Written and Photographed by: Lucas Morra
It was the earliest I’ve rolled into The Opera House in Toronto, Ontario but I couldn’t have asked for a better way to conclude 2018; a dream bill for most fans of pop-punk and hardcore in the Ontario scene.
Young Culture from New York set it off, but despite Toronto rush hour, their fan base came through on time and were ready for a long, sweaty night. Their good pals, Rarity, showed off their recent single titled “I’ll Come Around” and of course the classics that just don’t seem to get old, especially in a live setting. Soon after PINE and Bearings brought forth the Ottawa flare that this show needed.
Next, supergroup END absolutely punished Toronto. At times I wanted to put down my camera to throw down, but there was more than enough mosh to go around. Next to take the stage was Like Pacific and Jordan Black was a shoo-in for best dressed. Hearing these guys play “Stay Pissed” was a little less predictable and long time fans went off.
After them was Harms Way. The last time I saw Harms Way live was at Heartfest in 2015, so I was blind-sided by the brutality of their live sound.
Hamilton's kingpin, Counterparts capped off one of the highlights of 2018. Toronto got exactly what was expected out of this show and frontman Brendan Murphy said it best: “These kinds of shows are sick because all of the bands kick ass”
It’s shows like these that remind me just how much I enjoy the Ontario music scene and I can’t wait to see what 2019 has to offer.
