Monday, March 07, 2011

Surprise visitors

I was planning to spend a quiet evening in on Sunday, but then the Avant-Garde's upcoming shows lineup landed in my e-mail. Now, the Avant-Garde is usually closed on Sunday, but as it turns out they opened for a show with Winnipeg's Liptonians and a couple of local combos, Henrietta and The Wind Up Radio Sessions. I've been hearing some buzz about The Liptonians so I trotted over around 8:30 p.m. to see what was up.

The Wind Up Radio Sessions led things off. The trio started up in Hamilton, moved to Montreal and seem to have some Ottawa ties now as well. It's made up of two brothers from Dundas, Marc and Dan Kiely, who definitely have the sibling harmony thing going on and Matt Lazenby, a British-born Montrealer. They're a quite robust sounding pop trio.

Wind Up Radio Sessions at The Avant-Garde Bar
The Wind Up Radio Sessions at The Avant-Garde Bar, March 6, 2011

There's a fair amount of instrument switching going on.

Wind Up Radio Sessions at The Avant-Garde Bar
The Wind Up Radio Sessions at The Avant-Garde Bar, March 6, 2011

Henrietta have recently produced a new record (of the actual vinyl variety) and I gather from the stage banter they've been on a bit of a hiatus - or at least had trouble getting the whole lineup together. I quite liked their hard-driving music and admire guitarist Kyle Devine's tone (perhaps due to the aluminum neck guitars he uses). They also covered Built To Spill's The Plan.

Henrietta at The Avant-Garde Bar
Henrietta at The Avant-Garde Bar, March 6, 2011

They're an active lot, even squeezed onto the Avant-Garde's tiny stage.

Henrietta at The Avant-Garde Bar
Henrietta at The Avant-Garde Bar, March 6, 2011

The Liptonians have been compared to Spoon, perhaps due to their tight rhythms, but they definitely have a deeper lover of the keyboard than that band. I dare say it's the first use of a reed organ I've seen on stage. They, too, have a new album out, entitled Let's All March Back Into The Sea, which they're touring behind.

The Liptonians at The Avant-Garde Bar
The Liptonians at The Avant-Garde Bar, March 6, 2011

There's too many of them for the stage ...

The Liptonians at The Avant-Garde Bar
The Liptonians at The Avant-Garde Bar, March 6, 2011

They'll be back in town for the Prairie Scene showcase at Mavericks at the end of April.
  • Show reminder: Are Zaphod's showcase Mondays getting back in gear? We Are the City and Aidan Knight play there tonight. Jason Kirkness is performing at the Rainbow.

No comments: