one in ten words

Wolf Alice at History - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:47:00 +0000

Wolf Alice just played a sold out show at Toronto's History. They’re on the road promoting their latest album, The Clearing. It’s a fantastic album that continues the band’s progression and continued evolution.

Wolf Alice has become my favourite band with their music performances, musicianship and songcraft.

It’s sad that Joff has not been in the lineup for the last two Toronto shows. His replacement did a great job of filling in on the guitar parts.

I’ve been lucky enough to attend every one of their headlining shows in Toronto. I’ve been privileged to shoot each of those shows except for The Opera House show.

It’s wild that it’s been ten years since I saw their first Toronto show at the Drake Underground. The band has come so far and produced so much incredible music, building on the definition of what Wolf Alice music can be with each release.

In addition to stepping up their musical output, they’ve stepped up their stage show with more elaborate outfits, a fashion fan to give Ellie some dramatic looks and even bubbles during their final tune, "Don’t Delete the Kisses".

Their set was heavy on songs from the recently-released album The Clearing including "Bloom Baby Bloom", "Just Two Girls", Bread Butter Tea Sugar" and my current fave, "The Sofa" but wasn't short on favourites from the past, including "Your Love's Whore", "Bros", "Silk" and "Giant Peach". They closed the main set with "The Sofa" and came back out for an encore of "Don't Delete the Kisses".

What a magical night. If you get the chance, don't miss their show when they come to a town near you.

As I mentioned, I've covered them a few times in the past. Please click through for photos from Wolf Alice Toronto shows at:

The Drake Underground

Adelaide Hall

The Phoenix Concert Theatre

The Danforth Music Hall

"The Sofa"

"Just Two Girls"

The Dirty Nil at The Ex - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 22:08:00 +0000

The Dirty Nil have become one of my favourite bands, so when I saw their name on the list for this summer's Bandshell concerts at The Ex, I knew I wanted to be there to capture the show.

Spoiler alert, they did not disappoint. They played a killer set featuring tunes from their new album The Lash plus awesome tunes from across their catalog. Check out the setlist here.

Oklahoma's Ben Quad opened up the show. The pics from their set are here.

I've also covered The Dirty Nil a few times. check out my pics from their shows at:

Lost Evenings VII

The Phoenix Concert Theatre

Riverfest Elora

And here are a couple of Dirty Nil tunes:

"Gallop of the Hounds"

"That's What Heaven Feels Like"

Ben Quad at The Ex - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 21:23:00 +0000

Oklahoma's Ben Quad performed on The Bandshell stage at this summer's edition of The Ex. The band have lots of local fans who showed up to enthusiastically cheer on the band as they performed their dynamically varied set with high energy and intensity. They even got a circle pit going.

I loved the band's hard rocking and super energetic set that warmed up the crowd for The Dirty Nil. Check out my pics of their set here.

"It's Just A Title"

July Talk at The Ex - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 21:23:00 +0000

The Ex is a consistent indicator of the end of summer. It runs for the last two weeks of August and up to Labour Day. One of my favourite things about The Ex is the bands that perform at The Bandshell. They're free concerts with admission to the fair.

This year, July Talk was one of the artists I caught at The Bandshell. They put on a powerful set, which is no surprise to any of us who have seen the band before - they always deliver a powerful set. It featured so many amazing tunes. The first tune of the encore was performed solo by Peter Dreimanis and it came from the movie Sinners. The tune is "Wild Mountain Thyme". Overall, it was a fantastic show!

The Darcys opened up the show. My pics of their set are here.

I've covered July Talk a number of times in the past. Check out my pics from shows at:

Budweiser Gardens

Riverfest Elora

The Horseshoe Tavern

And check out some July Talk music:

"I am Water" from their latest album Remember Never Before.

The Darcys at The Ex - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 21:02:00 +0000

The Darcys performed at The Bandshell at The Ex this past summer. They warmed up the crowd for July Talk's headlining set. Check out my pics of July Talk right here.

I've covered The Darcys a bunch in the past. Check out my photos from their shows at:

The Opera House in 2014

And here's a recent tune, "1986".

Riverfest Elora 2025: A compendium of posts - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:56:00 +0000

Another Riverfest Elora is in the books. This 2025 edition, which marked the 15th edition of the festival, was fantastic. Not only is it the chillest and friendliest festival around, it features a wide range of musical talent, some of which are destined to be your new favourite bands, along with delicious food and drinks, artisans, merch and random art in an idillic setting. And, the rain restricted itself to an overnight storm this year.

