Tabi, Murs, Titan and The Airplane Boys

CMF usually falls during mid term week for Concordia University so I was never able to attend. Now that I am living in Toronto, I have no good reason not to. Wednesday was my first go of it.

First stop was checking out Tabi Bonney from BC. He was opening for American Rapper, Murs. I have heard of Tabi only because we worked on some post production for his music video a few months ago. Murs was someone else I was familiar with but it was my friend Matt that made the call on going to see him.

It has been quite some time since I have been to a hip hop show. The vibe is so different then the one at the usual punk and metal shows I attend. There is an air of really easy going attitude in the crowd as we settle in for the show. It wasn't busy and I didn't really expect much from Tabi but he was surprisingly charismatic. he had a really smooth flow about how he delivered his rhymes, with catchy phrases and beats that were easy to move to.

Murs blew my MIND with incredible delivery and diction in the way he speaks each word. It was like he was telling me stories I had no choice but to dance to. His presence and energy on stage impressed me. The dancing and moving is contagious. It makes me want extra large size dreads to throw around when I whip my hair.

Next we headed over to Parts and Lab-our to catch our friends in Titan throwing down some heavy riffs for a Metal showcase. Chris Woodford is always a hard core Ken doll to watch perform. Charismatic; he is one of the driving forces that makes Titan a well oiled machine. Frontman, James McDonough always catches me off guard when I see him live. He has a ton of energy and his raspy growl voice make him stand out as a stellar vocalist.Watching him and the Titan boys perform with an uncanny closeness reminds me of how long they have been an active, touring band for.

Steve Fennell is currently filling in a temporary spot as a bassist. He tended to hide behind one of his new bandmates as he played, which struck me as hilarious because regardless of whether you can see him, you can hear everything they are playing. They were LOUD. Fennell does really well with Titan considering his pop-punk back round as a bassist. Its good to see a musician like him getting live exposure.

After Titan, Matt and I wandered over to the Rivoli. The weather sucked goat titties as it was pouring rain everywhere. At the Rivoli we made it JUST in time to check out The Airplane Boys. The group hails from Scarborough, which was what drew me to them in the first place. They consist of a keyboardist as well as a clarinet player to give the usual drums/bass/guitar combo something to make it a little fuller sounding. Lead singers Beck Motley & Bon Voyage take the crowd with them in their arms as they dance and entertain to the truest sense of the words.

The boys mix style, class and a serious stage presence that will prove to be a force to recon with. I will be keeping my eyes peeled to see what comes next for this intriguing funk/hip-hop medley.


Being out and about for a concert festival in the city I live in was a breath of fresh air. I miss going to shows and seeing how much music has to do with so many parts of my life. Having an excellent Partner In Crime to spend a night like that with, helps a lot.

Shout outs to the concert Partners in Crime of moments past.