Green Go + Nightwood – Green Room – Sunday, March 7th 2010

The show began with a bang as Sandman Viper Command took the stage with their powerful garage rock tunes. Although their audience consisted mostly of their own friends, everyone had a blast anyways. About halfway through, as they began “The Best of Plans”, the band really began to warm-up and feel more comfortable as they bounced and jumped around the crowded stage. Sandman Viper Command’s performance was impeccably tight, and the vocals were screechy exactly at the right moments. Their set was short and sweet, with ample amounts of energy and passion and they were both a pleasure to listen to and watch (handsome too!).

Next was the female-fronted Nightwood, with their passionate ocean-themed power-ballads. The two women in the band both looked beautiful, and it was hard not to fall for the both of them as they rocked out on their guitars. I quickly discovered that Amber’s petite figure is not to be underestimated – her voice is pretty but also quite powerful. They performed a new song, entitled “The Art Song” or “Carve your path like a valley through the land”, which was filled with cowbell, rim taps and impressive guitar tapping. Nightwood’s drummer, Jeremy MacCuish, was amazing to watch as his hands masterfully whizzed through the air and played effortlessly. Although the set was on the long side (reaching almost an hour), it was definitely enjoyed by all. This is one band you definitely want to see live.

At 11:20, the 5 piece headliners, Green Go, managed to squeeze themselves onto the overcrowded stage. They opened the show with “You Know You Want It”, a song with reminiscent sounds of old Nintendo games. Within minutes, Green Room had turned into a dance party. Even though the audience was small, the crowd’s energy managed to make the place feel full. “Brains for Breakfast” featured almost the entire bands on vocals, which was a great bonus. The thing I love about Green Go is that they make electronic dance music with real instruments, which is rare today in the age of laptop-generated beats. Because lead singer, Fez (Ferenc Stenton), had come down with a case of bronchitis, one of Jessica Tollefson’s friends had agreed to do a couple shows with them, incredibly learning the set on the car ride over. However, this meant no encore songs, so the band was forced by the begging audience to improvise something. The bassist from Sandman Viper Command took over on drums, while Jessica improvised about Montreal and threw in the chorus of Prince’s “Purple Rain”, to everyone’s enjoyment.

The show was a great success to those who attended, and there was a little bit for everyone. Even if the audience had come to see only one of the bands, it’s clear that they left the Green Room with exposure to new sound and a new found love. – Amelia Robitaille

Green Go

Nightwood

Sandman Viper Command

Photography by Amelia Robitaille

Tags: Green Go, Green Room, Heart, Nightwood, Nintendo, Prince, Sandman Viper Command, Sinead O'Connor