FENIX TX

The openers for the the "Mark, Tom, & Travis Show" were these guys, Fenix TX. They're a band based out of Texas, and their manager is Mark, from blink-182. If you like blink, you're sure to like these guys. They put on a great show, with lots of audience interaction. It's too bad they had such a short set, it would have been nice to hear more from these guys. They started their set off with No Lie off their self-titled debut album (which kicked so much ass cuz that's my favourite song by them) :) The rest of their set included Flight 601, Minimum Wage, G.B.O.H., Ben, and Rooster Song (minus the inflatable penis' they had a Maple Leaf Gardens last year hehe), all off their self-titled album. They also played 2 new songs to the delight of their fans. They finished their set off with All My Fault, their single sometimes heard on Edge 102..which I believe they also have a video for, which got a bunch of teeny-boppers screaming. Something a little disappointing was that they didn't play Surf Song , Vicki's favourite song. I've seen them in concert 5 times now, and they have yet to play that song! We'll just have to see what we can do about that hehe :)

BAD RELIGION

As I was walking down the Harbor Front towards the Molson Amphitheater with my friends Lisa and Vicki June 2nd, I looked around and noticed something strange... most of the people I saw were like 14 years old, which is even younger than me. At first this didn't bother me much, but a horrible thought soon began to gnawing at the back of my mind... what if all these teeny-boppers are just here to see Blink 182? What if no one has even heard of Bad Religion? What if one of the greatest punk bands that ever lived don't even get the deafening welcome they so richly deserve??? It would be sacreligious!!! I first got into Bad Religion in ‘95 during the post-grunge-Alt-Rock craze following the release of their brilliant album Stranger than Fiction. Needless to say, Bad Religion have since become one of my all-time favourite bands, not to mention a major influence on my life. There is just something about the way they manage to pour so much meaning and raw emotion into their lyrics that makes them stand apart from other punk bands today.

Bad Religion have been around for twenty years and have since influenced countless other bands ranging from the pop-punk of Blink 182, to the hardcore Southern Californian stylings of Pennywise, so you can imagine the state of turmoil my mind was in on that chilly summer afternoon in Toronto. All of my fears were put to rest however as soon as the Bad Religion banner went up on stage. Instantly everyone was on their feet. The band then got on stage accompanied by the sounds of pre-recorded helicopter engines, which worked nicely with the helicopters on the BR banner. Front man Greg Graffin was the last to hit the stage, looking resplendent in a very military-like outfit complete with a black beret barring the BR symbol. The band then kicked things off with the kickass song Don't sell me short off their new disc The New America.

What I enjoyed most about watching Bad Religion was that they didn't spend too much time blabbing at the crowd, and just blazed through song after song, making the most out of their 45 minute slot. Unlike Blink 182 and Fenix TX, Bad Religion didn't comment on "How hot the girls in Toronto are" or "How much they love boobies." Don't get me wrong, both Blink and Fenix put on good solid shows, but Bad Religion just made better use of their time. Not only did they have time to play new songs such as You've Got a Chance and New America, but they also managed to squeeze in old favourites like No control, 21st Century Digital Boy, Infected, Generator, and my all time Bad Religion classic, American Jesus.

By the time their set came to a close, most people I saw were still on their feet and cheering loudly. Greg Graffin's final words to the crowd were meaningful, prompt, and to the point: "Remember that no matter where you go or what you do, there will always be a Bad Religion, and a new America," and it was with that very song that they finished the set.

By the time Blink got to the stage, it was obvious that most people were there to see them, but I was still quite pleased to see the response that Bad Religion received. It's good to know that in a world where Britney Spears is regarded as a role model for young children, bands like Bad Religion will always be around to counteract the discrimination and ignorance that plague the modern world.

David Pinto is an 18 year old high school student at St. Francis Xavier S.S. who worries waaaaay to much about premature hair loss and his mutual funds :)

BLINK-182

Well, where to start with these guys! How about the stage? A huge sign hanging from the top of the amphitheatre stating "drive-in, starring the Mark, Tom, and Travis Show" that was pretty kool. They had a huge screen in the background playing b-movies n lots of pretty funny clips. Travis' drum kit was set up on top of some vintage car, it looked really good :) They kicked off their set with the first track Dumpweed off their latest disc Enema of the State to the roars and cheers of a very happy crowd. That got the fans pumped n craving more, and man, did they get it! Ripping thru songs n getting tonnes of laughs in between, this show rawked! Most of their set was new stuff, as expected, like Don't Leave Me, Aliens Exist, Going Away To College (one of my favourites YAY), What's My Age Again?, All The Small Things and thru Wendy Clear Tom's guitar cut out on him, which was pretty funny, so it was The Mark and Travis Show for a while hehe.

Going back to their '97 release Dude Ranch they played the songs Pathetic, Voyeur, Dick Lips, and Untitled. And for the real fans, they played 2 songs, Carosel which was so awesome, and Peggy Sue off their debut album released in '94, Cheshire Cat. They seem to like to play those two songs at concerts but I wish they'd play others, that's a really good album. When they played Adam's Song a great big black sheet of material lit up into stars behind the band, it was such an awesome effect and worked so well. They kept the stars shining through the rest of their set in different colours, it looked so good :)

When they weren't playing, blink-182 were cracking their usual fart, tits, n dick jokes, running around the stage, dancing like morons, and making fun of each other to the amusement of the crowd. It's nice to see a band up on stage actually enjoying themselves. I mean, political punk n all the rest, I love it all, but, sometimes I just wanna go to a show n have a goofy fun time..well blink-182, thank you so much for letting me do just that :)

After they played their last song, they left the stage for a moment while the crowd roared happily, knowing blink would come back out for an encore. Some rap song started to play and Mark came back out, in only his boxers and danced around on stage to laughs and cheers from the audience. Then it was Tom's turn, coming out fully clothed however, but nonetheless danced like a goof for the crowd. It was hillarious :) Then Travis took his place at his drum kit and they played mutt off their latest disc. Then, to top off an amazing night, they finished off this wicked concert by playing dammit, the song they made it big with, and one that will long be a lot of fans favourite blink song.

reviewed by farfie & David