PORTAGE
& MAIN/
REDBIRD/TWINRIVER

material publicly released over the

March9 • TheMediaClub

songs, such as "I Fall Again," and

Amid the remnants of the show,

sipate like the rushing of a passing

Standing outside in the wet, I ran a

"RollMe Over."With their meticulous

we said our anonymous farewells to

train, exemplified in the banger

hand _through my loose misgivings

riffs, conducted by Wellman's sweep-

and entered the Media Club with a
cool head. Where tangled beards

ing vocals, everysong resounded as a
rock 'n' roll adage, fully willing and

to parade upon.

rumbling bass that escalated with a
steam generated intensity and dis-

the three bands we had come to see.
Although I was far from knowing
those crammed into the Media Club

tracks: "Dirrd up" and "House Juno
Eventide".
The tone was paradoxical, both

40 years. The homage-melange was

Glass Kites, whose first full-length

performance reminiscent ofRoyston

surprisingly pleasing, delivered as it
was by accomplished and enthusiastic

album came out online January r,

March15 • FiveSixty
As well as being in a sort of cultural

Langdon from 'gos glam pop band

players, making the show more enter-

passing look-see at the recently

SpaceHog.

taining and less doggedly derivative

pressed material. Playing the album

no-mans land, FiveSixtyon Seymour

"We're not disappointing you,

than it could have been.

front to back, engulfed in a swirling

Street (the old A&BSound, to Vancou-

are we?" Konrad asked the early eve-

After two full sets the crowd size
noticeably increased. But, despite

snowflakes, sometimes like spinning

GLASS
KITES/
SUPERCASSETTES
/ FACTS
/
BEDOFSTARS

backed up by the band's beautiful,
melodic pop, gavean impressive vocal·

served up an ambitious, all-encom-

display of lights-sometimes

like

and loose ink are used as emblems

capable of sending the horde into a

that Friday night, each of us parted

eerie and pleasant and somewhat

verites over 2 5) is itself a sort of void.

ning crowd. "No? That's good," he

by both artist and audience, deviating

full on swing.

with the same thought in mind: so

humorous in its enveloping rich atmo-

Cavernous,multi-leveled,and covered

replied to an unclear response from

the surge in numbers, the energy

galaxies, sometimes like lush grassy

all over with small square tiles and

the crowd. "At least, I hope that was

remained on the mellow side for the

green hills disintegrating into noth-

whitewashed brick in a Euro toilet

a no." Bed of Stars closed their set

third band on the bill, Supercassette.

ingness--Glass

into a sound that resembled chatter-

chic, the venue feels like a place you're

with "Nothing left to Lose," a bouncy

Seemingly immune to the band's

part Laser Pink Floyd, one part Sigur

ing robots. In their wake was left the

more likely to get lost in than discover·

crowd pleaser that has been seeing

jokes and their exuberant brand of

Ros junior, and one part makeout

anything new at.
There to check out the Glass Kites

regular airtime on the Peak radio sta-

party-fueling synth-rock, folks pro-

room at a '70s high school party.

tion since the release of their EP I Fell

ceeded to stand at a polite distance

The crowd at this point had

in Lovein theCitylast August.

from one another and watch Super-

reached peak density, huddling

cassette sweat it out.

close to the stage and swaying to the

from such a uniform can cause some
unwanted attention.

Taking their cue, Portage & Main
aligned themselves behind the now

Standing on the outside looking

central Sponarksi, and his partner

in, I watched as the harmonies of

in front, Harold Donnelly. With-

Twin River's Courtney Ewan and Andy
Bishop, backed by Dustin Bromley

out so much as a moment of conscious reconfiguration, Portage &

long and goodbye.
-Sam Hawkins

sphere, consisting of raw and sharp
metallic tones that would dissolve

BLINDHORSES/
BEAMMS
/
BO(SUN)
March11 • TheElectricOwl

hopeful shouting of"Encore!" from
the elated and energetic crowd.

Kites' set was one

and MalcolmJack, played "Can't Keep

Main began heaving out sunburned

Jonathan Sherk of8o(sun) radiated a

Blind Horses continued the atmo-

album release show, I was readyto take

This Alive." They unified the crowd

southern rock, fueling the crowd

thunderous wall of white noise as he

spheric thread and built their set

that feeling to the bank, but instead I

Next, with little ado, following

ended up pleasantly surprised by the

a few choice old school drum and

"You don't have to be afraid to

band's layered, heavy, dreamy prog

parade of talented young bands that

bass and deep house tracks DJed by

dance," quipped the lead singer, but

rock. Between singer Leon Feldman's

carried on with the night in front of

Wobangs, Facts took the stage. The

the crowd didn't bite. Supercassette

acrobatic, Thom Yorke-ish vocals and

a sparse, but loving crowd. In a huge

band seemed determined to give the

played a solid, high-energy set, but

guitarist Curt Henderson's

crowd a primer on their most sig-

ended with a song we were told we

sharp Jonny Greenwood profile, the

nificant musical influences-a

and invited me into the gathering.
Twin River's blend offolk alternative
rock, lead by the powerfully gentle
voice of Ewan, prepped the audience

