Toronto punk band Cancer Bats are spreading their wings all over the world, but are looking forward to a quick Canadian tour which includes a stop in Lethbridge, Aug. 9 at Scores North.
“Lethbridge is one of those out of the way places where we can have a great show any day of the week because the scene is so strong there,” said Cancer Bats frontman Liam Cormier from a tour stop in Dallas.

“We’ve only ever really been there to play shows, but they’ve always consistently they’ve always been good. It’s one of those places where you know it’s going to be a good just because the scene is strong and people just want to have fun,” said Liam Cormier, Cancer Bats lead vocalist from sweaty Dallas.

 “That's why we chose these stops when we decided to do this quick run through Canada. We know the shows are going to rule in Lethbridge, and we know the show is going to rule in Red Deer and we’ll save Calgary and Edmonton for next time. But this is going to be the real no holds barred fun show we can do any time of the year, any time of the week, we just know it’s going to be awesome so that was the main thing we’re getting stoked on,” he said adding Lethbridge can expect a solid set of  heavy music.

“We’re all hard core, punk rock kids. For us, That what we grew up going to. I think the best place to see a band is when you’re right in front and you’re spitting on each other and having a good time and mixing it up like get a good sweaty pit going. For me that's where punk and hard core are always going to live.”

Cancer Bats blur the line between  punk/hardcore and metal thanks to a plethora of big, beefy guitar riffs mixed with liberal doses of attitude and a lot of volume.

“That’s the thing where we definitely blur that line. It depends who you ask. We’re playing this tour and we’re considered a punk band on it, where we play more punk rock shows, that’s where we we come off as more of a metal band. Our band ourself is all over the place, but I think that’s because we overall just fans of music and not specific to any one genre, it makes it tough on people,” he said adding they are enjoying being the only punk band on  the Cool Tour 2010 with Underoath, As I Lay Dying, Between  the Buried and Me, the Acacia Strain, Architect and War of Ages.
“It pretty good, we’re having a good time. It's kind of like one of those things. There’s lots of summer festival tours going on  all over the place so we’re kind of like dodging them, if that makes sense. We don’t have too much going on in the States,” he said.

“It’s made for an interesting routing where we’re driving all over the place and  going to some different spots like you wouldn’t usually hit,” he said.
“We’re on a metal tour where we’re not the heaviest band for one. We’re kind of the punk band on the tour which we don’t have happen a lot, so it’s kind of refreshing. So it’s like people come up and  say ‘we wish you were heavier,’ and we’re like ‘really? Okay that’s weird.”
He is impressed how word is spreading about the Cancer Bats in the United States.

A sparse audience enjoyed local country/folk singer Karen Romanchuk along with bassist David Popovitch and  guitarist Pete Watson perform at the Owl Acoustic Lounge, July 31.

She introduced the audience to a couple Willie P. Bennett covers as well as REM’s “One I Love” plus numerous new originals including one very cool blues tinged tune which  she “wrote while feeling depressed” which even her husband hadn’t heard before.

Popovitch laid down the groove while Watson added some tasteful acoustic guitar solos.

July 30 was rockabilly night at the Slice with  Bent 8 and Hurricane Felix.

A  sparse crowd of approximately 25 didn’t put off Calgary’s Hurricane Felix and the Southern Twisters, who brought a high octane set of real old school rockabilly, filled with scorching Gretsch licks, a stand up groove and unstoppable drums that was played as tight as a drag race for pinks.

 They had a couple of people dancing up a storm in front of the stage and nailed the rockabilly  licks on the Gretsch not to mention the groove on the stand up bass.

Scores North started picking up the slack  as far as hosting bigger concerts since the Blarney Stone closed in July.
 They had a good 100-150 people  to hear an energetic reggae infused show from local  rock/ reggae/ pop band Sleeping With Tuesday and Mississauga’s Ill Scarlett, July 30.

Sleeping With Tuesday played a condensed (compared to their usual three-four hour musical marathons)  hour and some long set featuring  much of their latest CD ‘Shuffle,” as well as old favourites.
 

They began with a couple of strong new tracks, “Plastic Bottle,” and their first Cars inspired single “Fa Fa Phone” and took off from there with an extremely tight including  a lot of their more reggae inspired songs including a crowd favourite “Ska Sally.” The quiescent crowd finally got out on the dance  floor for an outstanding cover of Coldplay’s “Clocks,” which got them warmed up for the main event— Ill Scarlett.

Ill Scarlett laid down a steady reggae/rock groove and ear piercing volume which kept the dance floor hopping and had quite a few people singing along with them.