Bush & The Standstills
February 9, 2023
HISTORY, Toronto, ON
Canadian Beats Passport
English alternative rock band Bush made their Canadian concert return last Thursday night in Toronto with a sold-out show at the HISTORY concert venue.
Canadian rock band The Standstills filled the role of the opening act of the night. The Standstills, a three-piece alternative rock and roll band from Oshawa, Ontario, put their brand of music on display at the mostly filled venue in Toronto, which were very receptive to the group. The opening band had mentioned how appreciative they were to open up for a large caliber band like Bush in their home of Ontario, Canada.
Bush, who saw their rise to huge popularity in the mid-1990s while calling the city of London, England, as their home base. Over the course of the last 25 years plus the band has seen many different tours and also some different bandmates as the only prevailing band member in 2023 are, of course, the lead singer Gavin Rossdale. In terms of live performances, most fans of this group will always think of Woodstock 1999 while recalling one of their most iconic concerts.
Although the lead singer Gavin Rossdale has put some miles on his boots and guitar over the past three decades, it was clear that none of it was slowing him down as he hit the stage with an abundance of energy while jumping around as the sold-out crowd in Toronto went crazy. Canadian fans that are old enough to remember when Bush first got big in Canada will know that they were actually once known as “Bush X” due to another band in Canada already having the name. After some behind-the-scenes deals and agreements, the British band finally got to use the name “Bush” in all future Canadian releases.
A few decades later, in 2023, the band would still be playing classic songs in Toronto like “Machine Head,” “Everything Zen,” “The Chemicals Between Us,” “Come Down,” and the fan-favorite “Glycerine.” A few newer releases, such as “The Sound of Winter” and “Identity,” made the setlist in Toronto at History. It was surprising to see how many younger fans this band has, as I recall seeing many fans that were most likely not born yet for the band’s first and most popular run in the ’90s. I hope Gavin Rossdale will continue touring with this band into the future, and as a fan of Bush, I think it would be so great to see the original lineup play again one day, even if for one final show.
