War of Ages @ El Mocambo (March 2nd, 2014)

On a typical Canadian evening, my fingertips and legs were starting to feel rather raw from the bone chilling winds that were plaguing downtown Toronto.  With temperatures dropping to somewhere around the -20/25 mark, I was trying to keep high hopes for a decent turn out to this concert.  Seeing War of Ages many times in the past gave me the will to venture out on a Sunday evening to a venue I have never been to before.  First time at a legendary venue such as El Mocambo with a great act such as WoA was a winner in my books.

Now my first impression of the venue did not live up to the reputation I thought it had.  Unlike other classic venues in the city such as Massey Hall (I know thats a big comparison) and even intimate places like Horseshoe Tavern usually give off a vintage vibe that makes you feel like you are a part of something.  Unfortunately I did not feel the same about El Mocambo.  It could have been the fact that there were less bodies than expected, it could have been the major draft coming from the front doorway, or it could be the fact that it was a 19+ event, which (I believe) affected the turnout of the evening.  Whatever the case may be, I found myself watching an underrated band in an overrated bar.

Many opening acts throughout the evening made the evening dragged on.  Not that I didn't find them entertaining or anything but just seemed to be one band after another.  It might have been a different situation had I known most of the opening acts.  And I also understand that there needs to be some bang for your buck, even if the ticket was only $13.  That being said, Mouth of the South seemed to get the crowd warmed up quite easily.  However, I know this is just my personal preference NOT to mix religion with music.  Even if it is your inspiration/muse, I don't want to come to a show and listen to you preaching on stage.  If I wanted to hear someone talk about JC, I would seek the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association or something along those lines.  Whew, glad to have gotten that off my chest.

So here is what we got right from the get go of the show...

Five guys enter stage left with a goal to rock the bodies they saw filling in in front of them.  So logistically, I say these guys played their hearts out against the elements (Sunday night, freezing temperatures, 19+ event, little advertisement, etc.).  The odds were not in their favour but I loved the amount of energy they brought to their setlist and interacting with the crowd.  Overall, I was very happy seeing them come through Toronto once more.  This was the first time I had seen them headlining their own tour so getting those extra songs out of them was well worth the wait on a late Sunday evening.

"ALL CONSUMING FIRE BURN!"