Bad 2 Good - What worked for me?

LIFE: Unleash The Archers @ The Velvet Underground

The last time Unleash the Archers were in Toronto was 2015. Having only started listening to them this year, I wouldn't let this chance at The Velvet Underground pass me by.

It felt like a Monday: cold, raining, depressing weather, and tiring to stand in line. The crowd, which arrived quickly, was quiet.

That is, till Lutharo came on stage. They brought the place to life; their presence and great sound evident from the start. I was most impressed and you could tell these guys know their stuff. They seemed so comfortable up there, just having fun, rubbing beards and touching nipples. It was fun for us to watch, too. Also, vocalist Krista Shipperbottom absolutely killed it. She sang each song with the power to shake the stage. I stood there, right up front and felt it all. She only got stronger through the set as the crowd warmed up to it, which didn't take long. I had seen them in the past, and this was their best performance to date. Will definitely be seeing them again.

Lovely Lutharo

After picking up some Lutharo merch, we headed back into the dense crowd, now obligated to stand by the wall about twice as far as we were before. Not to mention that the Tallest Man On Earth™ stood in front of us, loving Striker with vivid passion and nearly blocking my view. They stormed in with wrath and guns blazing and the most catchy first song. Actually, their whole set was catchy, and they had this classic thrash metal vibe to them. Though it was a good set, I did feel though that it was about 1000 songs too long. They pumped us up plenty, but I think about how we could have maybe benefited from a longer Lutharo set? Or maybe even more from Unleash the Archers? Not too much to nitpick on though, they're a great band! Would love to see them again, too.

Striking Striker

My buddy and I struggled to reach the front of the stage for UTA, but we managed, impolitely packed between other fans. We didn't wait long after Striker, and an industrial track played loudly through the venue to start them off. I liked it, I love industrial, it works for me, and it was a longer version of the intro to their first song, "Awakening." The band entered one by one, and Britney Slayes, the vocalist, of course came in last. She looked fabulous, The Matriarch, in a tight, black outfit and wicked coat. The set was absolutely perfect, each song very carefully selected and executed to perfection. I watched Britney surge with power, close enough to feel her ready to explode. She maintained the same intensity through the whole set and made it look effortless. It was so intense and as I think back about it, I felt truly elevated seeing them that night. There's something that happens to me when I watch live music sometimes, and the last time this happened was when I saw Issues. That is, I only casually used to listen to UTA, but after seeing them live I've listened to Apex on repeat with a different set of ears. I'm so happy I got to see this gifted band, and though I'm being repetitive now, next time they're in town I'll be right there to see it all again.

Unbelievable Unleash The Archers

Alpha: What Worked for Me?

Alpha is a historical drama action film about how one boy survives after an unlikely companionship with a wolf. In doing so, it hopes to tell the story of the first dog. I had low expectations for it, but came out of it quite impressed. There was a lot of thought put into this movie; it was stylistically consistent, had great acting, and they created a fully immersive world.

I was shocked to find the film is not in spoken English. All the actors speak a completely made up language, and they've all bought into it: their actions match what they are apparently saying. They're able to emote through the gibberish of what they say. This made the film quite immersive.

Source: Sony Pictures

The action was very intense and the stakes were high throughout the movie, even though the ending was not a surprise (SPOILER: humans today live with dogs). The ending itself was a bit of a twist, and it made you feel good. I left the theatre feeling like I wanted a dog, and that the world was amazing and everything is great. It's been a while since a film made me feel something like that.

The sets were stunning, whether real or matte painted. The mountains, forests, deserts, and water all seemed like from a different planet, and yet it was also completely familiar, including the extreme weather they faced. This familiarity was abandoned when you explore the relationships humans have with the animals. The animals approach humans curiously or in a predatory way, and  they seem fearless. The first scene, which was a battle scene between a human tribe and bison, was depicted in an epic, fantasy-battle way. It was an interesting choice for the tone, and it worked for me. A great action packed opening like that hooked me right in.

Source: Sony Pictures

Keda, and his wolf Alpha had a great, inspiring friendship and bond in the film. Keda speaks to the wolf as if it can understand him, and it seems to do just that. However, Keda has no idea that it  actually doesn't. This dynamic between them seems almost spiritual; an innocent, ignorant human, reaching out to one not like itself, and forming an unbreakable bond. It was beautiful to watch.

Source: Sony Pictures

There were some cute scenes, too, which came as origin stories to some of the human and dog quirks we have today, such as fetching sticks and responding to whistling. The humour created was subtle, probably because the concept of a joke as we know it today wasn't quite developed in Keda's time.

I liked the score too and I can't wait to give it a listen once it's out. It was all tonally connected to the film, taking all the right cues. I wish I had more to say, but I haven't had the opportunity to listen to it thoroughly. All I remember was the intensity it brought to each scene.

