Emerging Canadian rockers Crown Lands and The Dirty Nil hit the Lounge at Live Nation on Thursday night for a small collection of fans and industry professionals to close out the 2018 Ones To Watch series in Toronto.
The two bands each took a turn cranking out high volume rock and roll for the intimate crowd of less than 200 in a room that always creates a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere.
Presented in partnership with SiriusXM, the Ones To Watch series gave us a chance to see the bands do their thing in a space much smaller than most people get to. And we can tell you this, there were definitely people that weren't familiar with The Dirty Nil and Crown Lands before the show leaving with the intention to see them again and hear more from them both.
Oshawa duo Crown Lands started the show with a loud set that began with Being Right, followed it up with tracks including Mountain, Waterfall, and didn't slow down until they finished with a big-time cover of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir.
Throughout the set, Cody and Kevin brought all of the energy to the small stage that we've become accustomed to in rooms like The Pheonix, The Horseshoe Tavern and more. And as they finish a year that included tour runs with big stars including Coheed and Cambria and Jack White, Crown Lands showed the exclusive Toronto audience that there's a lot more to come.
We've been watching Crown Lands on stages big and small for just over two years now, and we can tell you that this pair of young rock and rollers keep getting better and better each and every time we see them.
Related: Crown Lands at The Horseshoe Tavern
When you get a chance to see Crown Lands live, take it. And if you haven't already, check them out on Spotify and turn up the volume!
Crown Lands - Ones To Watch at The Lounge at Live Nation
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The Dirty Nil came to the small stage next with all of the same energy that Crown Lands brought, and all of the rock and roll that we expected.
The trio from Dundas, ON released a new album, Master Volume in September and have been sharing the songs in Canada, the United States, England, and Germany in the three months since. And they'll keep their touring ways going in the new year with dates scheduled overseas in London as well as eight shows across Germany.
At the Lounge at Live Nation, The Dirty Nil played a selection of songs from their new album, including That's What Heaven Feels Like, Always High, Pain Of Infinity, Auf Wiedersehen, I Don't Want That Phone Call and more. And when they wrapped the night with Evil Side, they were sweaty, pumped up, and you'd have a hard time convincing us that the three rockers could have poured more spirit into their short, small Toronto show.
Related: The Dirty Nil at WayHome 2017
Luke, Kyle, and Ross released 11 songs this year on Master Volume, 11 songs in 2017 on Minimum R&B, and 11 more in 2016 on Higher Power. And while we don't know what they've got planned for 2019, we highly encourage you all to check out their library with the sound turned all the way up!
The Dirty Nil - Ones To Watch at The Lounge at Live Nation
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Photo Credits: Trish Cassling
