Carraway Says Goodbye with Fresh Hell and Safekeeping @ Pressed
Over five years and a few different members, it is sadly time for Carraway to say goodbye. But what better way than an all local bill at Pressed surrounded by friends on July 3?
I personally discovered this band too late, having only seen them once before. They were a hidden gem in this city making excellent music which varied from skate punk to melodic rock with indie flare and some screams. They have moments where they blast through songs and blistering speed and other where you think of bands like Brand New.
Guitarist Austin broke the silence after the blistering start to say, “Usually we don’t talk, but usually people don’t come.” This set did see a little more talking from the band than last time I saw them, but realistically they were just here to rock and celebrate… leave the mourning for later. One of the most bittersweet elements of the set was the band playing new music from their new album, Dirty God, which they released a few days ago. The songs, “Heavespeak,” “Violence Inside Me,” and “Dirty God” were excellent and just added to the disappointment that this band is no more. The most memorable moment of the last show I saw was when they played the opening of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name Of” to perfectly transition into their own track, “The World Doesn’t Hate You.” The lads treated us to it again and it was even better this time! But nothing was more notable than the last two songs, “Sink Holes” and “West End Underground,” which not only blew me away, but was an epic way to mark the end of an era.
When the set was done, Phil from Robots!Everywhere!! got up and grabbed the microphone. “If you guys won’t talk I will.” He went on to mention how sad it is to see such a great band call it a day and how they will surely be missed. This started a flow of people giving speeches such as Cory Levesque, Austin’s brother and more. Goodbye Carraway, please let their be new bands that grow from your ashes.
Setting the stage for Carraway was Fresh Hell, a band that just keeps improving every time I see them. What is really cool is that the drummer for Fresh Hell, Vance, was once the drummer for Carraway. Â Fresh Hell were great and sounding tighter than I have ever seen them. Â The two things that really stand out for me are the ridiculous difference in the two vocalists, Steve with his punk rock Tom Waits style rasp and Cory with his softer pop punk voice, and Vance’s drumming. He plays a bunch cool off-beat combinations and inserts some really sweet rolls into a style that is often lacking creative drumming. My favourite song has been “Cold,” but it may have been dethroned by “We Never Sleep” and “Home.” Can’t wait for them to release their debut album! Guitarist Cory was clearly moved and honoured to be playing Carraway’s last show as he has been a long time fan. Cory also found the time to thank everyone for coming out and supporting local: “Thanks for not seeing Blake Sheldon.”
Opening the evening was Safekeeping. Where Fresh Hell represented the punk side of Carraway, Safekeeping represented the more melodic and emo influences. I felt like the band wasn’t as tight as they could be, but I did enjoy their set. The potential is there and I will be keeping my eyes and ears peeled for these guys to see how they grow. I really liked their song “Restless” off their 2013 release This is For The Best and the song, “Never Be The Same” off of their new EP I Wish You Knew.