Tucked into the south end of the Mile End, just above the mountain, lies a nice little venue called Cabaret du Mile End. This was my first time in this venue, which used to be the Kola Note, and before that, Club Soda, so the sound system and lighting were impeccable. I arrived at the show way too early, but the door was already teeming with Dragonette superfans, which tended to be the indie “interesting sweater” crowd with money burning holes in their pockets. They were definitely digging the pre-show Cake soundtrack provided by the sound man.

When I was in grade nine, Pennywise was the quintessential punk band. Not only did they give me instant cool cred when everyone else was listening to Nickelback, but their music soothed over the rough moments of early high school. When I heard that they were coming to Montreal, and I had the chance of reviewing the show, I jumped at the opportunity. Also, they were playing with pop punk legends Authority Zero and Riverboat Gamblers, as well as local band Fifty Stars Anger. It was the promise of a majorly great show.

Hello CJLO Listeners,