Sloan

Over the past two decades, Halifax pop outfit Sloan has dominated the Canadian music scene. Since their humble beginnings as the bastions of art school indie, to their increasing status as modern day dad rock, it's hard to imagine what our nation's FM airwaves would sound like without the enigmatic four-piece. So in celebration of the band's 21 years of running the quintessentially DIY Murderecords, Sloan took the stage at the Great Hall in their adopted Toronto to play the label's first EP, Peppermint, from front to back. Starting off with the shoegazing sounds of "Marcus Said," the band shifted flawlessly into the alternate take of future classic "Underwhelmed" and the chaotic "Pretty Voice." Re-hearing the band's first tunes in a live setting, it was interesting to notice the group's strong hardcore and '80s punk influence in their early material, especially when the boys shifted focus and played the slightly more pop-y, upbeat One Chord to Another tracks. As the band left the stage after playing only eight songs, one girl in the crowd lamented the fact they hadn't played a longer set and complained about the lack of hits. But in reality, tonight's showcase wasn't set up to be your standard Sloan show, but rather a celebration of the label's resilient efforts and their fans' diehard support.