cornershopstudios » Stomp Records 15th Anniversary @ Club Soda

Montreal’s talented natives have been ruling the entertainment world with an iron fist, but this tyrannical dictation hasn’t only just begun. Just think, a decade and a half ago we wondered how this would all turn out, now here we are celebrating the homegrown audio prowess of the high-stepping Stomp Records. The air was thick with musky eau d’anticipation as Club Soda’s walls held on tightly to the many years of memories and accomplishments that our ska/punk sultans of Stomp have provided. The mic wielding wall of hair, born to the name Angus Byers, lit the evening’s candle with a two foot torch of audible fury, as Psychobilly savants the Hypnophonics vandalized Montreal’s ears with first strike on the night. Crushing canters and energy swamped riffs debuted the night in a perfect light, as the Montreal bred punkers went from still new on the scene to the next big thing. Next up at bat, Chicago’s southies, FLATFOOT 56. The Celtic-punks from the Star Spangled Banner‘s Windy City, brought the working man’s glistening brow to Soda’s stage as a capacity crowd unleashed another bout of raw energy through a set of writhing crunch, wailing bagpipes and drink spilling fun. By the time they separated the crowd for a classic display of the wall of death, the room was won. Also celebrating a birthday of sorts were veteran Stomp cohorts Subb, blowing out the candles on 15 years of ska punk escapades. “Salut Montreal!”, hollered vocal helmer Jeff Quesnel, as the sounds of old and new poured from the stage in a 90s tsunami of rushing nostalgia. Working from the supporting slot on the lineup, Subb warmed up an already smoldering crowd even further with energy soaked ditties that lined the room with a general thirst for more of the past. “Everyone please welcome Jah Cutta!”, Quesnel cried, as another MTL staple floated on to the stage, making the night that much more complete. And finally the time had come for planets to be smashed. Taking the stage before a wall of respect doled out by the stares of 900 strong, ska superheros The Planet Smashers made everyone remember why they came out on this frigid 514 evening. “What’s up Montreal?! Ca va?!”, asked the Smashers fearless leader Matt Collyer, receiving a glass shattering response before the all too familiar body moving Too Much Attitude filled the air. And so the set went, a barrage of familiar tracks that spoke to each person in the room through thoughts of yesteryear and its ever so prevalent grip on the present. The aptly named Life of the Party exploded from the stage in a Planet Smashers styled coolness, proving once again that extraordinary is often imitated but never duplicated. Even a personal favorite Swayed wiggled through the crowd as truer words have never been spoken. “I won’t be swayed, I won’t be swayed I’m not gonna cave in no, I won’t be taken by my wills not breaking, I won’t be swayed.” Here to stay… Stomp Records 15 years strong!