perhaps it was their loyal and growing following (likely a combination of both) but they had the floor half full and people milling around the seated areas and bar, craning their necks to have a good view of their performance.
Huron guitarist Cam Malcolm
The band from Hamilton started their set with “Chicken Wing”. Good idea; it was clearly a crowd favorite. But I can feasibly argue that throughout the eight-song set, each song was a crowd favorite. When they reached the end of their set, with “War”, people were cheering and whistling enthusiastically, and calling for more. I am definitely on the lookout for when they’ll be playing again in Toronto, and you should try to be as well.
– REVIEW BY SAKINA, PHOTOGRAPHY BY GENEVIEVE
