CMW 2011: Hooded Fang @ The Horseshoe Tavern by Adam Bunch

FRIDAY - It seemed like everywhere we went this week, people were talking about going to see Hooded Fang's Friday night set at the Horseshoe. And with good reason. The indie pop band's new debut full-length, Album, is, frankly, fantastic. Full of hooks and handclaps and horns. So it was no surprise that the bar was rammed full of sweaty people by the time the group took the stage after a raucous set by The Sheepdogs.

And what happened next was no surprise to anyone who's seen Hooded Fang play before. They may have just released their first LP, but they've been honing their live act since 2007 and it shows. A stage crowded with horns and accordions and keyboards and guitars and a host of adorable indie popsters could have been chaos, but instead, the variety just kept things interesting. Barefooted lead singer Daniel Lee's memorably low and warm voice sounds just as good in person as it does drenched with reverb on the record. And all those handclaps and hooks are even better with the energy of an entire room full of fans there to enjoy them.

One of the festival's most buzzed about sets was also one of its best.

Photos: Adam Bunch

Adam Bunch is the Editor-in-Chief of the Little Red Umbrella and the creator of the Toronto Dreams Project. He's been on the Polaris Prize jury, lectured at Trampoline Hall and written for PopMatters, Crawdaddy!, 24 Hours and a whole bunch of other places. You can read his posts here, follow him on Twitter here, or email him at adam@littleredumbrella.com.