Although they certainly sound like southern sludge, Bongzilla actually hails from Cheesehead Country: Madison, Wisconsin. They made a career of singing songs about weed, putting out a couple records on Relapse in the early aughts before falling off the map about a decade ago. Thus, I was somewhat surprised to see them headlining a concert-hall tour in 2016, but hey, with a four-band bill that brought it from start to finish, I’m certainly not one to complain!
Lo-Pan took the stage bright and early, with their imposing frontman using the drum riser as his personal domain. It’s not the first time they’ve used this setup–in fact, they’ve been doing it for years–but unlike a couple past gigs I’ve seen, the vocals really cut through the mix this time despite coming from the back of the stage.
Twas the first Toronto appearance for NYC’s Kings Destroy, though they’re no newbies with three albums under their belts. These guys also have ties to the NYHC scene, and you can catch a few traces in their chunky brand of doom. And they aren’t one of those doom bands that simply stares at their shoes, either, making full use of the Mod Cub’s ample stage…
Been a while since we’ve seen Black Cobra–they were denied entry at the border on their last two tours. After their two-man, blackened, thrashy sludge attack assaulted eardrums in Toronto this evening, they could very well be deemed inadmissible to Canada from now on! 😉
Bongzilla brought their brand of reefer madness for a good solid hour or so. I recognized a few riffs here and there, but their set seemed like one extended, downtuned, smoked-out jam session. And yes, they toked up on stage a couple times. (Of course, we’re still waiting on the Liberals to pass Bill 420 ’round these parts!!!)
