Mid-week entertainment pick: The Flairs live at the Downbeat

On Wednesday, March 9th, a high energy band with a flair for, well, flair, will be gracing the Downbeat Lounge for a special one-night only performance.

The Flairs are a self-described "21st century band ready to take the world by storm with their catchy, hook-laden rock songs harkening back to the days of '80s metal and punk..."

The Flairs were formed by vocalist/guitarist Dawn Mandarino and drummer Jen Foster - both former alumni of pop outfit Tuuli. The duo met up with Gillian Hanna, who was playing in Bif Naked's back-up band. The three girls decided to form their own group with much less of the sweet pop of Tulli, and a much more edgy sound than either performer had previously explored.

The truth is, there is very little about this band that could be considered sweet. They are full-frontal, full-on, cock-rock with a twist. Their songs are a combination of female harmonies with a-whole-lotta attitude.

With the addition of Gillian's younger brother Ryan on bass, the line-up was complete and The Flairs were officially born.

The band mixes a wide variety of influences from The Ramones to the Dance Hall Crashers to Guns 'n Roses to Veruca Salt. Their 1st EP was released in November 2004, and not only did the video for "Ready To Roll" go into MuchMusic rotation, the aggressive "You’ll Never Know" reigned as #1 Best All Time Pop Rock Song on the infamous indie band site Garageband.com.

The band is a blend of youthful spirit and undeniable talent and will be hitting the Downbeat stage at 10:30 pm this Wednesday, March 9th. There is a $2 cover charge at the door.

For more information on The Flairs, click here.

The Downbeat Lounge is located at 740 Queen Street East (across from PUC). For more information on the Downbeat Lounge, click here.