with showers of spittle, and bringing the audience within an inch of
their vocal chords. Feeding off each
other's defining voices, Donnelly's

sat equably on the stage floor behind
his laptop. As the caustic sound began
to corrode the place just behind the
eyes, an oscillating pulse began to

around stark juxtaposing elements,
from the walking technical b_assand
rhythm sections ofJack and Will Macdonald, to the sharp choppy founda-

for the evening to come. On this Fri-

burly features and booming beard

tame the blinding white and carry it

tions of Peki Hajdukovic's supporting

venue like FiveSixtyyou really have to

day night, the kickoff for Redbird

were subverted by his angelic voice.

in gentle transition to an organic and

guitar. These parts were largely tied

feel for the opening act.

and Portage & Main's cross-Canada
tour, the union between friend and
stranger was bridged.
Alongside John Sponarski, the
concurrent front man of Portage &

And with Sponarksi's strong recital
and striking dominance on stage, it
was clear that he was more than just a
role player alongside either Donnelly
or Wellman.

disorienting atmosphere. The surrounding layers were strangely familiar, but altered; like memories from a
dream. Percussive clicks resembling

together by the honey-dripping voice
oflead singer, Danny Majer's heavily manipulated guitar, which would
support and influence the individually

pebbles against slate peppered the

awkward sections towards intensity.

Main, as well as Ben Appeheimer

Slowing down the pace, Portage

dreamy melodies that floated atop

Such songs as "Veils" or "Hands,

(bass) and Graham Selr (drums),

& Main invited Wellman on stage

an almost tangible blood-trembling

Ghost" would start small and sim-

Redbird's

Savannah Leigh Well-

to perform backup vocals for their

bass. As abruptly as he began, the

ple, beginning with a steady, raw and

man's unmistakable seductiveness

song "Rocky Mountain Wanderer,"

laptop was closed and a "thank you"

rhythmic strum from Peki, or ribbons

consigned the crowd into a pro-

lulling the crowd into peaceful sway.

signaled the end of his set.

of harmonizing a cappella falsetto.

longed frenzy. The eight months

But before long, they revved up their

BEAMSS, a music project con-

The momentum built with glossy,

since Redbird's release of their EP

engines, and busted out a new track

sisting of Sam Beatch and Sebastian

prattling seabird-toned guitar riffs

We'reAllFriendsand LoversUntil it Falls

"Sweet Darling," as well as the

Davidson hovered over their equip-

that weaved through the elements and

Apart allowed their live resonance to

crowd-pleaser, "Carolina." With their

ment like bobbing birds and dis-

wound them tightly into crescendo.

develop a fervency we don't hear on

national tour officiallyunderway, this

played their unique brand of dreamy

The songs rose and fell like the rolling

the album.

musical union between Redbird and

minimal-house.

Contrasting with

swells of the sea touched by a breathy

Exemplified in their newly issued

Portage &Main is distinctly appropri-

8o(sun), BEAMSS''dense atmosphere

storm. With an energetic close to the

track, "The Tower," the band that

ate. Looking further than their inter-

rest~d on a more structured and grip-

night they bowed to the audience and

already (quoted from their website)

secting musicianship, each group has

ping percussion. Instead of getting

were received with adulation.

"pulls from a slew of sonic inspira-

a dominion over their audience that

lost in the music you were gently

tions," conducted the club's tenor

ultimately works together. Redbird

lead through the parts, as they intro-

to their choosing. Largely playing

establishes

duced warm melodic swells atop dark

ORJ(J;s;

r4lt

34

last year, their set included a few new

Portage & Main is more than happy

the groundwork

that

-Dylan Beatch

knife-

bit of

may "recognize from TSN." Titled

Radioheadparallels are hard not to

Playingto a couple dozen fans and

Talking Heads here, some Spoon and

"Good Company," the song was a

make. To their credit, the band has

friends in a space that could easily

the Killers there, at times a Zooropa-

departure from the rest of their play-

meticulously composed their wayinto

hold two hundred, Bed of Stars did

era U2 flavour-and

so, Facts' set

list and, owing to its more generic

territory all their own.

their best to banish the vacuum of

read like a Wikipedia entry on Popu-

radio rock sound, kind of a down note

empty space. Singer Evan Konrad,

lar Rock 'n' Roll music of the last

to end on.

After playing the album's closing
track, "Slowly (Home)", Glass Kites
shut things down with
a tonne-of-bricks-heavy

s

medley of two non-album

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"Redemption," a howling
broke the dial off at rr.
Satisfying.
Wobangs played the
crowd out with an appropriately far-out mix of
dance hits, from Cece
Peniston to CSS, but perhaps not surprisingly, still
no one was dancing.
-Joni McKervey

35