Hudson Taylor @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
Photos courtesy of Carolyn Lederach - Hazy Colours Photography | October 3rd 2018
Jesse Roper with House Handshake and Band of Rascals @ Pyramid Cabaret, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Photos and words courtesy of Jenn Kostesky | October 24, 2018
Victoria based Jesse Roper brought his energetic,funky, blues rock to the Pyramid Cabaret in Winnipeg, Manitoba on October 24, 2018.
Winnipeg’s indie-folk outfit House Handshake kicked off the evening. The band’s soulful, rootsy brand of folk rock brings to mind tastes of Of Monsters and Men or Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros with a twist of rugged Canadiana. House Handshake filled their half hour opening set with gorgeous harmonies and an energetic stage show.
Roper’s tour mates, Band of Rascals filled the middle with a set of rocking southern blues. Hailing from Cowichan Valley on British Columbia’s Vancouver island, Band of Rascals have a no bullshit approach to rock and roll that they bring to their live show. With ¾ of the band barefoot on stage, Band of Rascals layer booming drums, tasty guitar licks, grungy harmonica and solid base lines to create a groovy West Coast infused sound that is all their own.
The show marked Jesse Roper and company’s second show in the city in 2018, the first being back in February when they stopped by the Burton Cummings Theatre to open for Big Wreck. Their first headlining show in Winnipeg came toward the end of the band’s October run of tour dates through the western provinces of Canada. Roper magnetic charisma and tasty, smooth guitar playing places him front and center. He plays with style and ease, making playing the guitar look like a breeze. Roper is all smiles on stage, clearly enjoying himself, feeding off the energy of the crowd. Despite being the frontman, Roper appreciates his band, taking a moment from time to time to step aside and let his bandmate shine. Drummer Steve Ling and bassist Matt Reid, the band’s rhythm section, hold things together in a funky tight little package and keyboardist Chris Van Sickle rounds out the band’s live sound. Though Roper had to compete with both a civic election and a Winnipeg Jets hockey game, his mesmerizing, energetic live show will likely make him a touring fixture in the prairie city.
The Sleepwalkers with Camp Howard @ Zanzabar // Louisville, KY
Photos and words by Emily May | October 16th, 2018
Richmond, VA rock band Sleepwalkers recently toured in support of their debut album Greenwood Shade, making a stop in Louisville, KY.
The band performed to a decent crowd for a Tuesday night, getting everyone dancing with their fun and energetic stage presence. Brothers Austin (bass/vocals) and Michael (guitar/vocals) York are incredibly personable frontmen, chatting with the crowd and making everyone laugh throughout the evening. The band interacted and had fun with each other and with the crowd during their entire set, with it being obvious that they love performing for their fans. They had frequent jam sessions throughout their set, showcasing their talents as musicians. It was a fun evening of music and dancing! Fellow Richmond indie rock band Camp Howard opened the show!
Sleepwalkers
Camp Howard
Years & Years, Cyn @ Vic Theatre // Chicago, IL
Photos courtesy of Jen Machuca | October 16, 2018 | Palo Santo Tour
Black Joe Lewis @ Goodwill Social Club // Winnipeg, Manitoba
Words & photos courtesy of Jenn Kostesky | September 30 2018
Austin based blues funk rockers Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears made a stop at the Goodwill Social Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba September 30th in support of their new album “The Difference Between Me & You”.
The show marked the band’s first appearance in Winnipeg since their set at the inaugural (but now defunct) Interstellar Rodeo festival in 2015. In the midst of a month plus tour of the US and Canada, the band was tight, locking in and grooving through their sweaty set. The Sunday night crowd danced in place to favorites “Booty City”, “I’m Broke” and “Sugarfoot” sprinkled between tunes from the new album. Not having had enough funky, grungy blues at the end of the set, the crowd demanded more. Their cries were answered with a simple exclamation of “Encore!” from Joe Lewis before he and the Honeybears rocked through one more song.
A light, breezy opening set came from Chicago’s Paul Cherry and his band. Cherry’s fluffy jazz pop provided the audience a smooth come up to the grittier soulful sounds of Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears.
Paul Cherry
Shindignation Festival @The Engine Rooms, London
Photos courtesy of Gili Dailes | September 1, 2018
Featuring: Higher Ground, Nightlife, Follow the Hawk, Victory Lane, Finding Kate, Thunder to the Left, Jack the Envious and Bad Sign
Shindignation was a one day DIY-style music festival, spread across 4 venues in East London, showcasing an impressive line-up made of local bands ranging from Punk-Rock to Neo-Soul.
It was rather impossible for me to keep bouncing between the 4 venues and so I settled at the main one- The Engine Rooms (normally a rehearsing space)- where I was happy to discover local up and coming bands alongside the more experienced ones.
Black Pistol Fire & The Love Tongues // Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Pyramid Cabaret
Photos & Words courtesey of Jenny Ramone | 25 August 2018
Austin, TX based garage rock duo Black Pistol Fire brought their frenetic live show to the Pyramid Cabaret in Winnipeg, Manitoba on August 25. The show marked both the band’s first appearance in the city as well as the start of their end-of-summer tour taking them across Western Canada, Seattle and Atlanta. Members Kevin McKeown and Eric Owen showed no signs of start of tour jitters as they tore through their 90 minute set. Owen, while not the flashiest drummer, is a hard hitting, rock solid one, holding down the beat while McKeown jumps off the bass drum, stumbles across the stage and literally falls to the ground while not missing a note on the guitar. Stage antics aside, the duo are both remarkable musicians who play as a tight unit, feeding off of one another’s energy. The pair had the near capacity crowd hanging on every note from the second they hit the stage. Songs “Bully”, Lost Cause” and “Speak of the Devil” got the crowd singing along and head banging. To cap off the night, McKeown lept from the stage onto the hands of the adoring, adrenaline filled fans to play the solo in “Crow’s Feet” while crowd surfing. Judging by the enthusiasm of the crowd, Black Pistol Fire will be welcomed back to Winnipeg anytime and will likely be playing to a crowd twice the size the next time they are through.
Support for the evening was provided by Winnipeg’s sleazy 80’s tinged rockers, the Love Tongues. Lead by vocalist Ewan Turnbull, whose voice falls somewhere between Chris Cornell and a young Steven Tyler, the 5 piece band’s heavy, grungy sound was the perfect compliment to Black Pistol Fire’s slightly more polished garage rock.
Sylvan Esso & Moses Sumney // Washington, DC @ The Anthem
Photos courtesey of Anna Moneymaker | 26 July 2018
