Inside the club, it was hot and muggy and crowded. As show-time neared, people started to amass before the stage. Toronto's Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet were the opening band, and a suitable one at that. Mainly instrumental, their sound is guitar-oriented, fast and fun. They vocals they do throw in are, for the most part, power-screams. The guitarist seemed to enjoy this primitive vocalizing so much that he indulged in a few cries even when he was 10 feet away from the microphone. For one song about "a sad boy and far away hills," there were literal "boohoos." Then suddenly the drummer came up to the front, held a ghetto-blaster up to the mike and replayed a few seconds of what the band had just played. It was an enlightening experience that challenged the pre-established rules of conduct in our musical culture … Ya right, it sounded tinny. Then the band kicked in again. Whether this little excerpt was meant to make us appreciate their rich sound or not, it did. (And they're only a three-piece outfit!) But it was probably just a little fun jab at artsy experimentalism -- these boys don't take themselves too seriously (which is nice, since given the chance to open for the Ramones, many bands would do just that). "Good Cop, Bad Cop" and "Shadowy Countdown" were also included in their set. Shadowy Men played a good, tight set of free-wheeling tunes that got the crowd moving. Then, lest they overstay their welcome, they made a no-nonsense exit to make way for the headlining act.
