ill Scarlett ~ December 19, 2008 ~ The Opera House ~ Toronto, Canada

Words and Photos by Pete Nema

So fast forward about two years: I've seen illScarlett perform many times over, and even though not all the shows stand out in my mind, there are a few that were extremely memorable for me. Last year, illScarlett performed twice in the same night, with the late show being one of their strongest performances I've seen to date. And this summer, they performed in front of 10,000 plus people while opening for Avril Lavigne, which was memorable simply due to the size of the show and the freedom I was given to get some unique photos.

For this year's holiday concert, the band was probably still on a high from the night before when business partners, friends, and family got together to celebrate the fact that their debut full-length album All Day With It, went gold. Even though I'm sure the band members were a little tired (like their photographer), they were their usual high energy selves and the show was similar to last year with lots of special effects and good on stage energy, although with a few less high jumps. For the encore, the band brought out members of the opening bands to join in on a cover of “Here Comes The Hotstepper” (originally by Ini Kamoze.) I always have good times with this band, their friends, and fans, so the two nights I spent with them was a really great way to wrap up my schedule for this year.

For more info go to: www.myspace.com/illscarlett