Mary Shall Burn

Before I go into this article, I'd just like to point out for the obtuse. the stupid and the easily offended that I have absolutely no plans to cause Stephen Harper bodily harm and I'm not trying to incite an angry mob to march on parliament with torches and pitchforks. I would absolutely love to, don't get me wrong, but there are a great many things I would love to do that are not necessarily a good idea, like get into fisticuffs with a kodiak grizzly. So keep that in mind before you email me angrily for encouraging violence against politicians. Although, I can't think of why anybody would be offended at the mental image of Stephen Harper getting a face full of angry
forehead. I will go into how this ties into the music in the next paragraph.

Live music makes me really happy on a number of different levels. First and foremost, I like listening to music. I don't need to explain that much further. I also enjoy the chance to meet new friends, dance around a bit and see tangible proof that something good comes out of this region besides fruit and booze made out of fruit. One of the main reasons I like it is because it shows me that people give a f*** about issues facing our culture. GamePlan has had numerous good things to say about Mary Shall Burn because they're a solid band that makes great music. Their thunderous, pulsing, hard rock sound with traces of heavy metal to add a little extra "HELL YEAH" to the music has been praised over and over, so I'm going to stop. A huge part of what makes seeing them so enjoyable for me is the fact that their very existence as a band is a big "F*** YOU!" to the Harper government. If you're kinda dim and the pun went over your head, Mary Shall Burn is a pretty direct marijuana reference. Right away their band's name declares that they have every intention of burning some marijuana despite its illegality. Its not, "If it becomes decriminalized we'll smoke a little pot" or, "If there aren't any police looking we'll smoke a bowl," it's "Mary Shall Burn." When I kept that in mind, songs like, "You and What Army" sounded a little less like a general expression of anger and more like a call to arms against the idiocy that guts our country in the name of obedience. By the end of their set I definitely felt like head-butting Stephen Harper in the face, and that's a feeling that keeps me warm at night. Also worth noting is the fact that their lead singer bears a striking resemblance to 'The Dude' from the Big Lebowski. - -Ben Krawec - Gameplanpros.com

"Heavy Metal Basement In a heavy metal basement Big sound from tiny room The smoke is thick and sweet Beer, bong, bang, boom The groove is hard and steady The timing is just right Five will become one Downstairs in the night Music fills the air Speakers buzzing loud Making moves like rock stars Even though there's no crowd Drums will keep on beating Under guitars and bass Singer keeps on singing Though I don't see his face Bring it all together Make the groove just right In heavy metal basement On dark cold winter night" - - James Takeo Panton, dot-not.com

"Breakthrough Productions turned to MSB to step up and entertain people. It was their first real gig and the place was packed. In fact they got the best turnout of the evening. MSB really wowed the crowd and between songs I could hear murmurs of appreciation. I think people were surprised at the quality of the opening band. The crowd clapped and cheered at the end of every song. Unfortunately their set was only half an hour long. They are releasing their first demo, Burn That Halo, on March third at City Lights so be there. You don't want to miss it!" - - Victoria Blair, Gameplanpros.com

"Their hard rock sound is sure to blast your winter blues away and get you dancing." - - Victoria Blair, Gameplanpros.com