The Monarch Tavern in Toronto, established in 1927, is one of the oldest bars in Toronto. The bar doubles as a very intimate venue that hosted Los Angeles based band Militarie Gun. The band is currently on tour in support of their new release, Let Me Be Normal.
The event started with the performance of the solo act Some Exercise an Art-Punk project by Sam Pichonsky from Toronto; he entertained the audience with a short act, full of distortion and rich sounds that evening.
Immediately following his set PONY, a grunge pop band from Toronto, took the stage. Lead by Sam Bielanski Vocals/Synth, Matty Morand Guitar/Bass and Drums by Josh Cassidy, Pony performed a variety of songs like “WebMD,” “Peach,” “My Room,” “Did it again” and closed with “Choke.” Samantha Bielanski charmed the audience with a very delightful voice and sweet presence during the set, while Josh Cassidy’s drums were smooth and on point joining in perfect sequence with the rest of the band during their show.
MSPaint from Hattiesburg, Mississippi was the next band of the evening, with their synth, hard and post-punk music, they made a real statement about their point of view about life, feelings and daily struggles all expressed through their music and lyrics. Nick and his synths, Deedee on vocals, Quinn behind drums, and Randy on bass captivated the audience throughout their set.
It was time for the main act of the evening. Militarie Gun jumped to the stage, grabbed their musical devices, and started their performance off with “Ain’t No Flowers,” “Let Me Be Normal,” “Fell on My Head” and “Disposable Plastic Trash, Don’t Pick Up The Phone.” They really hit their biggest hits first with lots of energy.
Militarie Gun is eager, fearless, and ready to take action and their music is what I would call “A New Wave of Millennial Music.” Militarie Gun is led by vocalist Ian Shelton (Regional Justice Center), guitarists Nick Cogan (Drug Church), William Acuña, bassist Max Epstein, and drummer Vince Nguyen (Modern Color).
Their setlist:
- Ain’t No Flowers
- Let Me Be Normal
- Fell On My Head
- Disposable Plastic Trash
- Don’t Pick Up The Phone
- A New Low for Progressive Society
- Life in Decline
- Kept Talkin’
- Dislocate Me
- All Roads Lead To The Gun
- Think Less
- Pressure Cooker
- Big Disappointment
Leave a Reply