WHITE
RABBITS
March
23 at The Biltmore Cabaret
New
York City, well known for their dime-a-dozen indie rock acts, really has
something to be proud of in White Rabbits. Fresh off the release of their third
disc Milk Famous,
the group had plenty of material to draw from, and their set didn’t halt from
high-octane musicality for a moment.
The
Brooklyn-based sextet brought a heaping supply of stage presence, with several drum
kits, an upright piano, and at least half the band members demonstrating
impressive pipes. In fact, the dueling percussionists and pair of vocalists
(Greg Roberts and Stephen Patterson, whose juxtaposed octaves cover all bases)
lend the outfit well to the road-well-travelled pop tradition, even adding
their own spin during their best moments.
A
sinister side lurks deep-rooted in Rabbits’ motif: hidden beneath the
boisterous pop-rock gems are some majorly dark notes, in the vein of ‘80s
gloom-rockers like Bauhaus or Joy Division. On “Percussion Gun”, the ensemble chants
like a bell choir, while the piano plunks away in a half-developed manner as if
it’s being cut off by second thoughts.
With
Roberts and Patterson trading off the microphone every couple of songs, the
rest of the group also participated in a haphazard cacophony of musical chairs.
The juggling-around just adds to the group’s showmanship, however, particularly
with the band packed in tightly to the edges of the Biltmore’s small stage.
BAHAMAS
March
27 at The Biltmore Cabaret
Toronto's
Afie Jurvanen, better known by his moniker Bahamas, is certainly well on his
way to something big here. This notably sold-out performance at The Biltmore
brought out a solid mix of devout fans and curious new ones. His music is
sharply accessible, working the guy-on-guitar schtick out of the Jack Johnson
cookie cutter and adding in just a few new elements to take himself halfway out
of the surfer mold.
After
years of performing with Feist, Jurvanen has made a name for himself,
especially with his recent sophomore release Barchords. He has an
interesting batch of tunes that lend themselves well to a live set, complete
with soul-gospel backup singers doo-wopping their way through his songs. On the
slow-paced "Never Again", the Biltmore momentarily stopped their beer
clinking while Jurvanen led his band through an extended guitar solo on his
Fender Strat (which his first album was actually named after) before a
heavy-breathing montage of "woah, oh, oh"s that went on for several
minutes. Continuing on his crowd pleasing antics, the group pulled out a
simplified kick-drum and harmonica version of Tom Petty's "You Don't Know
How It Feels" which led the entire room into a sing-along, with Jurvanen himself
performing chin-ups on-stage.
By
JJ Brewis, art director
HAVE
A GOOD FRIDAY, A REALLY GOOD FRIDAY
What
better way to spend Good Friday in Vancouver than to go see what talent
Capilano has to offer? Arts and Entertainment Management students, Shawn
Patrick Flanagan-Fortin and Liam Danger Park, are producing “Really Good
Friday” at the St. James Community Hall on Apr. 6. The bands in the line-up
include Community Trees, In Contra, The Knots, and Aida.
Both
Shawn and Liam are wrapping up their first year in the Arts and Entertainment
Management (AEM) program, and to gain experience working in the industry, they
have put together this event from scratch. This is the first time the students
have independently produced a show, and the bar is definitely to be set high.
All
the profits made from the show will be donated to the Joanne Telfer Memorial
Award, created in honor of Joanne Telfer, a late instructor of the AEM program.
The award is set up to support students in the AEM program who are going
through a career transition.
All
the bands performing at this event have members who are either attending or
have attended Capilano University. Community Trees are an alternative folk band
based out of Port Coquitlam. The Knots formed in 2009, and released their first
EP in June 2011. They describe their sound as “edgy vocals, soulful guitar, and
a driving beat that is enjoyed by a wide spectrum of audiences.” Event
organizer Shawn will also be hitting the stage with his own band In Contra. The
band has been together since late 2004, and nearly eight years later, all the original
members are still together. Their music covers a lot of ground, according to
their description, “from spirited and upbeat to grungy and ominous.” Really
Good Friday will be Aida’s debut live performance.
Really
Good Friday is happening Apr. 6 at the St. James Community Hall in Kitsilano.
Doors open at 7:30pm, and the music will start at 8pm and go until 11:30pm.
Tickets will be $15 at the door. This will be an all-ages event, and anyone who
is 19+ with ID will get a wristband allowing them to purchase really good
drinks to go along with the really good music that evening.
By
Christina Blakeborough, writer
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