09 Sep 2013

If you didn’t get a chance to check out our first edition of Music Lives print, here’s the show we reviewed from back in July. Enjoy!

If you’ve never been to one of The Medicine Hat’s shows, you’ve probably interacted with a member of the band somewhere in Guelph and not realized it. One may have made your lunch at a local eatery. Maybe another member probably stood next to you at a show, enjoying and supporting the Guelph music scene that they’ve become such an important part of. If you’re a Downtown Guelphite you’d recognize at least one member of The Medicine Hat but maybe you wouldn’t know from where. That’s how I felt at The eBar when I arrived super early for their show on July 10th. I was surprised to find out that I have crossed paths with almost every member of the band, in just my Downtown Guelph, daily life.

GAIN Music and The Medicine Hat have had a great working relationship in the past and the buzz around the band’s CD release party for Old Bones, was no exception. Adding Ptarmigan and Mara & The Marigold, both bands hailing from Toronto, as support didn’t hurt either. I was lucky enough to be able to have a drink on the patio with all the bands before the doors opened. Everybody was super excited about the night and happy to be apart of it. The eBar was already filling up by the time Mara & The Marigold started their set and, by the end of Ptarmigan’s set, filled to the brim.

You could feel the anticipation in the audience as The Medicine Hat took the stage to tune up. Everyone was to the front of the room as close to the stage as possible and it was almost as if everyone were holding their breath in wait for them to begin. When The Medicine Hat finally did address the crowd, before a note was even played, the place erupted in a cheers and applause that lasted almost their entire set. Three songs into their set, I knew that Old Bones was one CD that would sell-out, like the show ultimately did, and made my way over to the merch table to make sure I got a copy, losing my spot to the side of the stage. I’m lucky and happy that I did though because everything about The Medicine Hat’s CD is just as good as their amazing performance. This was an event, with a band, for a CD, that everyone was waiting for, and nobody left disappointed.