The Effens – Concert Review.
THE EFFENS define themselves as a, “hyper strange, post-grunge and glam pop four-piece that seem to take in all the vagaries of the internet age and recycle them into something unique and fantastic.” Well, fantastic and unique are a definite, yet, I sense more layers to their complexity!!!! It’s been over 5 years since I last captured the essence of The Wire Megazine’s 2014 Rising Star Hannah Edgerton, this was a sensational display of growth as I was totally mesmerized by her multi instrumental talents, this time on bass and she nails it!! Never idle throughout the 45 minute set and stellar harmonies blended beautifully with frontman, guitarist and lead vocalist Austin Nops.
If I closed my eyes I could hear 90s Grunge and 80s New Wave. A got a strong dose of Sonic Youth, with dashes of Bush, with an ever so slight sense of Mud Honey meets Oasis’s “Supersonic.” Yet deep within, I felt a slight Alice In Chains vibe too. Their garage underground sound trips the boarders of various genres but, grunge vibes are thick as their flavour compares to the taste of Smashing Pumpkins meets Nirvana.
The eras that relate to The Effens flavour are still going strong today and that is the perfect place to be, in the now, in the groove and on the upward climb. They are classed as 1 of the TOP 50 Best Toronto Indie Bands and you can clearly hear why. The age bracket on Oct. 19th blew my mind, I wasn’t the oldest person in the bar lol. The average age was 30 something and it was the same back in the day when fans 1st heard grunge make it’s debut. The historical Horseshoe Tavern soon turns 73 and has witnessed worldwide names cut their teeth upon that famous stage and now The Effens are joining that honourable long list of eclectic acts that have come into their own at The Horseshoe Tavern. This bar plays a significant part in Canadian musical history with its strong roots in supporting homegrown Canadian artists and here is just a sample of those names that have springboarded to stardom like notable icons: Bryan Adams, Blue Rodeo, Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip, Ken Tizzard, The Watchmen, Thornley, Big Sugar, Wide Mouth Mason, The Sheep Dogs, The Trews, Great Big Sea, The Band, Helix, Prairie Oyster, Our Lady Peace, Sarah Harmer, Joe Plaskett and the one and only Stompin Tom Connors just to name but a few.
The full house loved The Effens flavour as fans ate up their hits from both 2018 Burn Blush EP and 2019’s Unsafe EP. Even those in the audience were caught thrashing their noggins to The Effens beat not to mention singing loud and proud to songs like Burn Blush, Eventually, Venom Denim, Laugh Off, 13 6 years ago, Human, Phantom, Half and Unsafe. Keep on Keeping on and sharing your
You can catch them live this weekend, November 1st as they hit the Dance Cave stage at 10 pm at Death To T.O #9 at Lee’s Palace/The Cave at 539 Bloor Street West downtown Toronto. Hurry dont delay, get your $16.99 tickets online today at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/death-to-to-9-tickets-69345108085
Stay in Tune