Mountains and Millions

If you had told me a few months ago I'd be seeing Black Mountain in the cozy confines of Zaphod's, I'd have assumed you were off your rocker, but here we are on a Friday watching Stephen McBean's psychedelic warriors, along with Kid Millions of Oneida's project Man Forever. As it happens, the booking was originally for the somewhat more spacious Ritual, but for whatever reason all the acts scheduled for their have been moved elsewhere. Kid Millions, accompanied by a trio of drummers (including Joshua from Black Mountain), started the evening off with a 30-minute percussion piece.



Snare drum action!



Bongos action!



More percussion with Joshua!



More Millions!



Vocal action!



And so on!



The whole lot!



Grimacing action!



On to Black Mountain; it's been a decade since I saw the Vancouver outfit perform (at Babylon), but I've seen frontman Stephen McBean more recently as part of Obliterations, at Ottawa Explosion in 2015, as well as a while back with Pink Mountaintops. They knocked down the lighting a bit, and the swell of the crowd meant I couldn't really move, but it was a fine-sounding show. Here's the band's best-lit member, bassist Colin!



Stephen works the white.



Gripping action with Amber!



Stephen sings!



Joshua hits!



Colin sings!



Keyboard action with Jeremy!



Singalong action!



A dynamite night.