The Pack A.D. @ Infinity Club

. : : April 6th, 2012 : : .

What would the early output of The White Stripes sound like if Jack White was female?

OK, some of you probably answered “not a whole lot different.” Ha ha. Very funny. But if this is a question that ever crossed your mind or piques your curiosity after it being proposed to you here, you may be interested in checking out The Pack A.D.

Their latest album, Do Not Engage, has got them national attention of rock radio, and as this blog post goes to print, the band has enjoyed the #1 position at the National Canadian Campus Radio for its tenth straight week.

And with good reason. The band revives the amalgamation of garage rock and grunge-influences blues that propelled Jack and Meg White to international stardom (before they had more fun tinkering with a marimba than making fun rock music, anyway).

Front woman Becky Black has more bite to her snarl and Maya Miller occasionally shows a bit more chops behind the kit than their counterpart, but the basic formula is the same. The band is also known for its tireless work ethic, frequent touring, and whirlwind release schedule. The band has pressed five full length LPs since 2007, with often scant more than a year between discs.

Although a more recent comparison that’s popular today is The Black Keys, I can’t help but hear De Stijl all over tracks like Haunt You. Although, perhaps harping on such comparisons isn’t fair to The Pack A.D. It’s obvious that, although they pay homage to their forefathers, the band is its own beast with a worthy spot in today’s modern music charts.

This is a tape from 2012, when the band was touring with Our Lady Peace in support of their last disc, Unpersons. My best friend, who was catching Our Lady Peace on three or so dates on the tour, came home from the first show ranting and raving about the opening band. Being such a big OLP fan, I was intrigued by his focus on the openers over the headliners, and was quick to agree to purchasing scalper tickets for the show in Buffalo and go for a road trip.

The Infinity Club, now closed, wasn’t ideal and the sound was barely passable, but a good time was had. The energy and excitement the band brought to the stage was palatable. Maya even took a few minutes after the show to speak with us about the band, their origins, the meaning of their name, and references on the t-shirt they were peddling on this tour.

I’d be interested in seeing this band headline a gig, with a venue better suited to the brand of garage rock, but their recent gig at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto was well sold out. Next time they’re in town, I may just try and be more proactive in grabbing tickets.

  1. B.C. Is On Fire
  2. Deer [abandoned]
  3. [banter]
  4. Deer
  5. Lights
  6. Cobra Matte
  7. [banter]
  8. Haunt You
  9. [banter]
  10. Don’t Have To Like You
  11. [banter]
  12. Seasick
  13. Sirens
  14. Rid of Me
  15. [banter]
  16. Hear Me Out
  17. 8
  18. [banter]
  19. What’s Up There
  20. Cabin

info.txt // flac fingerprint ]
[ THIS RECORDING IS NOW AVAILABLE AT ARCHIVE.ORG ]

Haunt You (Live In Buffalo) [MP3 sample]


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