Bedouin Soundclash ~ Sept. 12, 2008 ~ Sound Academy ~ Toronto, Canada

I made an attempt to see Bedouin Soundclash upstairs at the El Mocambo during NXNE, and even managed to get myself close to the stage. But the place was packed beyond belief, the air was thick with sweat, and some of the stage lights weren't working. I didn't even bother to mention this in my NXNE 2008 Friday article because I didn't take any photos and only stuck around for the first song. I left deciding that I would get out to see Bedouin Soundclash under different conditions. It took a little longer than I had planned, but last Friday at the Sound Academy was it.

I've been digging “Until We Burn In The Sun” when I hear it on 102.1 in Toronto, even more than the songs “St. Andrews” and “Walls Fall Down” that also get great airplay. So I was definitely overdue to see what this local Toronto trio had to offer up on stage, especially with their fast-growing popularity. The Sound Academy is one of the larger venues in Toronto (not including stadiums), and despite its very out-of-the-way location, the sound system and setup makes it a good place to see concerts. Bedouin Soundclash pulled a hefty crowd, although I found it difficult to properly judge numbers since it was an all ages show and the drinking area was heavily packed. The band didn't waste anytime getting to a few of their radio hits and saved some of the fan favorites for later in the show. The set left me strangely soothed rather than charged, but part of that was due to my own personal state of mind. Now I'm kind of wishing I'd stuck around at the El Mocambo just to have seen them in a smaller venue, since that's not something that's likely to happen again here in Toronto.

For more info go to: www.bedouinsoundclash.com/