Please click through the links below to check out photos of your favourite acts and to discover some new ones. I'll be basking in the glow of an amazing weekend of music and friends in Elora. It's one of my favourite summer events, and I'm already looking forward to next year.

Friday

Saturday

Fitz and the Tantrums

Sunday

If you haven't seen my coverage of many previous Riverfests, please click through on these links:

Riverfest Elora 2025: City and Colour on the Main Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:54:00 +0000

Dallas Green's City and Colour was the Sunday night headliner at this year's Riverfest Elora. It was the perfect ending to the weekend. They played an amazing set of the kind of passion-filled, chill and musically dense songs with gracious melodies to fill the cooling summertime air with love.

Please check out some of my other Riverfest Elora coverage, which I've consolidated into one post right here. I've covered City and Colour a couple of times in the past too. There's the 2019 Riverfest Elora set and their 2014 Riot Fest set.

And relive the cool Sunday vibes with some of City and Colour's music.

"Sleeping Sickness"

"Lover Come Back"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Midnight Cowgirls on the Koop Tent Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:52:00 +0000

Midnight Cowgirls' bio tells us that they, "are a powerhouse feminine collective poised to revolutionize the music scene with their electrifying blend of country, new wave, post-punk, and rockabilly." I thought they played fun, rockin' country tunes as I took in their set on the Koop Tent stage at Riverfest Elora.

Check out some of their music below, and all the rest of my Riverfest Elora coverage right here.

"Giddy Up"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Rich Aucoin on the Grasslands Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:50:00 +0000

Rich Aucoin performed on the Grasslands Stage at Riverfest Elora.

The rest of my Riverfest coverage is right here.

"Kayfabe"

Riverfest Elora 2025: The Philharmonik on the Main Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:48:00 +0000

According to their bio, The Philharmonik is Christian Gates, an American vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist, music producer and genre defining artist. They played a set of groovy sounds, chill vibes and amazing musicianship from the Riverfest Elora main stage.

Their fame arose after their NPR Tiny Desk concert, which I've embedded below.

After enjoying that, I hope you'll check out my other Riverfest Elora coverage that you can find right here.

“What’s It All Mean?”, “Drugs”, “Chasing…”, “Colors”, and “Pay Me”

Riverfest Elora 2025: Michie Mee on the Koop Tent Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:46:00 +0000

Canada’s Queen of Hip-Hop, Michie Mee performed in the Koop Tent at this year's Riverfest Elora. It was an energetic set of classic Canadian hip-hop. Just what we needed.

Be sure to check out the rest of my Riverfest Elora coverage right here.

"Don't Wanna Be Your SLAVE"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Delhi 2 Dublin on the Grasslands Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:44:00 +0000

Delhi 2 Dublin performed on the Grasslands stage of Riverfest Elora. They present an interesting mashup of fiddle with beats and create a fun, danceable show.

Check out all things Riverfest Elora 2025 in this one post here.

"Weed, Samosas And Sriracha"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Grae on the Main Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:42:00 +0000

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Grae's bio reads, in part, "GRAE’s music can be described as a place you go to give your mind a rest."

I'm often seeking to give my mind a rest and Grae's fun Riverfest Elora Main stage set was filled with fun tunes that gave my mind some peace.

Check out one of her tunes below, and the rest of my Riverfest coverage here.

"Slow Down"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Asko on the Koop Tent Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:40:00 +0000

For Asko's performance on the Koop Tent stage at Riverfest Elora, I'll defer to their bio.

"ASKO is a teaching lodge that you enter into with hesitation and humility. It is an immersive experience in which, if you bring an open heart and an open mind, you will learn to listen in a different register and come out of the lodge with a different perspective than you entered. ASKO is a coming together –a meeting of emotional and intellectual knowledge, a meeting of the heartbeat and the sound of thought travelling through space. It is a place that teaches us how to listen to the energies and forces that continually create nêhiyawak worlds in spite of and despite the noise of colonialism.

It is a storied meeting place of the drum and the rattle."

All the rest of my Riverfest Elora coverage is right here.

"nisis"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Spencer Burton on the Grasslands Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:38:00 +0000

Spencer Burton and his band performed their country tunes on the Grasslands stage at Riverfest Elora.

All the rest of my Riverfest coverage can be found right here.

