It was cold and rainy outside on Saturday night, but things got hot quickly when Saint Asonia and openers ROMES rolled into town for a sold-out, all-ages instalment of the Rebel Real Rock concert series with a show at Club SAW.
Toronto rock duo ROMES, made up of brothers Jacob and Nick Bitove, wasted no time getting the packed SAW crowd fired up with songs like “Choker” and “Chillthefuckout,” which were a blend of heavy guitar, punchy drums, and electronic accents.
Headliners Saint Asonia were last in Ottawa in the spring of 2022 and have since released two EPs, Introvert and Extrovert, with songs from both featured in Saturday night’s setlist.
Led by ex-Three Days Grace vocalist/guitarist Adam Gontier, the band is rounded out by bassist Cale Gontier, drummer Cody Watkins, and touring guitarist Tavis Stanley, all formerly of the band Art of Dying. Tavis joined this tour after guitarist Mike Mushok had to step away due to family commitments.
Club SAW was packed, and it got hot fast, as Saint Asonia tore through an energetic set, which also included a number of Three Days Grace’s biggest songs, such as “Animal I Have Become”, “Never Too Late” and “I Hate Everything About You”, as well as the band’s cover of the Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights”. Saint Asonia’s music has all the things I love—massive guitar riffs, Adam’s legendary vocals (with perfect harmonies by Cale) and soaring choruses that just stick in your head. The intimate setting allowed the band to get up close and personal with fans, tossing guitar picks into the crowd, fist-bumping a young boy and others in the front row, and giving everyone a chance to sing along. The set closed out with their most recent single, “Devastate”, with a quick break before the crowd’s chant of “One more song!” made it clear they weren’t ready to leave yet, and the band returned for two more songs: 2003’s Three Days Grace hit “Just Like You” and a raucous “Let Me Live My Life”.
Missed this show? Don’t worry, the band recently added a second Ottawa show at the Brass Monkey on May 12. Act fast, because tickets are running out!
.gif)
