It was an unusually chilly night in the middle of March as Spring slowly approached. It could be why few people were waiting in line at The Opera House, where garage rock band White Reaper made a Canadian stop in their headlining tour. The band has been getting attention with their recent album, Asking For A Ride, released earlier this year. With high praises from critics for their new album, the crowd would be treated to a fantastic night of hard rock music.
Mamalarky was the first opener of the night to a half-filled crowd. The indie rock band showcased their unique blend of genres that got the crowd listening in interest. Livvy Bennett’s vocals were powerful and vibrant, while Michael Hunter’s keyboard playing brought something different and fun to each of the band’s songs. Mamalarky is an exciting band to listen to for indie music lovers.
Lineup:
Livvy Bennett – Lead vocals, guitar
Dylan Hill – Drummer
Michael Hunter – Keyboard
Noor Khan – Bass, backing vocals
Setlist:
1. How to Say
2. Mythical Bonds
3. Shining Armor
4. July
5. Schism Trek
6. Counterfeit
7. Swell (new song)
8. Drug Store Model
9. You Make Me Smile
Militarie Gun was the second opener, where they brought their mix of hardcore and punk rock to the half-filled audience.“This is the most amount of photographers I seen in my life!” Shelton sarcastically addressed the crowd as he was not impressed by the lack of energy from the audience. The band ended their set one song short, showing their disappointment to the crowd. While their music has head-banging potential, their attitude onstage could use more maturity in time.
Lineup:
Ian Shelton – Lead vocalist
William Acuña – Guitar
Nick Cogan – Guitar
Max Epstein – Bass
Vince Nguyen – Drummer
The members of White Reaper arrived onstage to the crowd’s excitement. “Hello, we’re White Reaper!” Tony Esposito introduced to the packed audience before the start of “Make Me Wanna Die.” Tony effortlessly sang through the song while playing his guitar and his bandmates Ryan Hater (keyboards), Hunter Thompson (guitars) and twins Nick (drums) and Sam Wilkerson (bass) played in sync with each other. It was a night of endless guitar riffs and Tony’s mix of singing and hardcore vocals that kept the audience head banging and mosh pitting from beginning to end.
Ryan Hater was the most animated out of the band, as he encouraged everyone to dance midway through their set. The band gave a shoutout to the girl who crowd surfed to the end of the stage before performing “Pink Slip.” The night continued with head-banging songs before the crowd sang the words to “Pages,” one of White Reaper’s well-known songs. Next, addressing the audience they don’t do encores, leading to the crowd’s approval before they ended the night with “Half Bad” and “Judy French.” With high praises for their latest album, Asking For A Ride and their impressive play making onstage, White Reaper is a must band to watch out for soon.
Lineup:
Tony Esposito – Vocals, guitar
Ryan Hater – Keyboard
Hunter Thompson – Guitar
Nick Wilkerson – Drummer
Sam Wilkerson – Bass
Setlist:
1. Make Me Wanna Die
2. Asking for a Ride
3. Bozo
4. Real Long Time
5. I Don’t Think She Cares
6. Don’t You Think I Know?
7. Might Be Right
8. Little Silver Cross
9. Fog Machine
10. Sheila
11. Ring
12. Raw
13. Pink Slip
14. Daisies
15. Conspirator
16. Pages
17. Half Bad
18. Judy French
Follow Mamalarky Online:
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Andrew Wu is a music photographer based in Toronto, Canada. His work focuses on capturing and documenting special moments of performers during concerts and various events. His photos have been featured such as music publications in Spill Magazine, Imprint Entertainment, and Patchchord News. In 2020, he completed his BFA in photography at OCAD University.
Andrew is a massive fan of music, as he enjoys a variety of genres such as pop, alternative, rock, hardcore, and metal.
