The Von Bondies
Jan. 17, 2008
The El Mocambo


Walking into the El Mocambo, I was unsure of what to expect from The Von Bondies – and who could blame me? After all, virtually the only thing I really heard of the indie band was the infamous incident between front-man Jason Stollsteimer and a fellow male musician (let’s call him JW, shall we?). But let’s not get into the nastiness of gossip columns. Never one to turn down seeing a band I’m unfamiliar with, my excitement swelled when I saw the Blackberry-esque twenty to thirty something crowd relaxing and chatting amongst themselves quietly while sipping their Heinekens. The small bar was quickly starting to fill with well dressed bodies and politely hushed whispers. That was until The Bondies hit the stage.

The crowd exploded with cheers and cries of dedication and delight when Leann Banks started picking a heavy bass line, followed by both Jason and Alicia Gbur on guitars. The once calm and polite audience started getting rowdy with hips swaying and head bobbing madly to the beat of Don Blum’s steady drum while Matt Lannoo meekly stood in the back strumming passionately at his guitar. Breaking into Pale Bride from their upcoming release Love, Hate, And Then There’s You didn’t dissuade anyone in the tight bar – a good sign considering it’s new and unfamiliar material. My eyes scanned the floor like a rabid animal, frantically trying to write notes while desperately trying to avoid from getting toppled over by the now jumping and flailing crowd. All I could see was a mass of goofy grins and bright eyes. Impressive, to say the least, that a small indie band from Detroit, Michigan could bring such a strong following to the small Toronto club.

Actually, let’s be honest here for a minute. I was only mildly impressed with people’s reactions until The Von Bondies broke out into C’mon, C’mon from 2004’s Pawn Shoppe Heart. Gaining popularity and notoriety since being chosen as the theme song to Denis Leary’s television series “Rescue Me,” I can only imagine from the bored look on the band’s faces that they’ve had to play this song at every show, and will continue to do so. What impressed me beyond belief was the reaction to the song – everybody was singing, everybody had fists pumping – a reaction that seemed to energize the band into fury of musical showmanship. People were getting so excited that I finally couldn’t avoid getting hit when someone slammed into my back, frantically trying to get to the front of the stage, with me getting my JD and coke all over my shirt and my note book getting trampled by stomping feet. More than a little annoyed, I yanked my book out from underneath someone’s pink stiletto, my mood turning bitter and dark. Luckily, I was calmed when Jason announced “and now…It Came From Japan!” and busted into a wild guitar riff that sent shivers up my spine. Officially ending the show with the intoxicating Broken Man, The Von Bondies were forced out for a two song encore by the rabidly screaming audience.

It’s strange – even when my body is getting maimed by a decent turned depraved audience, it’s the music and the gleeful reactions to it that always make my sour mood turn sweet. After seeing The Von Bondies, one thing is certain – put aside any preconceived notions you may have had. Put aside the gossip surrounding the infamous conflict with JW and check them out. If The Von Bondies don’t make your body move, their infectious audience definitely will.

-Renee Johnson 

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