RIZE and fade at Toronto's Tattoo Rock Parlour

Just two days after their first live in Toronto, RIZE and fade performed their second date of the Canadian Music Fest at the Tattoo Rock Parlour.

The audience consisted of only about forty people—a few of whom seemed unfamiliar with either band—but the bands held nothing back and gave those in attendance an impressive show. The venue, which boasts a room with actual tattoos being done at its front, was a relatively small club. As such, there was no barrier separating the stage and audience, which added to the intimate atmosphere of the live. It was further enhanced by the band members’ openness towards their fans. RIZE vocalist JESSE, in particular, could be seen walking around the venue before the show began and earnestly talking to members of the audience. To say that these two bands are down-to-earth is truly an understatement.

fade

When fade’s performance began, a few dedicated fans came right up to the edge of the stage and danced along enthusiastically to their first song, but most of the audience stood a few feet back. However, all it took was a gentle suggestion from vocalist Jon Underdown that they move up for the audience to almost sheepishly take a few steps forward and fill the gap.

fade opened with One Reason and blazed through a set of other mid-tempo rock songs. The majority of the crowd seemed unfamiliar with their music but, with some of the initial awkwardness out of the way, more people began to nod along. Between songs Underdown expressed the band’s hope to return to Canada in the future, stating that it would not be the last time they played in Toronto. He then announced a new song called In the End.

Next came Cosmicalism, which Jon introduced with “Ever seen a white boy singing in Japanese? Well, now’s your chance!” Cosmicalism was probably the highlight of the set, with the band seeming to hit every note just a bit harder and to move especially dynamically.

For the majority of the set, the audience gravitated to the center and right of the stage. Unfortunately, this left guitarist Godo—who was the most striking visually, performing shirtless with his body painted in black and glowing pink markings—facing mostly open space for much of the band’s set. However, a true professional, he performed with incredible energy, even whirling around in an intense guitar spin during Cosmicalism.

Also notable was the intensity of drummer Rui who, despite being hard to see at times due to his position at the back of the stage and the dim lighting, popped out due to his sheer enthusiasm.

Guitarist Kansei shouted out a “Ready to fuckin’ rock and roll Toronto?” before he and Godo traded soaring guitar solos, competing for the fans. Both received some of the loudest cheers of the set. Kansei then chugged a bottle of something, with the audience cheering him on. Once it was done, he returned with another glass saying “Not enough Toronto!” and downed it to more cheers. This prompted Jon to remark that whiskey is like Popeye’s spinach to Kansei.

By the time the band tore into their last song, Kings of Dawn, the audience had warmed to them considerably, and some could be seen mouthing the words.

Overall, while the band’s set seemed a little short, they made a valiant effort and earned some new fans.

Set List:

01. One Reason
02. Ever Free
03. From the Heart
04. In the End
05. Cosmicalism
06. Last Man Standing
07. Kings of Dawn

RIZE

When RIZE was ready to take the stage, about twenty very eager fans moved up to the front. Vocalist/guitarist JESSE introduced the band with a statement along the lines of “We’re RIZE; made in Japan, but we like to play for where-the fuck-ever!” which was met with cheers. From the very first note, fans were headbanging and jumping up and down excitedly in front of the stage. Despite the small size of the crowd, their passion made the floor of the venue shake and the band members were equally enthusiastic. Both JESSE and bassist KenKen headbanged just as hard as the most intense fans, whipping their hair back and forth violently.

The next song, KAMI, was one of the highlights of the night. Its infectious beat got the crowd moving, and the band was exciting to watch, with KenKen dancing along with the audience and performing well-timed high kicks.

It was followed by a brief rant about the way the Tohoku earthquake was handled by the media and Television Song, which saw the most excited group of fans grab each other’s shoulders and begin jumping in a circle.

JESSE addressed the audience again at the end of the song, promising that RIZE would return to Toronto, possibly even as soon as this September. Then came XL and a short bass solo that had fans crowding around KenKen to see him at work.

Unfortunately, perhaps because of all the action going on in front of him and the dim blue lighting employed for most of the concert, drummer Nobuaki Kaneko was often hard to see.

After MUPPET, JESSE once again promised that RIZE would return to the city, saying “If there’s a first time, there’ll be a second time. If I don’t come back, bitch at me.” To which one fan immediately replied, “I will!” JESSE then hopped off the stage and joined the crowd, rapping literally into the more intense fans’ faces. They circled around him while his bandmates watched from the stage, smiling.

Back on the stage, JESSE took to the microphone again to talk about his desire to spread a message of peace, assuring fans that no slight was meant by the song heiwa (“Peace”) being in Japanese. He expressed that he was very interested in learning about the fans’ culture and hoped that they would also be open to learning about Japanese culture in return. A very heartfelt performance of heiwa followed, with fans raising their hands in peace signs to show their support. Nobuaki was visible for one of the few times that night when he leaned forward to return the peace sign at the end of the song.

Next came Far Eastern Tribe, which had a group of young fans once again jumping together in a circle. Some fans remained more reserved, choosing to stand further back and just mouth the words, and other members of the audience that seemed unfamiliar with the band watched with curious looks on their faces.

Finally, JESSE announced that the next song would be their last. He expressed that the band would be going to New York the next day, but that they would not forget their experience in Canada. RIZE then launched into a thunderous version of Kaminari, which was easily the most intense song of the night. By the end, both the audience and the band looked somewhat spent.

JESSE and KenKen both shook hands with fans from the stage for a bit. Then, when a few began chanting for an encore, JESSE jokingly flipped them the finger with both hands.

The band retreated to the back for a bit, but all three members of RIZE and most of the members of fade soon returned to take pictures, sign autographs, shake hands and chat with fans for over an hour. The members of both bands were very gracious, thanking every fan that approached them profusely for coming.

While RIZE’s set was also fairly short, clocking in at around an hour, fans that chose to wait around certainly got a great experience.

Set List:

01. THE SUN
02. KAMI
03. Television Song
04. XL
05. MUPPET
06. EXPERIENCE
07. heiwa
08. Far Eastern Tribe
09. Kaminari