We called early-aughts new wavers controller.controller one of Canada’s underrated dance-punk bands who are poised for a comeback — and now that’s taking place, as the band will be reuniting to take part in a hometown Toronto show at the Drake Hotel on February 23.
The band built some buzz in the early '00s, but they went their separate ways in 2006. A brief reunion in 2015 was brought to an end after bassist Ronnie Morris suffered a series of strokes. Morris subsequently worked on rehabilitation while earning a Ph.D, and he has now rejoined his bandmates for what a press release calls "a new yet familiar challenge.”
The comeback show is part of what's being dubbed a WQW Throwback House Party. Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning will appear on the Drake Lounge stage alongside controller.controller plus members of Stars, Zeus and Apostle of Hustle. In the same building on the same night, the Drake Underground will host Begonia and Regina Gently.
Tickets for the show are available here. A press release from controller.controller hints, "What’s next? You’ll have to "check your watch" and see,” suggesting this might not be the last we hear from the group.
