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ARTS Local band Iooks to be ý'Best of the West'y No Reason to Stay vies to get the nod from Halton voters By Stephanie Hounseil CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF sktefour members ol local punk/pop band No Reason to Stay to name their înost memnorable performance, and tbey'll no doubt give tbe samie respousc. Lt was the one tbey play'ed reccntly at St. Paul's churcb witb the Elattiners, a mainstay in the punk music scene. I bts pc otj 111yU fiS oIrritc Nani so 1 w as prett} tînel said trummeir Jordian Plourde. Bassist Jason McBride echocd bis senti- ments: "Flatlijers is one of my favourite bands, so it was great to play xvith tbem.' How tbe group of 16 and 17-year-old Bishop Reding students landed tbe impres- sive gig is beyond even tbem - particularly since it was just their second performance. Ail tbey know is tbey asked andI tbe sbow organizer okayed, teacbing them a valuable lesson about tbe importance of being assertive. Tbey've also gotten a crash course on tak- ing advantage of opportumties that present tbemselves as tbey try tbeir best to get their name oui tbere. Wben vocalist and guitarist Matt Poulton recently entered tbe band in Metroiands Best of tbe West Battie of the Bands competition, be was doing just tbat. As Miltons representative in the competi- tion, No Reason to Stay wiII now go up against tbe finalists from Burlington and Oakville - We Are Bravest and Alrigbî Alrigbî, respectively Links to videos posted by eacb of the bands on Youlube xviii appear for une week at www.miltoncanadiancbampion.com stant- ing Monday as well as on the websites of the GRAHAM PAINE / CANADiAN CHAMPION READY TO ROCK: No Reason to Stay members (from left) Jason McBride, Thomas Tonhauser, Jordan Plourde and Mati PouItou eagerly awvait the next stage of Metrolands Best of the West Battie of the Bands competition. Burlington Post and tbe Oakville Beaver. Readers are encouraged to vote for ibeir favourite baud, and tbe cbampion xviii be invited to participate on stage at tbis years Burlington Sound of Music Festtval in ]une and be featured agaîn in prini - ibis timne in eacb of tbe participating coîmrunity news- papers. No Reason to Stay formed last sommer and, in addition to Jordan, Matt and Jason, includes Tom Tonbauser on guitar and vocals. Tbougb still a new baud, members bave already taken to tbe studio, recording îbre songs, wbicb can be becard on-line at www.myspace.com/norcasontostaymusic. Tbey'il soon release an EP entitled An Early Climax. No Reason to Stay performs mostly origi- nal music tbaî appeals to people in tbeir age group wbo can relate to tbe lyrics. Tbey're fun, often burnorous songs wiîb catcby melodies, Mati said. Tbc baud also performns somne covers, mnostly songs b>' Blîuk 182, wbîcb _Jordan saîtl is tbe bauds biggest influence. Tbe ttgbît-kniî grotip goes as far back as elementarv scbool, wben tbey ail attended St. Peters togetber. Tbe fact tbey're best friends makes the wbole baud experience seem a lot less like work, jortlan said. But altbougb tbev bave a great lime togetber, tbcre are certainly cballenges, natnely finding venties in wbicb to play. Matt explained w iîb Milions popuilation explo- sion, ibere arc rnany ncw, y'oung bauds lOrmi ing and vyîng for limited spaces in wbicb to perform. -Yoit make frieuds w'itb the bauds, but ibere's always somte competition,' bie said. Witbout tbe Internet, Matt said be doesn't kuow wbere tbe band would be - most like- IV uowbere. Puting ibeir songs up on MySpace is au eas0; cbeap way for tbe group to get exptsure and gives tbetr fans instant atcess, be said. Just as tbe guys bave tbe saine favourite memory; performing wîîb the Flatliners, ibey also bave tbe samie goal. 'Ne just kînd of \vauî to expose our music to tbe worltl - tbaïs evers bauds dream, Matt said. Sýticaici Hloooscll i an bc rca /07/ ai $BGSAVING 'DVWýIN STOCK AT MILTONIS NORTH END NISSANT$00AIG 2009 NISSAN ROGUEUpT -or- %i 419~ 48 ths. 610 MARTIN STREET, MILTON EU1?999 OO Mth.. 905-878-4137 2 .9' 72 mth». NOJRTH EZND SALES DEPT. HOURS: i Financing Up To 36 Mths. No Payments For 90 Days MnTus 9 :090 600off appre 10 inslocrooLiits model Y6SG19LSOO or CKOO option codes. 12 units nsokoro 10LT . Sai. 9:00 -5:00 www.nîssan.caSH T