She Wants Revenge, Switches, Be Your Own Pet, The Virgins: Nylon Summer Music Tour 2008
Date: June 17 2008
Venue: Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver BC 

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins (Vancouver Correspondent - Canada) 

The Nylon Summer Tour has dates scheduled all over the US, but only three here in Canada; Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. The tour is heavily sponsored by Havaianas summer sandals and BillaBong clothing who had representatives at the event handing out free merchandise and advertising which was nice since I got a free signed poster. Nylon is a fashion magazine that has recently decided to get into the music industry by putting together this tour and also starting up a record label. 

The night began with Switches, a British band that is quickly gaining much well-deserved publicity with their debut album Lay Down The Law. The band's songs are very catchy with their dance beats and Franz Ferdinand fashioned lyrics. Being the first act in a four-band line-up is never good, but even though the crowd was sparse, they managed to raise the energy level and prepare us for the bands to come. As with all opening bands, they were meant to warm up the crowd, but Switches surpassed that goal when they stood out as the best of the three opening bands. Their first single is also titled "Lay Down The Law," and they saved it as their final song of the set. Once Switches left, the crowd was ready for some more upbeat, energetic dance-rock, but what they got were The Virgins.

"How you doin' Toronto?" were the first words we heard from The Virgins. At first I was under the impression they had said it as a joke, but if it was meant as that, they failed miserably. They played a few songs including a slow melancholy one that the band introduced with some talk about rain and cold weather which was quite dreary. Their songs had potential, but they just sounded so...virgin, that it just didn't seem to work at all. The crowd had grown in size a bit more by this time, but they were also more mellow and either disappointed that Switches were not still on stage or anxious to see the next band. Near the end of their set they did some experimental things with their guitars and the amps, but it only ended up being painful and sounding like they needed technical help. The fanzine for the tour contains a quote from The Virgins which I found laughable stating "We're a good band because we don't have any style." What is good about not having any style? I think part of what defines a band is their unique style...is it not? The Virgins just sound like every other four piece rock act trying to make it big without being distinct, and that is their biggest downfall.  

Up next was Be Your Own Pet from Nashville, Tennessee, and they burst onto the stage with spunky energy while front woman Jemina Pearl reassured us that they knew where they were, unlike some people. Their songs were over-energetic with lots of shimmying and erratic dancing to go alongside their frantic lyrics. They wore colourful t-shirts and oozed a carefree cool energy as they asked the crowd questions like "Are you guys on drugs?" One song that stood out was "Food Fight" which actually had the panicked feeling that only getting mustard on a white top could create. They helped to raise the energy back up with their rowdy, fun attitude, but the crowd was still anxious to see the band of the night.

When She Wants Revenge finally took the stage, everyone got up and moved to fill the ballroom floor to be closer to them and fully experience their music. They began with their hit song "These Things" which got the crowd energized. The front man, Justin Warfield was wearing his signature toque, but took it off half way through the show (perhaps he heard the screaming pleas from an audience member). They played some old ("Broken Promises") and some new ("Sleep" and "True Romance") songs, but of course they saved "Tear you Apart" as their final song. With their sharp, solid, uncluttered sound, She Wants Revenge is even better in concert than on the radio. Adam Bravin, the other half of SWR, treated us to a piano solo and showed off his skills. At one point a bottle was thrown on stage which barely missed hitting Warfield in the head. This was followed by a small lecture to the crowd telling us that we should all be so stoned on weed that we should be peaceful and if anything like that happened again he would come down from the stage and kick some ass. Aside from the small bottle mishap, SWR delivered their powerful, dark, emotionally charged songs with style and the crowd loved it!