--taken from: Buffalo News
NIAGARA FALLS - Perhaps more than any other free, outdoor concert series in Western New York, Hard Rock Rocks Old Falls Street is presented as a community event more than just a big concert with basic concessions.
Saturday night, the two blocks of Old Falls Street were filled with puppeteers, in-your-face mimes, vendors and even Hard Rock's in-house Bulgarian breakdancing twins. There also was a crew from Niagara Arts and Cultural Center working the crowd to raffle a guitar donated by Generations Music and autographed by the headlining performers - veteran Canadian rockers Sloan. And, true to form of a tourism community, the guitar was won by a Californian.
What the streets lacked, however, was a huge crowd. The third installment of the six-week series saw a significant dip in attendance since classic rock retreads The Guess Who opened. However, the turnout was still well into the thousands, and kudos are due to promoters rolling the dice with currently relevant acts and regional up-and-comers - especially those with cross-border appeal such as Sloan and opening Toronto-based acts The Junction and Topanga.
The quartet Topanga kicked the night off by toeing the line between punk and riff-rock with enough angst to belie the belief that all Canadians are happy-go-lucky ambassadors of the Great White North. Case in point: lead singer/shouter-guitarist Stefan Babcock set the table for the song "Yukon Valley" by explaining that he had spent a summer in the Yukon filled with fishing, hunting and the great outdoors.
"It was the worst summer of my life," he said. "I hope you never have to go there."
Angst gets old as one gets older, perhaps leading a band like The Junction to offer a decidedly different sound, as demonstrated by singer-guitarist Brent Jackson in "Waves": "Who do we owe to know this privilege and this pleasure?" Jackson's formidable voice floated over an airy groove, with occasional bite, as the group coasted through its set, "Under the Night Sky."
Sloan came out swinging with the two-song salvo - "Flying High Again" and "Who Taught You to Live Like That?" from the group's 2006 album, "Never Hear the End of It." Their performance was proof positive of their absolute mastery of melody and ensemble harmony. For all the sharing of lead vocal duty among the quartet, the foremost singer is clearly bassist Chris Murphy, who took hold of "Action Pact" with incredible command.
Murphy briefly handed the vocal lead to guitarist Jay Ferguson on "Beverly Terrace," taking it back for the song's second chapter as the band kicked into high gear. Sloan followed with the four-on-the-floor rocker "Friendship," featuring guitarist Patrick Pentland on vocals and an unleashed drummer Andrew Scott, who soon stepped out front to sing and play guitar as Murphy manned the drums with gusto.
They played the hits, dished out new tunes and B-sides, forgot a line or two, all with a smile. Sloan is still on top and deserving of the adoration they received from the opening acts and anyone who appreciates straight-ahead, harmonized rock 'n' roll.
--taken from: Buffalo News
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