NXNE 2013: Tangiers @ The Garrison by Laurie McGregor

SATURDAY — When I saw Tangiers in the NXNE line-up, I thought there'd been a typo. Or that some other, lesser band had formed, and stolen the name of the gritty band that I hazily remember thrashing around to at parties in 2003 / 2004. I don't remember specifics about about any of those shows, but I remember the music was loud, the dancing was frenetic and that Tangiers was like a dirtier, harder version of the Strokes (live, at least). I remember listening to bunch of their songs I had on a tape that would play over and over as loud as it could, a summer soundtrack trailing out the windows of my old, unreliable car.

Needless to say, I was excited to see these guys again after many years of silence, and got to the Garrison early to make sure I'd get in. After narrowly missing a couple of fistfights out front of the crowded club, I was let in past the lines (sorry, guys!) and ventured towards the back room of a bar that I usually only go to for the monthly, more sedate Trampoline Hall lecture series. The energy in there was pretty crazy, and it was dark and crowded, which normally makes me hang at the back (because I am old and don't like being trampled), but I said screw it to the geriatric that sometimes takes over my brain and made it into the front row.

And holy crap, I'm glad I did. Tangiers, after a ten minute delay due to sound issues (I think?), put on a brash, dancy, amazingly loud set that was just what I needed to blow out my ear drums and make me dance like a young twentysomething again. Any fears that the guys had lost their power after not playing together for so long went flying out the window as the whole Garrison lost themselves in the darkness of a band who says, to quote their Toronto Star interview, that "the city and the world may need this kind of rock again." It sounds kind of silly, but I tend to agree.

 
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Photo by Laurie McGregor.

Laurie McGregor is a Toronto-based dilettante. She likes books, music, soft things, baking, unicorns, robots and has an unnatural love of vending machines. You can find all her posts here and email her at laurie@littleredumbrella.com.