Guitar Hero

Tuesday night, a trio of guitar-heavy bands performed at the Horseshoe Tavern. First up at 9 was Secret Suburbia. They played heavy rock with lots of machine-gun chords, guitar runs, and double-time drums. As the singer pointed out on the last song, "Now here's a slow song ... screw it.", every tune was head-banging fast.

Little Barrie

Papermaps

The next band was a trio from the U.K. called Little Barrie. With shaggy hair and gleaming old-school instruments, they looked like a throwback to the British Invasion bands. They got the crowd into their music, although perhaps not as involved as they would have liked, with riff-filled songs that usually started out with odd chords or melodies but eventually settled into catchy choruses. While the lead singer played wildly on his guitars, the bass and drum kept a dynamic rhythm that transitioned from song to song.

It was an EP release for Papermaps. They played all 6 songs from their sophomore effort (highlights included Break, Nobody Gets It, Reaction Formation), as well some favourites from their debut such as You Are My Gallows. Their songs often build from a sparse beginning, layering on ringing guitar hooks, synth chords, and eventually multi-part vocal harmonies. Because of some sound issues and adjustments, the set felt deflated and disjointed until about the 4th song (Break) when they finally found their groove. With the larger stage at the Shoe, this performance was larger and more animated than their residency at the Drake.