Day two of Canadian Music Week had iheartthemusic’s team “mkay” out to Tattoo Rock Parlour for the opening night party. Set to play were Bury the Bully, Isle of Thieves, Songs From a Room and Inward Eye. We got to sit and catch up with the boys that make up Inward Eye before the show so stay tuned for that interview, but first we’ll give you a run down of the night’s happenings.

This event was advertised as by-invite-only which means we were expecting it to be full of industry professionals and a few fans so it was great to see TONS of bands out to support the acts playing and listen to some great tunes in the process. First up was a band that goes by the name of Bury the Bully. Prior to this evening we had not even heard of them, which to our surprise was a shock after they began their set. These Whitby-born boys rocked and are now on our radar as a band to watch. Lead vocalist Rich was incredible and they were a great treat to start the night off with! They ended their set by playing a new tune called “Rock My Baby” which was incredible and is a great tease for what’s to come for this young band! They return to Tattoo Rock Parlour on April 9^th so if you get a chance to check them out, do it! Trust us you won’t be disappointed!

Next up were Isle of Thieves a very young band that hails from Toronto and is composed of a mixture of varying musical backgrounds. Although they were all talented with regards to their respective instruments, the vocals were just not there. This band has so much potential if they only had a stronger lead vocalist. Let this be a warning for all other bands out there, it does not matter how talented you are, the front man has to be able to stand out on his own or else it ruins the whole performance. It was really difficult to concentrate on anything else but the lack of vocals. They had a great sound, however, and it was nice to see keys incorporated into the mix.

We got to see the boys from Songs From a Room rock the house yet again this evening and as per usual they were amazing (see review and interview with them in a previous post).

Last but CERTAINLY not least were the three brothers that make up Inward Eye. This is a band that has often been referred to as “the next big thing in Canadian rock music” and having opened already for The Who, it certainly seems that they are well on their way to living up to the title! These boys hit the stage with full force dancing about while hitting every note perfectly. A highlight for the performance had to be drummer Anders. If you have ever seen these boys perform you will know why we say that. Anders is the most talented drummer we have seen in a long time and attempted to play standing up, sitting down and everything in between making for an exciting show to watch. These boys are currently on tour with Mobile and Bend Sinister so be sure to check them out when they hit your city next!

It was a great night to kick off the week full of amazing performers, tons of drinks and great networking opportunities! Stay tuned for all the highlights (and lowlights) of the week brought to you by team MKAY!!

photography provided by Matt Vardy