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Here's some shocking news for you: I've never really been good at following trends.  To be honest, it's not that I can't follow them, I just don't want to. Why should I put in the effort to know what everyone is going all crazy about when they're just going to move onto the next thing in a matter of cultural milli-seconds?  I view it as a waste of time.  [Ed. note: Untrue, Andrew follows many trends. See: Andrew's JNCO pants and wallet chain.] Plus, if I follow what's "hot" at that time I might miss something I really enjoy, which is a crime in itself.  I tell you this because honestly I had NO IDEA what I was getting into when I asked our Metal Director if he could get me in to see A Day to Remember, August Burns Red, Enter Shikari, and Veara.

About a week beforehand, I noticed that Enter Shikari was coming to Montreal.  Now their first album Take to the Skies was amazing, and they had a new album that they just released so by going to the show I'd get to hear new stuff.  And also since they're from jolly ole England, I thought, "Well, I might as well try to go see them since who knows when they'll be back?"  So I got tickets through the station, and invited Brian from Countdown to Armageddon to accompany me so I had someone to attend with.

We agreed that we'd meet up in front of the venue, so I started walking to Metropolis.  When I got there, I was shocked by what I saw.  There was just a mass of people waiting to get in.  Literally a cluster-fuck of people!  Of course it didn't help that most of that part of Saint Catherine was under construction so people got displaced and put every which where.  I managed to find Brian in the crowd, and we went to go retrieve our tickets at the box office and subsequently cut in front of everyone in line.  Yeah, that's right.  Who says college radio doesn't have its perks? [Ed. note: According to eye witnesses, by this time, Andrew had imbibed to a lethal level and was largely slurring his words, his favourite uttering a combination of the words 'SHAKIRA' and 'TECHNO']

We went upstairs thinking we could get a good spot on the balcony, which of course we should have known was a foolish idea because the place was packed.  So not only was there a huge amount of people waiting to get in, but there was already a ton of people in the venue.  It was at this point that I began to realize that I really didn't have a clue what type of popularity these bands had obtained.  I mean honestly, I had Enter Shikari's first album, and I knew August Burns Red because they're from my hometown, and I'd seen them more times than I care to count as they opened for bands, and I heard A Day to Remember's last album, but I had no clue that these bands would be able to pull in the sheer number of people that they did.  Of course though, all of them had a median age of sixteen, so I imagine the bar didn't do too well.

First up: a band called Vaera?? Verea?? Hold on?  Okay, according to Epitaph's website, the band is called Veara, which is the easiest name to spell ever.  [Ed. note: Yes.] They were what you might typically expect a punk band on Epitaph to sound like.  It had that normal, kind of bland punk-ish sound to it that doesn't really offend anyone, but also doesn't stand out in your mind.  Maybe their album is really something to listen to, but I haven't gotten a chance to hear it yet, so I wouldn't know.

Next came the crazy Brits that I signed up to see.  Enter Shikari came out with their four members and proceeded to be completely insane.  The best I can describe it was if a hardcore band had drunkenly stumbled into a rave and started playing while DJs kept doing their set.  It basically was everything that I could have wanted in a show: lots of techno beats, screaming, loud guitars, handclaps, British people talking? It had everything.  We were later told by the lead singer that their drummer was not there so the drummer from August Burns Red was filling in.  Good for him doing double duty.  Also, he may have been the only person who could handle what they needed him to put out.  I did hear all the songs that I wanted to hear from the first album, and managed to convert Brian.  I'd say the band converted him, but that means I had very little to do with it, so fuck that. [Ed. note: Andrew's messianic complex shone bright that night, as he wandered the concert venue with his arms outstretched after Enter Shikari's set, screaming "FEEL THE WRATH OF KEYBOARDS." Compelling stuff.]

Seeing a bunch of people go ape-shit for ABR was a very strange experience. almost as weird as seeing shirts that had a basketball rec team logo from my hometown all over the place.  Apparently ABR thought that would be a great idea for a shirt, but to be honest it weirded me out a bit.  It was as if you and 20 of your friends created a club and printed out t-shirts for it and you went to Costa Rica and there were twenty people wearing the shirt.  Just a kind of, "Wait, did I travel a long distance and not be aware of it?" feeling.  ABR definitely was the heaviest band on the bill, putting out so many blast beats and loud, angry music that it made me feel like maybe Pennsylvania could contribute something to the betterment of music and not just Will Smith, Live, and Fuel [Ed. note: How dare you place Fuel with the rest of these shmucks.]  Of course, there was 100 percent more mentions of Jesus than I like in my shows, but with all the screaming, and denial, I barely noticed them.  Truth be told though, it wasn't the greatest thing I had ever seen.  I've seen hardcore done better, angrier, faster, and more originally from other bands, but it was decent nonetheless.