"Further"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Le Couleur on the Main Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:36:00 +0000

Montreal trio Le Couleur performed their last show ever at this year's Riverfest Elora.

All the rest of my Riverfest Elora coverage can be found in this one post here.

Here's a Le Couleur tune:

"L'amour le jour"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Settlers Creek Band on the Grasslands Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:34:00 +0000

Wellington County, Ontario's Settlers Creek Band performed on the Grasslands stage at Riverfest Elora. Their music had a country/celtic/maritime vibe to it and included a cover of the classic "Wagon Wheel".

All my other Riverfest coverage can be found here.

Riverfest Elora 2025: Drop Dead Poppies on the Koop Tent Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:32:00 +0000

According to their bio, "Toronto-based Drop Dead Poppies blends a psychedelic, improvisational spirit with southern rock flavour and 1970s influences." They performed on the Koop Tent stage at this year's Riverfest Elora.

Click here for all the rest of my photos of the weekend's Riverfest performances.

And here's a Drop Dead Poppies song:

"All I Need"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Chris Clark on the Main Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:30:00 +0000

Local Elora country-music singer-songwriter Chris Clark kicked off the Sunday of Riverfest Elora, including one that seemed to contain every country-music, americaland cliche imaginable.

All the rest of my Riverfest coverage is right here.

Riverfest Elora 2025: Fitz and the Tantrums on the Main Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:28:00 +0000

Fitz and the Tantrums are a super-fun pop band with a catalogue of anthemic, ear worm, singalong classics that are guaranteed to get every crowd dancing and singing along to their 100% fun tunes.

They headlined the main stage to close out the Saturday night of Riverfest Elora. What an amazing time!

Click here for all the rest of my Riverfest Elora coverage, and check out a Fitz' tune below.

"Hand Clap"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Sam Roberts Band on the Grasslands Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:26:00 +0000

Sometimes things don't go as planned, and sometimes things interrupt our best-laid plans. This happened to Yukon Blonde on the weekend of Riverfest Elora. They were supposed to perform on the Grasslands stage, but the strike by Air Canada flight attendants grounded their flights so they couldn't make it. Fortunately, Sam Roberts Band was able to step in and perform the show.

They played all the greatest hits and amassed a huge crowd. They packed them in like I haven't seen since Men Without Hats performed on the same stage back in 2019. Those photos are here.

Here's a link to all the rest of my Riverfest Elora coverage, all consolidated into one post.

"Brother Down"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Slash Need on the Koop Tent Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:24:00 +0000

I caught the latter half of Slash Need's intense, multi-sensory experience in the Koop Tent at Riverfest Elora. I loved their crazy intensity and walked away with a calm sense of, "that was fucking incredible". What art!!!

I love the diversity of performers here at Riverfest. That I went from Sam Roberts straight-up rock set to the avant garde artistry of Slash Need at the same festival at the same time, is incredible and I love it so much.

Check out the rest of my Riverfest coverage right here.

Check out some music from Slash Need below.

And I'd recommend you experience a Slash Need live show when you get the chance.

"Double Dare"

"Worm"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Tune-Yards on the Main Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:22:00 +0000

I've known Tune-Yards for a long time now, but this was my first time witnessing one of their live shows. I came away impressed by the incredible vocals and musicality of the duo.

All my Riverfest Elora coverage is right here.

And here's a Tune-Yards tune for your listening pleasure:

"Water Fountain"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Tom Wilson on the Koop Tent Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:20:00 +0000

Tom Wilson is a legendary Canadian singer/songwriter. I've caught a few of his performances, including with Junkhouse and as Lee Harvey Osmond. Their set was notable for the level of musicianship and the quality of the tunes. It was a pleasure to witness from start to finish. We're truly lucky to know the music of Tom Wilson and I was happy to share it with the Riverfest Elora crowd in the Koop Tent.

Here are the links to my previous Tom Wilson posts: Lee Harvey Osmond and Junkhouse from back in 2016.

And here's all my Riverfest Elora 2025 coverage in one spot.

"Shine"

Riverfest Elora 2025: Moontricks on the Grasslands Stage - Concert Photos

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:18:00 +0000

Based in the rustic Kootenay mountains of Western Canada, Nathan Gurley and Sean Rodman are electro-folk duo Moontricks. They performed on the Grasslands stage at Riverfest Elora.

Check out all my Riverfest coverage in one post right here.

And here's a Moontricks tune:

"Currents"