July 2, 2010

Concert: Canada Day Show x The Media Club

Teen Daze, Henry and the Nightcrawlers, We Were Lovers, and Petroleum By-Product at The Media Club on July 1, 2010 for Canada Day.

We Were Lovers | The Media Club | Canada Day

The night started off with one-man electronic act, Teen Daze (below) from Abbotsford. With a small setup of his MacBook, a mixing board, and microphone, Teen Daze delivered a very interesting set.

Teen Daze | The Media Club | Canada Day

The simple setup felt a little awkward at times with Teen Daze slumped over a laptop and singing his vocals over top the mixed tracks, but there's no denying the impressive quality of the produced music. I am not sure how good Teen Daze's vocals are as they suffered from him having to do so much on his own on stage. Still, Teen Daze gave a charming, even if a bit abrasively loud, performance heightened by his likeable personality and clear talent.

Henry and the Nightcrawlers | Canada Day
Up and coming Vancouver band Henry and the Nightcrawlers had a strange, aloof stage presence that I felt was slightly off-putting but fittingly, very rock and roll.

Henry and the Nightcrawlers | Canada Day

Their songs were slickly performed with a nice flair and well-developed sound. They had a solid lineup of intriguing rock songs and look for this band as they evolve make a bigger name for themselves with their traditional rock and roll feel.

We Were Lovers | The Media Club | Canada Day

Hands down, Saskatoon duo We Were Lovers stole the show with their addictive brand of dance rock and rhythmic energy in large part due to the raucous crowd of dancers in the audience.

We Were Lovers | The Media Club | Canada DayWe Were Lovers | The Media Club | Canada Day

Singer Elsa Gebremichael's fun, barefoot dance moves were amusing as she jumped into the crowd and engaged with the audience using her great stage presence. Guitarist Ash Lamothe was a man possessed, losing himself in an engulfing performance.

We Were Lovers | The Media Club | Canada Day

They made the night with their infectious mix of dance beats and rock infused songs that grabbed the crowd's attention.

Petroleum By-Product | The Media Club | Canada Day

It is hard to judge Petroleum By-Product fairly any longer. Not only am I a fan of their music, I have become a fan of them as individuals. Sally, Vanessa, and Robin continually show me their quality as people and their flair for self-deprecation is entirely endearing to me.

Petroleum By-Product | The Media Club | Canada Day

Last night was the third time I have seen the band perform live and it was easily the best, most polished performance yet. Talking to the band earlier in the evening, they were worried about their performance. Sally continued to have problems with her synthesizer cutting out since their performance on Urban Rush, leading them to cancel their Car Free Day show. She even brought a laughably small, lap-sized synth, just in case. However, their performance was relatively flawless, tight, controlled, and seamless.

Petroleum By-Product | The Media Club | Canada Day

The overall performance may have suffered from a lack of energy, being the last band to play late in the night, getting onstage after midnight. It hurt that the crowd noticeably thinned out after We Were Lovers played, but Elsa Gebremichael stuck around as Petroleum By-Product's biggest cheerleader, demanding an encore and showing her affability and affinity for the other bands.

Petroleum By-Product | The Media Club | Canada Day

The show overall was excellent in quality with a varied and deep selection of live music performances. It was a stellar Canada Day show. It is pretty clear that the Vancouver's music scene is not only vibrant but thriving.

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