The Crunch

We will call this night freaky Friday, there must have been something in the air or just an extra tough work week because the corner of Queen and Bathurst was an absolute circus Friday night. Ahh, sping has almost sprung. The bands on stage included the likes of 'Fifth Base' with just two bass guitars, pretty groovy. 'Harvesting Humans' a good time metal band. 'The Crunch' surprise band of the night, really young players and a pretty tight band. Rob from local hard rock band 'Rustic' was having a bout of the strep throat and battled through their set. 'Fall the Loss' thrashed what seemed like a punk/metal/core set to close out - Emergenza

Watching The Crunch immediately evoked images of my middle school years. The braces years, the awkward years, and the years I discovered my own favourite bands – not the ones my parents imposed on me since birth. There I was the shy loner, and then there were guys like the ones in the Crunch. The popular ones who had shaggy haircuts and skate shoes before everyone else did, with parents who didn't pack their lunches for them anymore, and of course, they're in a band. The Crunch, aged 14-16, don't really know how cool they are – which makes their precocious, wise beyond their years brand of melodic pop rock so honest and believable.

Their fun set at an Emergenza show on May 5th at the Reverb was unfortunately nearly empty due to the ridiculous $18 cover charge at the door.

They opened with a number reminiscent of At-The-Drive-In. But by their third song, “Japanese Temple”, it was clear The Crunch hadn't fallen into the trap like the other young bands that night had – playing boring, formulaic, generic pop punk. Though there is one thing they could take away from the watered down, adult contemporary punk that dominates the airwaves these days – their ear for a memorable pop tune. Though the band is melodic and skillful, their tunes don't stick.

The band rounded out the set by playing two covers that were sure to be crowd pleasers due to the youths in attendance. “Float On” by Modest Mouse was relatively similar to the original. But their version of “Say It Ain't So” by Weezer had the kids in the audience practically on their knees singing along.

It is clear The Crunch is in the early stages of its progress, but a band to watch out for in the future. Their dark, curly haired singer, Ryan Funt, more than makes up for it by being cute, charming, and a natural onstage. But just when I thought I had made my mind up about The Crunch, they played “Red Disaster”, a beautiful, haunting tune that reminds me of the epitome of a classic rock song in the making. The crowd must have agreed as they cheered The Crunch on as the winners of that night's event. Good luck guys!
- Toonage Magazine