It’s always fun to score free tickets to a show, even if it’s more of a sampler/appetizer plate of music.  Such was the case for me when I managed to score tickets to the CASBY awards, an excuse for Toronto radio station 102.1 The Edge to gather several alt-rock acts in one place for a strange blend of minimal awards and maximum music.  And unlike the Oscars, they can keep on schedule.

Featuring performances from the Arkells, The Stills, Ill Scarlet, the amazing Matthew Good (belting out Last Parade and Strange Days on acoustic guitar) and Canada’s “indie but not quit indie” rockers Metric, it was a night to grab a taste of bands one might never go see alone, or bands one has had the misfortune of missing live thus far.  Metric is a band I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing, and their four song set was a tease.  A wonderful, glorious tease.  This band delivers the goods live, and is genuinely humbled by and appreciative of their success and fans.  The True North, Strong and Free, indeed!

Blending traditional alt-rock with a more electronic hue and the sassy vocals of one Emily Haines, part-sass, part-intellect Metric is by far one of the better recent bands to hit the scene.  For you, my personal favourite of theirs for its rock out factor.  Flip to my YouTube channel (turnoffthetv) for a Silent Hill tribute set to this track.

Oh, yes;  Metric played the following mini-set last night:  Monster Hospital, Help I’m Alive, Gimme Sympathy, Dead Disco.

Day Forty-Three:  Monster Hospital – Metric