Day four of CMW brought team MKAY back to the Sound Academy to interview and check out two Toronto based bands that have a similar vibe to them, and yet are very different in their sound. We first spoke with the boys that make up reggae/rock group Rebel Emergency. These guys took to the stage and brought with them sunshine, good times and great music. They played a mixture of old and new tunes that kept the audience (and us) wanting more. By the fourth song, lead guitarist Geoff was able to show us all the talent he’s got with an incredible solo that even had him body surfing the crowd while playing! We had never seen anything like that before, but I’m not too sure how the crowd below felt carrying him along. What was also cool to see was that this band had two back up female vocalists that added to their sound. They were very polished and lead singer Roddy’s voice was reggae inspired with a twist. They definitely played to the crowd and by the time their set was over Roddy’s shirt was off and the surfboard was out. You may be wondering why a surf board when we are in the middle of March? The answer to that is to surf the crowd of course! Well, at least that is what the boys from Rebel Emergency did. Roddy got on top of it while the crowd below shuffled him along. It made for a very unique ending to a great performance! Overall this is a band that we are now a huge fan of and cannot wait to see again. Check out our interview with Roddy and Geoff!

After Rebel Emergency came the boys from Down With Webster. This is a Toronto based band that we have personally known for quite some time and have watched them grow in both their talent and fan following. You could tell that the majority of the people who were in attendance that night came to see DWW as the chants for “DDUB” started well before they hit the stage. As soon as the curtains were parted the crowd went nuts and we even caught a glimpse of their good friend Gene Simmons, who was in 

attendance, get super excited when they hit the stage (rumour has it that he has signed the boys to his record label). These guys came on stage with a bang and ended with one too. They are known for their explosive stage performances and they did not disappoint this time. Halfway through their set they started to throw red plastic cups into the crowd that were each branded with their “DWW” emblem. What can we say, these boys know how to market themselves and their merch table was no exception as they sold t-shirts by the truck load. They played some old favourites such as “Grind” and added a few new tracks off their forthcoming album. Keep it up guys, you make Canada proud!

photography provided by Matt Vardy