The extreme weather experienced by Keda and how he needed Alpha to survive it all, in the absence of his fellow humans is the main conflict here in the film. I think it's trying to frame how an alliance with nature is what we need right now facing our climate crisis. It's not unheard of that historical fiction uses the past to reflect our current issues. What do you think?

Alpha was an excellent film and I recommend it to all dog fans and fans of historical fiction. It may be based on a flawed premise (there are, after all, no such thing as Alpha wolves), but it's still a good story and worth the watch.

LIFE: A Night with Lights #MMSxLIGHTS

Lights did a special, free show sponsored by the new minty M&Ms on August 28. It was my third time watching her perform this year.

The lineup to get into the venue for door's open was a long one filled mostly with restless youths and some parents. I met my girlfriend in line with a bag of A&W and luckily she was standing fairly close up front. This meant that we were entitled to a standing space close to the stage once we were permitted to enter [because that's how General Admission tickets work, Toronto. Right? RIGHT? /s]

At 8 PM, DCF took the stage. With a band! A drummer and a guitarist joined him, and he played the songs I was familiar with from the last two Lights' concerts I went to. It was certainly different to hear him play with an actual band instead of a background track. The music still had its pop and hip-pop sensibilities, with drum loops playing alongside the live drummer along with some delicate electric guitar work. However, I still don't much care for his voice. He just doesn't have a passion and timbre in his vocals comparable with some of his contemporaries. I want to hear him belt out like Tyler Carter, but instead he sounds like a talented karaoke singer. Use your diaphragm, man.

Leave your mans

Our girl Lights was next and her presence, voice, band, and music was what it was all about. The venue was the smallest one I've seen her play at, and it managed to be a different experience because of it, even though I've seen this setlist twice already. This time, there wasn't much flashiness on stage; she didn't change her outfit once, the lighting was basic, and she just seemed happy to be there despite the humidity. It felt like I was watching any of my favourite "emo" bands playing, since there was a focus on the music and performance of it all. Her standout performances were "Up We Go" and "Moonshine," with the latter getting an emotional moment from her since it wasn't a single on her new album and we all knew the words.

She's powerful

I enjoyed this concert, especially since it was free, but it was a pleasure seeing her again as always.

THE FIRST PURGE: What worked for me?

I've been a big fan of the Purge series since its inception, catching all of them in theatres except for the first one (the original film from 2013, not The First Purge (2018)). I'm not into it necessarily for the thrills, or the satire, or its themes (all of which are interesting), but I am into it for the world building. It is both a foreign and familiar one, packed with enough lore for me to think about for weeks over.

I almost feel that the film was made for people like me. The First Purge will satisfy your every craving for more information about this universe. The characters are interesting, the plot follows along seamlessly as the stakes become ever increasing, and it's all gushing with lore and gore. The soundtrack is superb, reverberating and grimy, with memorable cues. 

The film has lots of characters from somewhat different walks of life. The event takes place on Staten Island, NY, and focuses on male gangster Dimitri (Y'lan Noel), a female community leader Nya (Lex Scott Davis), and her brother Isiah (Joivan Wade), among some other characters. From the other perspective, the government, we have the woman who "creates" the Purge Dr. May Update (Marisa Tomei). Dimitri's story is excellent, and his character experiences some real changes throughout the ordeal, as does Isiah. On the other hand, Nya, as important as she was, plays it a bit stiff, and her delivery sometimes didn't match the danger and intensity of the scene.

Source: Universal Pictures

Additionally, Dr. May's portrayal is confusing. She's not exactly sympathetic, so the conclusion to her arc doesn't make much sense. She stresses that The Purge is merely a scientific experiment, and hopes that people participate in the violence, but is surprised and disappointed once she figures out the government intervened. 

We see how the American people are being shown the Purge through the TV, versus what is actually happening. The film portrays the media almost like another character, with the goal to subdue the world to what's happening. I suppose it's about how fake news can be a real problem, and how a free press is important, since the media in this world is so obviously controlled by the government.

There's some great scenes in here, like one o

f the Purge parties near the beginning of the event. I really wanted to be there, it just looked like so much fun. It turns out that most people's ideas of purging was just a big, fun party. Violence is not the catharsis of the original purge, but instead, hedonism. An interesting touch, and it confuses our strange Doctor as they watch from above. There's another great scene, as Dimitri's gang unravels the mystery of new combatants into the arena that has become Staten Island. It's filmed with heavy fog (from a smoke grenade) and they come out, guns blazing (I'm talking massive guns in both hands). What follows is essentially a sword fight, with sound effects lifted straight from your favourite Medieval-period movie, and it was just so awesome to watch. 

Source: Universal Pictures

Despite all that, the film is padded with some extra characters that actually detract from the world-building and narrative. Two characters are added for our sympathy, but having them dead I think would have made the story more tragic, thus making the ending more satisfying. There's one scene at the beginning I would remove entirely, an interview with a potential Purge candidate. She never comes up in the movie again, and I assume they cut her murders or something from the movie but forgot to cut her introduction.

