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Whoever said 'ska is dead' certainly isn't from Montreal. Then again I'm not either, and what I saw there on November 23rd was one of the craziest shows of my life. With The Planet Smashers ending off their Canadian tour in their hometown accompanied by band-buddies Mustard Plug, a good show was a certainty. The show was held in the Metropolis on St. Catherine’s street (known for it's huge variety of strip joints). The venue itself holds about 3500 people, and I'm pretty sure it was near full capacity that night.

Starting off first was Gainesville, Florida's very own The Know How. I'd only heard a couple of songs from this band before but I really liked them and decided it would be worth going to the show early to see these guys play. I wasn't disappointed. It's probably safe to say that these guys are going to be the next big thing in ska music. Songs like "Daniel Larusso is Going to Fight" and "I Am Sparticus" had the crowd in a skankin' frenzy as soon as the show started. Their new cd "HappyFunRobotKillTime" (produced by former Less Than Jake sax player, Derron Mars) is a must-have for any fan of third wave ska.

Next up was local hardcore band The Sainte Catharine’s. These guys were decent and had a few heads nodding in the crowd, but they kind of seemed out of place as they were the only non-ska band playing the show. Even though they weren't quite my thing, I'd still give them credit for being good musicians and any fan of hardcore music should certainly check them out.

Then came Mustard Plug, the band I had spent the whole day waiting for. What can I say about this band? They put on an insanely good live show every time I see them, and they always have a lot of fun while they're at it. By the time they began their set with "Not Enough" from their new cd, the crowd was almost at its peak and ready to dance it up. Imagine nearly 1000 people skankin' to catchy, energetic ska, it was a rude boy's dream come true. Mustard Plug played several tunes off their new cd including "You Want It, We Got It" and "Just a Minute" which were the ones that seemed to get the audience moving the most. Their trumpet player did the rap for "Throw a Bomb" which I really enjoyed and hundreds of kids sang along to "Yesterday" which surprised me, as I never figured it to be one of their popular songs. Other highlights included "You", "Go", "Lolita", and of course the all popular "Beer Song". My only peeve about their set list was the absence of "Never Be", "The Freshman", and "Mr. Smiley" which they played at their Ottawa show.

And finally there was The Planet Smashers, a true Canadian favorite. When the curtain for them went up, all hell broke loose once more and the band began to play for their crazy hometown audience. Smoke effects surrounded the stage, and coloured lights flashed on the band, the audience, and the upper floor. At this point of the show, everywhere in the building seemed to be crammed with people, and there was not one person I could see who was standing still. A spiked mohawk jabbed me in the face during "Holiday" but I didn't care much because I was too busy skankin' it up. Halfway through the set, frontman Matt Collyer pulled out a phone and told the crowd his brother from Tofino was on the line. The person said hello to the audience with the telephone speaker put against a microphone (or from his own mic backstage) and Matt said "Where are you going right now?" The person replied "I'm going surfing!" and then the Smashers broke into "Surfing In Tofino" which is by far one of their best songs. Some other really good songs that they played were "Blind", "Life of the Party", "Too Much Attitude", and "Fabricated". After they finished their set, the crowd went wild demanding an encore and The Planet Smashers returned to play "Super Orgy Porno Party" with every member of Mustard Plug on the stage skankin' or running around in wild glee. The Smashers then finished it up with "Skate or Die" and left the audience with what was probably the best Canadian ska show of the year.



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    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 28, 2002 at 10:03 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Im from Montreal and I missed the show becuase I was in quebec city. I didnt think much of it at the time but now I wish I was there. Oh well, I've seen the Planet Smashers 1000 times.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 28, 2002 at 2:51 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I also saw both MP and the Planet Smashers in separate shows in buffalo.... two of the most fun shows for me this year. Not huge crowds, but since it was responsive, the bands played great, and left me hope that ska isn't dead. Best part of the show was when a couple kids bought boogieboards, and surfed over the crowd during "Surfing in Tofino." Good times.

    Posted by shindo on 2002-11-28 12:49:02
    My Score:

    at_the_drive_in_21: You go to the University of Guelph I'm assuming. What are you taking?

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 27, 2002 at 12:16 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    yeah, the Planet Smashers may not be master lyricists, but they're a fun band. If you're looking for enlightenment, they are not for you, but that doesn't mean they aren't good.

