By Adam Bernhardt & Erik Masson, Photo by Adam Bernhardt

For Local Rock n Roll night, the Horseshoe hosted a number of local bands as well as bands from abroad. The grungy intimate atmosphere of the Horseshoe allowed for us to get a good feel for the bands that we would not have gotten at a larger venue.

The night started off with a raucous energetic set by Hamilton’s Live How You Live, and finished with some hard rock anthems from BallRoom Babies that drowned the audience under a sea of fog and volume.

But it would be the set by U of T alumni The Black Fever that really amazed us. The Black Fever opened with “Break my Heart” and played a set that was heavily devoted to their

new album Revisionist including songs such as “Girls… Just Want to Have Funds”. They also hinted at a new release with the inclusion of a new song at the end of their set. The Black Fever have spoken of taking a new direction with their songwriting, and indeed this came across with the clarity and potency of their songs.  The crisp and austere post-punk atmosphere of their new material contrasted a great deal with the Brit-pop influences of Romanticism, Shoe’s frenetic guitar work and plaintive vocals brought to mind a hungrier, rougher Interpol at times. Pat Bramn and Dan Purpura laid down a solid pulse, which spoke to their solidity as a rhythm section while Shoe demonstrated his considerable vocal talents.

They have spoken at length about the new emphasis that the bass plays in their new sound and in a live setting one could not help but hear it, often taking a lead role in the direction and melody of a song. The tightness of the band instrumentally lead to a frantic and energetic set, which provided a propulsion that was found lacking in Revisionist. By no means bombastic, the tasteful edge of the live environment allowed The Black Fever to break out of the album’s weak production and amaze with their spirited performance and angular rhythms. We look forward to seeing them again at Canadian Music Week.

You can check out The Black Fever on their website.