S.C.E.N.E. Music Festival 2008

With 150 bands performing at this year's S.C.E.N.E. Music Festival, concert-goers were ready to have a rock-filled day starting at 2 p.m. But the excitement was put on hold for the opening bands set to play on outdoor stages as claps of thunder and torrents of rain and hail forced crowds to wait impatiently under the Market Square shelter in the heart of St. Catharines downtown core. Despite annoyances like lousy weather, delays and sound difficulties amongst other minor disappointments, the S.C.E.N.E. Festival still turned out to be a satisfying day. It provided concert-goers with a talented sampling of artists ranging from hardcore screamo to soothing melodic folk-rock.

After the storm cleared, the sun invited people into the streets to begin hunting for entertainment. Daniel Wesley was a perfect act to start the day at the Merchant Ale House as his reggae-rock seemed to coax the sun into shining and bring everything back to life. With a voice akin to Rob Thomas from Matchbox Twenty, and a solid band that were never overshadowed by Wesley's commanding presence, the Vancouver group's relaxed beachy vibe loosened the audience up. But Wesley's bare foot were too much. A sticky, beer-stained floor can't feel good or be particularly sanitary to stand on compared to a sandy beach. Even still, the group's sexy twist to their "My Pony" cover left a lasting impression.

A somewhat disappointing trend followed. Patrick Sheehans was sparsely populated for St. Catharines' Scott Normandy Band and the few people who were at the pub were actually there for the Euro 2008 soccer final. The country/folk-rock band were a talented bunch, so we can only figure the game, the stormy weather and the festival's screamo-centric nature were behind the tepid fan response.

Black Lungs, one of the day's most anticipated acts, were next on the agenda at L3. They're headed by Alexisonfire's Wade MacNeil and featured surprise appearances from Bedouin Soundclash's bassist Eon Sinclair and Arkells keyboardist Dan Griffin, but microphone problems during their show left many watchers heading for the door. Although their catchy melodies were muted in fuzz, the band refused to allow a little sound trouble to best them and they carried on with admirable urgency.

LIGHTS, one of the few female performers of the day, had ample support for her "short but sweet set" at the Mansion House outside stage. That stage was battered by the storm earlier in the day, so her fans had to wait patiently through a long soundcheck. It was hard to believe that such a clear, strong and angelic voice came pouring out from such a petite girl. Aided by her keytar, a steady beat from the drummer and her accompanying keyboardist, LIGHTS' new wave pop was one of the most original, standout performances of the day.

As the sun finally came out, S.C.E.N.E. got into gear. Grand Analog immediately followed LIGHTS, performing at the Mansion House indoor stage. It should be noted that one feature relatively unique to S.C.E.N.E. is that many venues have their stages set up right near the front doors/windows of the clubs, purposefully encouraging sidewalk viewing. This paid off for Grand Analog as frontman Odario Williams had pedestrians stopping dead in their tracks when they walked by. His jazzy hip-hop energy was so contagious that onlookers started flooding the venue. Seconds after he started his set, everyone was dancing to Analog's cool rhythms while joining his chant, "Smalltown boys makin' big time noise," a fitting theme for St. Catharines smalltown feel.

I devoted the remainder of the night to smaller venues to hunt out new bands.

Faring well were outstanding groups Arkells at Big Bucks, The Anti-Q's at On 81 and Consumer Alert at Mikado. Having similar harmonious guitars and feel-good melodies, all three bands had a big impact on their audiences, with the Arkells setting themselves apart through sheer passion.

Sadly, the girl rock trio Magneta Lane, who, despite solid popularity, were shafted with a 12:25 a.m. slot at The Office, a venue that was perhaps too small, and one hardly big enough to have a stage.

The night finally came to a close with an eye-opening act called Hospitals. They tried to incorporate beat-boxing, acoustic guitar and rap into one package and Hospitals leader Jacob Bergsma delivered his unique sound effortlessly. The intimate On 81 gave Bergsma the power to interact lyrically with his audience as he gave a refreshing spin to rap music with an endearing and melancholy number about the small pleasures of his own childhood, including his love of high fives after winning a hockey game.

Overall, it may have started with a downpour, but the 2008 S.C.E.N.E. Music Festival proved its strength as one of the few large festivals in southern Ontario that showcases up-and-coming bands.