It was a night that included some of Canada’s most exciting and up-and-coming bands, several thoroughly disobeyed fire laws and Wax Mannequin. It was also the night that the Halifax Pop Explosion proved it’s still among Canada’s premiere musical events. Your choice for Best Local Show of 2004 is The Arcade Fire, The Organ, The Holy Shroud and Wax Mannequin gig at The Marquee in November. The Shroud opened the night, introducing many to their aggressively angular sound and their Tide with Bleach-friendly attire. Wax Mannequin and The Organ filled the middle of the night, with the former offsetting bad music with a good show and the latter doing the opposite. The Arcade Fire then took the stage, trampling the toe-to-toe crowd with opener “Wake Up” and holding their intensity for the rest of the set. “We actually had another band in mind to headline the show,” says HPX executive director Waye Mason. “We ended up booking Arcade Fire on a hunch before they blew up. I’d say it worked out pretty well.”
Runners-up: The Pools in Hell, October 9, 2004; Constantines at the Marquee, September 24-25, 2004