    Posted by at_the_drive_in_21 on 2002-11-27 03:10:22
    My Score:

    Damn the Planet Smashers are good musicians. Sure, their lyrics are a little weak sometimes, but they more than make up for it with their live show and sound. Seen them countless times, and will keep going back for more. Mustard Plug - the same to them. First ska band I saw live years ago.
    I got a chance to see this tour in Guelph and both bands were in top form. The crowd could have been better, but maybe its just the moshing to the Smashers that threw me off. Plug I can understand, they have more of an edge - but for the Smashers? I don't know.
    I can still hear the little guy beside me "Let's start a circle pit!" Who's playing? Slayer? By no means am I putting down moshing, in the right atmosphere that's all you can do, but for ska? I never understood it.

    Posted by GregSka on 2002-11-27 00:56:41
    My Score:

    2200? Alright my mistake then, I only found one person who could tell me how much the place could hold and I didn't really know if he was sure on it. Fun time though, it was great dancing with any of you that were in that massive pit!

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, November 27, 2002 at 12:00 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    I fucking love Montreal, cannot wait to move there.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 6:26 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Being from Montreal (well at least I am from Montreal now....) there's nothing that annoys me more than the Planet Smashers. Wow. Same repetitive rhythm/beat to every song, and performed a crime against music by headlining over the suicide machines AND ensign... (remember that tour?) They must have some redeeming value... I mean, people lose their shit here for them. I just don't see it.

    The Ste. Catherines, now that's a hella band. Yeah, they're definitely not hardcore. But they are fucking amazing. They sort of remind me of Hot Water Music if they wrote pop-punk songs.

    Now Death For Every Sin and a Perfect Murder, those are some great Montreal hardcore bands. Get a head start and check them out.

    - BITTER

    Posted by FeedMyNightmare on 2002-11-26 15:42:53
    My Score:

    I saw these bands in seperate shows in Buffalo. After all the shows ive been to the past 5 years. I have to say, I still have the most fun dancing it up to these bands. These bands give ska the little cred it has left, and for that I love them.

    Posted by StabbingGoldfish on 2002-11-26 15:39:13
    My Score:

    I can't believe nobody has bashed ska yet. This is a miracle. The Planet Smashers and Mustard Plug own.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 3:08 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Apparently, Matt actually called his brother in Tofino for real. Great show! bye.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 11:03 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Sorry again, now with the new renovation, Metropolis can hold 2200.

    - Louis

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 10:56 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    I was there too and it was a great show. Sorry Greg but I have to correct you on one point, Metropolis can only hold 1600 people.

    - Louis

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 10:48 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    im not a huge ska fan, but i will say i like Mustard plug and there shows are great. On another note, i Actually saw the ST cAherines in NY a couple months ago with I Farm, and like, maybe 20 people if even were there, and they played there fucking hearts out, damn they were good, but I just wanted to say, that, i really don't think there hardcore, Maybe like, hard edged pop punk, ala dillinger 4? I dunno, good review though.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 10:37 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    the planet smashers don't get enough credit for what they do.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 9:24 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Montreal is a great town for Punk shows =)

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 6:23 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    I think the planet smashers are pretty cool-oldpunker-

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 4:37 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    they are sucha great band... but ive never seen them live dammit!!! come to the westcoast!!!

    Posted by evildeadalive on 2002-11-26 03:37:40
    My Score:

    Planet Smashers fucking rule everytime. I can't think of a better band to put the dancing shoes on for...

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 1:55 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    montreal institutions: smoked meat, bagels, beer, les canadiens, strippers and the worlds greatest PLANET SMASHERS!

    great fucken city.

    Posted by shindo on 2002-11-26 01:33:09
    My Score:

    I saw this tour when it came through Guelph. Mustard Plug was fun but I didn't know any of their material. The Planet Smashers were an absolute blast as always.

    adam

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 12:38 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    long live the planet smashers!

    Posted by Jon_the_Skafather on 2002-11-26 00:32:49
    My Score:

    nice to hear the know how getting good reviews, they deserve it. i think they're one of the most energetic live bands i've seen in a while...

    Posted by maverick on 2002-11-26 00:23:56
    My Score:

    3500 people?

    Jeezus.

    -Scott

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