Photos and a review of Hot Water Music (with guests Off With Their Heads and Quicksand) in Toronto
[Photographer Alex Lupul was there. -AC]
In a world of relentless touring and recording, a band reaching their 30th anniversary can seem to be an insurmountable feat to achieve.
For the long-standing, influential punk outfit Hot Water Music, this milestone serves not only as an opportunity to look back, but as a moment to continue to push forward creatively; manifesting itself in the band’s latest release “Vows.”
The album sees the band–comprised of Chuck Ragan (vocals/guitar), Chris Wollard (vocals/guitar), Chris Cresswell (vocals/guitar), Jason Black (bass) and George Rebelo (drums)–put forth an intense and musically daring 12-song showcase (their first since 2022’s “Feel the Void”) alongside contemporaries and those they’ve influenced.
The list of features on “Vows” includes Brendan Yates and Daniel Fang of Turnstile, Thrice, Dallas Green of City and Colour and Alexisonfire, The Interrupters, and Popeye Vogelsang of Calling Hours and Farside.
“Everyone spent a lot of time reflecting on the journey that got us here and thinking about what we want the trajectory to be from here on out while making this record,” the band summarizes. “We hope this album feels like a celebration of our history and future to everyone that hears it. That is definitely what it is and how it feels to us.”
For the band, this celebration of their history didn’t stop at the completion of the album. Instead, announcing its 30th anniversary headline tour of 30 dates across North America with support on the tour provided by Quicksand, and Off With Their Heads.
Hot Water Music returned to Ontario for the first time since the 2022 edition of Alexisonfire’s Born and Raised music festival in St. Catharines, Ontario, this time taking to the stage at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall.
A Toronto connection can be found with Chris Cresswell, who recounted a full-circle moment to the crowd about seeing Hot Water Music perform in the city in 2002 just after the release of their classic album “Caution” (well before joining the group in 2020), but heartbreakingly having to leave early to catch the last train home.
In true celebratory fashion the band delivered a career-spanning performance drawing from nearly the entirety of their discography, to an energetic and passionate crowd boasting a wide ranging age group, from soundproof earmuff-clad youngsters to longtime followers of the Gainesville, Florida group.
Hot Water Music’s remaining 30th anniversary North American tour dates can be found below:
MAY
12 — Mechanicsburg, PA – Lovedraft’s Brewing Co. *
13 — Washington, DC — The Howard *
14 — Richmond, VA — The National *
15 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade (Heaven) *
17 — Dallas, TX — South Side Music Hall *
18 — San Antonio, TX — Paper Tiger *
19 – Austin, TX – Mohawk *
JUNE
13 — Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom ^
14 — Cleveland, OH — House of Blues ^
15 — Chicago, IL — Concord Music Hall ^
16 — St. Louis, MO — Delmar Hall ^
17 — Lawrence, KS — Liberty Hall ^
18 — Denver, CO — Ogden Theatre ^
20 — Mesa, AZ — Nile Theater ^
21 — San Diego, CA — House of Blues ^
22 — Santa Ana, CA — Observatory ^
23 — Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco ^
24 — San Francisco, CA — Great American Music Hall ^
25 — Sacramento, CA — Ace of Spades ^
27 — Portland, OR — Revolution Hall ^
28 — Seattle, WA — The Showbox ^
29 — Vancouver, BC — Commodore Ballroom ^
- — with Quicksand, Off With Their Heads
^ — with Quicksand, Tim Barry
Photos from the show:
Off With Their Heads
Quicksand
Hot Water Music
