Supergroup PAKT Play One of a Kind Event at The Rockpile
- jaybroderick
- Jul 20
- 4 min read
Etobicoke, Canada
By: Jay Broderick - Supergroups have been around for decades, gaining mainstream popularity in the 1960s with bands like Cream and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Musicians break from their mainstay bands and join forces with musicians from other bands, to form the so-called "supergroup". As a fan, the idea fascinates me. Typically, the "supergroup" doesn't quite obtain the notoriety of the members' previous bands. As a result, they often play in much smaller venues, making for a much more intimate setting with your musical heroes.
Unfortunately, most follow the band, and not the individual artist. Even though fans will hang around the venue long after the show in hopes for a "hello" and an autograph. But break those musicians down into their individual pieces, and to most, it somehow doesn't hold the same power. Slayer was performing in arena sized stadiums, yet the main man behind the band heads out on a solo attempt, and is only able to draw crowds in the hundreds. One of the more recent supergroups that has caught my attention is a band called PAKT. On July 16, I headed west of the city to The Rockpile, to check out this newer creation.
East of Nowhere
On the opposite side of the big city resides Durham Region. The first city as you head east is called Pickering, and within lives a band called East of Nowhere. On July 16th, they kicked off the PAKT show with their style of straight ahead, to the point party/bar rock. With original tracks that have a great rhythm and beat, and some with a Tragically Hip vibe, the band also had some humour built into their repertoire. After thanking Jake the sound guy, Steve and Tom for bringing PAKT to The Rockpile, and the rest of the staff, they rolled into one of their originals. After which, the band's singer humorously says "I should probably thank my friends too." At this point, there were very few patrons in the club. I'd say the table of friends for the band was at least half of the crowd.
East of Nowhere went on to play a couple solid covers from The Headstones, joking "Man, I wish I wrote that song" after "Tweeter and the Monkey Man"s conclusion and even a track from the great Steve Earle. It was a fun opening set that the band put their sweat into, with their drummer grabbing a towel and asking "Anybody wanna share?"
PAKT
Percy Jones - bassist for jazz rock band Brand X
Alex Skolnick - guitarist for thrash metal outfit Testament
Kenny Grohowski - drummer for Imperial Triumphant
Tim Motzer - guitar, electronics phenom
Grab the first letter of each member, and you've got one of the newer supergroups bringing their musical talents alive on the road. I'll be honest, the draw for me here was Testament's Alex Skolnick. I've listened to Skolnick's work for 40 years, but I knew going in that this was not going to be a thrash metal show. Instead, I was prepared to take in the musical soundscapes... but boy, my anticipations were surpassed tenfold.
The band moved themselves to the stage, all in a seated position. They collectively tuned, and prepared their strings and pedals, clicking buttons, and turning dials. Seamlessly, their preparations turned into a kaleidoscope of psychedelia, melancholy and smoothness. Following each other's leads, the band simply jammed. The multicoloured sounds emanating from the stage were incredible. I looked around to see the faces on the scant crowd as they sat in awe. Incredibly, the venue was empty. I did a rough and dirty count, summing up a total of 35 individuals. Sadly, that included the staff at the bar, 4 photographers and the table of East of Nowhere friends. WHAT?
As I focus my attention back to the musicians on stage, I watch as the 4 members completely immersed themselves, feeling the sounds they are creating. Eyes closed, listening, and feeling intently. Guitarist Tim Motzer really gets into it during their 4th jazz fused jam session.
45 minutes into the session, Alex Skolnick pulls a microphone over to his mouth. "Hello Toronto! This is our 2nd show in Canada." He introduces the band members, and explains the meaning of the band's name. "We've got lots more music for you guys tonight. You won't know any of this, and neither do we, as we are just going with it as we go." Sit back and reflect on this for a minute... 4 musicians... sitting on the stage at The Rockpile... improvising as they go... jamming to a very small crowd. It was (and is) pure gold!!
As the band began to wind down their set, Motzer took a moment to greet the crowd, asking if they were having a good time. "We're in Toronto. You can't imagine how happy we are to be here!" He asks the crowd to hang back after the show, check out the merch table, and have a beer. "I think we have time for one more."
The small crowd was very appreciative for what they had witnessed, and the band was super humbled, and super cool! They took photos, chatted, and were so open to the fans that hung back. This was truly a one-of-a-kind evening, that will rank up there as one of my best experiences as a photojournalist.
I honestly don't understand the small turnout. Selfishly, I don't care. I'd way rather sit in a room with 10 people and listen to these musicians just play. But somebody please help me understand why fans don't eat this shit up? Is it advertising? Are music fans simply fans of the songs from their favourite bands, but somehow not truly appreciating the artistry of the music? This event was $35. I'll say this, please don't complain about the prices of concert tickets. There is so much live music to witness, and some from big name artists. Do yourselves a favour!
Concert Photo Gallery
PAKT Online
show date: July 16, 2025
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