Fans jam into Sonic Boom on Record Store Day as Zeus gets ready to take the stage.
Saturday marked the fourth annual Record Store Day and, fittingly, Toronto band Zeus was in town to celebrate. All these guys do is turn out vinyl — oh, and put on a really great show.
They were among the musicians who treated fans to songs in the lower level of Sonic Boom Records, one of the more than 700 independent record stores in North America celebrating the “art of music.” Not only was the music free, so was the pizza. A great touch by Sonic Boom, a Bloor West shop that’s a real treasure for our city and a draw for young music fans.
For Zeus fans, the show featured a few new songs, including the bluesy, Double Fantasy-esque “Hello, Tender Love” sung by Neil Quin. The band heads to Europe for some shows before opening a few gigs for the Sam Roberts Band, including at Massey Hall on June 3 and 4.
Among the other eight acts who performed were the Wooden Sky and Bidini Band.
This is the fourth year for Record Store Day, which started on April 19, 2008 in San Francisco, where Metallica turned up the amps at Rasputin Music. The celebration of authentic music is now celebrated on the third Saturday every April.
In the distance you can see a couple of members of Zeus before playing at Sonic Boom. (Thanks to Julia Pelish Photography for the pics)
If you missed it, catch it next year. Or just drop into Sonic Boom, at 512 Bloor Street West, just east of Bathurst. If nothing else, holding an album cover of “Synchronicity” by the Police or The Velvet Underground’s eponymous release will bring back some memories. Felt my entire record collection – which is in a basement somewhere on the continent – had suddenly been returned. Thrilling, really. Had I seen a copy of “Brothers in Arms” I’m sure I would’ve bought it.
Adrian Brijbassi 
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