Finally, A Day to Remember set up with tons of lights and a large video screen and started their set.  After a slightly funny, and mildly racist video featuring one of the members "speaking Chinese" by saying "ching" and "chang" a bunch of times, they started playing.  They played the first song of their latest album, Homesick, which was unfortunate, because after that I was done looking forward to any songs.  Still, they played a bunch of songs in the pop-hardcore vein including a cover of The Fray's "Over My Head (Cable Car)", which was pretty funny and managed to not only make me laugh, but to be pretty good as well.  [Ed. confession: Andrew and Brian were both reportedly seen singing along to the Fray cover. Street cred is now lost.] We left right after that so we wouldn't have to go through the agony of trying to fight our way to the outside, staying for about forty minutes of the set, which is much more than I thought I would stay for.

Upon reflection, I actually began to think of how good a line up the show was.  What I mean is how well the bands went well together.  Each of the groups encompassed part of what the last band ultimately was.  From Veara, a nice, melodic singing and punk flavor.  From Enter Shikari, a nice amount of synthisizers.  [Ed. note: And Andrew fanboyism.] From August Burns Red, there was heavy, raw, energy and power and a sufficient amount of anger.  Mix all of these factors together and you get A Day to Remember.  Really it had something for everyone that likes one part or another of A Day to Remember and I couldn't think of any other show I'd ever gone to that really had a grouping that grouped bands so well.

So, as a final note, whoever organized the Detox tour, I applaud your effort.  You did a grand job getting bands that, while they seem to not go together at all, make you ultimately appreciate the last band all the more, and for a price that isn't completely insane.  Though I didn't pay anything, so I may be a bit biased.  [Ed. note: Andrew could have come out financially wealthy if he had chosen to sell his ticket; scalpers were charging 16 year-olds 75-80 and they were payin'. Andrew doesn't know the meaning of good bidness, apparently.] If this bill or something like it comes around you, check it out, and if you like A Day to Remember I encourage you to check out all the opening bands: chances are you may find something new that you like, and then maybe you'll have something else to see when I go to concerts so I have a bit of breathing room.

Comments, questions, fresh fruit here.

Despite his lack of success in arranging such a deal he still managed to express confidence that the Iraqis are “absolutely” ready to take over full responsibility for securing their country as the U.S. proceeds with a planned drawdown of combat forces. As things currently stand in Iraq, twirling towards freedom best describes it - there is still violence, every single day. About 4,400 American service members have given their lives in Iraq. Tens possibly hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have died. Today there is a report of bombings targeting Shia pilgrims in Iraq killing 5. Yesterday 64 were killed and 215 wounded in a string of attacks across Iraq...

In the NPR article linked above, journalist Lourdes Garcia-Navarro asks the 64 billion dollar question - Is Iraq a safer country now than it was three years ago? Undoubtedly. He says answering his own question and then continues, ...if you walk out the palace doors, and onto the hot dusty streets like I and many of my colleagues do everyday, you'll meet Iraqis who are worried about what comes next. Many of them ask me, "What was it all for?" As I leave Iraq this time, I have trouble giving them an answer.

He's not alone.

For the sixth year in a row, CJLO is proud to rock Montreal's Fantasia Film Festival! Bringing films from right here and around the world to screens at Concordia's downtown campus and across the city, Fantasia is North America's premiere genre film festival. Kung-fu, horror, sci-fi, anime, fantasy, action, documentaries from the edge, classic films and films soon to become classics... Fantasia has something for everyone!

CJLO is proud to bring our underground music to this underground film festival yet again - don't miss our DJs spinning live between films throughout the festival in the Hall theatre! Your DJs for Fantasia 2010 are Angelica from BVST, Johnny Suck from Turn Down The Suck, DJ CRW JNS from Boisterous Beats Brigade, Danielle from Runny Noise, DJ Mister Vee from Beats From The East, Denis A. from Dirty Work and Idle Matt from Radio Fun... so look up, way up toward the back of the theatre near the projection booth, then come and say hi!

The festival runs from July 8th to 28th in the Concordia H110 theater and a few other special locations. Check the website for updates and keep it locked to CJLO for ticket giveaways and fun times!

 The Taser people don't understand why Braidwood made his conclusion without, what they say is, any evidence to support it (other than the video of Dziekanski being tasered and dying!) and they claim Braidwood failed to take into account all of the studies and material they provided. Unbelievable - and it's not like he's the first to die as a result of being tasered. Anything we can do to get these things out of the hands of Canadian police officers is a good idea.

Canada's Natural Resources Minister is looking down the barrel of an ethics probe. That's what you get for having dealings with Jaffer.

As a result of flooding out west financial aid for Prairie farmers will be a key issue when Canada's agriculture ministers get together in Saskatoon this week.