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AGE OF ELECTRIC – OSHAWA MUSIC HALL – Saturday April 15th

If Age Of Electic vocalist/guitarist Todd Kerns is correct when he tells the Oshawa audience it  had been 20 years since the band last  played this famous venue, then the average age of virtually everyone in that audience would have been about eight or nine at the time of their last appearance.

Which meant that most of those in attendance probably didn’t recognize any of the band’s set list which created a challenge, but one the quartet of Kerns, bassist brother John Kerns and the two Dahle brothers; Ryan (lead guitar) and Kurt (drums) were willing to accept.

Yes it had been 20 years since Age Of Electric released `Make A Pest A Pet’, only their second album together, yet Age Of Electric attacked their set list as though they were all new songs and this Saskatchewan outfit was a brand new band.

Certainly, they looked youthful enough with John Kerns, hunched over playing his bass around his kneecaps, Kurt Dahle keeping the percussive beat tight and brother Ryan adding a controlled flair to his lead guitar riffs. Yet it’s the frontman Todd Kerns who is the band’s driving force. Cajolling the audience to sing along to songs they were unfamiliar with, keeping a flow of conversation going and exhibiting the same stage flair he had previously utilized while starring in major arenas and stadium audiences around the globe with Gunes & Roses lead guitarist Slash. A true consumate rock star.

Todd Kerns
Todd Kerns
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John Kerns

And it is this rock star appeal which works for Age of Electric. Whether this brief Canadian tour is a one-off event remains to be seen yet there is no denying that this band is a tight unit whose sheer power and enthusiam easily won this crowd over.

Whether it was playing standards like “Motor” “Enya”, “Ugly” or Untitled” from their first two albums or trotting out new songs like “Kids Break Bones”, “Elephant” or “Keys” from their new four-track `Pretty’ EP, The Age Of Electric are as relevent now as they ever were in their prime and they really should keep this partnership going in the future.

A clear indication of this was their performance of “Remote Control”, the band’s biggest hit off their “Make A Pest A Pet” album which raised the internal decibel level to a fever pitch of intensity. These guys are just too good to go back into hibernation. Slash can go and find himself another sidekick.

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