Altogether though, my complaints are minor to the film. It's short at just over an hour and a half, and its problems are easily forgotten from the rest of its awesomeness. If you're a fan of the series you'll love this movie. 

LIFE: Vans Warped Tour @ Flats @ Budweiser Stage (July 17)

When I was in highschool, I attended the 2007 Vans' Warped Tour in highschool in 2007 at Barrie's Molson Park. My choice of line-up was Protest the Hero, k-os, and Coheed and Cambria, and probably many others I can't remember. So many people attended, and I was amazed by it all, especially for the main stage where Coheed played. The crowd, to me, echoed crowds like the pictures of major Metallica shows I'd seen on the internet.

This is all probably just my memory and not what actually happened, and I was plainly reminded of that when I attended the final leg of the tour in Canada this year on July 17.

To start off, this was a Tuesday, and just as I suspected, plenty of kids filled the meager Flats @ Budweiser Stage.  The first band on the main stage was announced to be Issues, playing at 11:30, and my friend and I had no intention of getting there that early. Our fault, but it still sucked.

When we got there, after taking a walk around the premises, we stopped to see Harm's Way - a fairly heavy band that I've never heard of before. The crowd they gathered was thick pretty thick for the middle of the day. Their energy was intoxicating, however, the music sounded a bit generic. Still a great way to get hyped at the start.

 Next to them performed Tatiana DeMaria, who began her set maybe halway through Harm's Way The contrast couldn't be more evident. She had an Avril Lavigne The Best Damn Thing Vibe, which was awesome. She gave it her everything, though, and it was intoxicating to witness.

We caught Selfish Things afterwards and genuinely enjoyed tail of their set. It wasn't their first song that caught us, and we walked away from them heading to Senses Fail, but as they played a "Song 2" cover from Blur, they reeled us back in. Respect to these guys, but, a lot of bands would be doing covers today.

We tried to watch Senses Fail. Look at the view. When we got their, they played a medley starting with "Toxicity" by System of a Down and including a Limp Bizket song. Altogether, they were good, but I'm completely unfamiliar with their work. I'm sure they were good from what I could see!

We went about this for the rest of the evening, shifting from the main stage to another. That's why we saw We the Kings. We just wanted to check out who was on the main stage at the time. They were alright. Look at the crowd though.

We were getting exhausted at this point, but seeing Everytime I Die, though, changed things. The band was superb, a love letter to the tour and their fans. We unfortunately felt the need to leave early, however, to watch Sum 41.

No regrets there! They came to kick ass and play music and they did just that. It was the anniversary of "Does This Look Infected?" and they played the whole thing, from "The Hell Song" to "Hooch." It was emotional, nostalgic, energetic, and epic. Halfway through it, they inflated that oversized skeleton flipping all of us off. The crowd ate it all up. I wish I made it to the pit for them. I'm excited for their upcoming album now to be honest. Pop punk's not dead.

We took a bit of a break, but went back to the main stage to watch Underoath and got there while Reel Big Fish still performed. After them was Simple Plan, and wouldn't you know it, they rocked it. Playing their "hits" and new material, it made me wonder why I didn't care for them before. Serious respect to them, they controlled the stage.

Finally I can talk about Underoath. What a performance! Give these guys all the credit. While it wasn't as energetic as Sum 41, I won't forget how they played, the connection they had with the crowd, the setlist. I'm surprised I even got a photo in, I was dancing so much.

It's too bad the tour is ending, but I suspect something will come along to take its place. It reminded me how much fun these things can be. I hope whatever comes next is only better. 

FIREWORKS - What worked for me?

"Fireworks, Should We See It From the Side or the Bottom?" [known as just "Fireworks" in English] is a movie in which I have mixed feelings about, for once.

On the one hand, the dialogue was excellent. The kids in the movie (I believe around 12 years old) appropriately sound their age, right down to calling one another "dumbasses." It's not over-the-top like South Park, but it doesn't shy away from the language either. They also speak differently among one another than they do in front of adults. The main incident framing the story involves these kids wondering if fireworks are flat or round when they explode, and I simply love that. The reactions this question gets from everybody involved is just great.

On the other hand, the movie almost doesn't have a plot, and by that I mean, none of the characters are active agents in the story. The macguffin, a beautiful glass time-travelling ball, is actually the object that resolves conflicts and moves the plot forward, and the main characters are pulled along for the ride. Norimichi has an interesting problem to work through, and I enjoy the musings of Nazuna. I just don't remember any of their problems truly being addressed or resolved by the end; it's unsatisfying.

The quality of the animation is excellent and blends 3D CGI and traditional-looking animation for some interesting effects. The movie is well edited and directed in that sense, and I can get past the plot problem because of its beauty.

I would recommend this movie for something light and beautiful to watch on an ugly, stormy day.