City and Colour concert & opinion/game: best song and most fun song

Posted on October 30, 2021 by Bailey Bates

City and Colour will be playing at Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Friday, November 12^th at noon, and then Saturday, November 13^th, at 11p.

City and Colour, also known as Dallas Green, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has been active in the music scene since 2001. Green is also known for being a part of Alexisonfire. City and Colour debuted his first album, sometimes in 2005, receiving platinum certification in 2006. With 8 albums under his belt, the repertoire of City and Colour has plenty of good tunes to offer. So, following suit with my past articles. I thought it would be fun to play best song and most fun song. A game where I give my opinion on what I think a band (in this case, City and Colour) best song and most fun song are.

The first time I was introduced to City and Colour was in grade 9. It was summer and I was trying to get my learners so that by the time I was in grade 11 I could be one of the cool kids that rolled up to school in my mom’s minivan… back then just having any kind of vehicle and being able to drive it made you slightly cooler…Now I have no car and I’m less cool. It was summer and myself, my mom, my brother, and my sister ended up going to Canmore, Alberta for a little getaway vacation in Kananaskis country. We went on hikes and enjoyed being out in nature and catching some much-needed vitamin D.

When we went back to where we were staying in Canmore, I put my headphones on and relaxed. I was watching videos on YouTube and the good ‘ol YouTube algorithm kicked in suggesting a song by City and Colour. This song was Comin’ home. I clicked on the song and immediately came entranced by it. Perhaps having the mountains as my backdrop, sun rays shinning through my log-cabin window frame and being away from home helped really set the tone for this gorgeous song. The acoustic guitar takes the lead with a fantastic melody that has a melancholy feeling to it that stretches out making each new line of lyrics feel like a journey. It feels endless in a good way.

This acoustic guitar melody is complimented with an electric guitar creating amazing rifts that echo along making the progression of Dallas Green saying he is “coming home” feel both exciting and somewhat hopeless. This song instantly resonated with me. I often would find myself pondering on where I thought I would end up when I was older. I thought that I would be able to call anywhere my home that or my home would be having someone I loved. So far, I would say I have not been able to say I have found my home. Funny how when you are younger answers can come so easily, but the actual weight of the answer itself does not sink in until you get older. Comin’ home is City and Colour’s best song to me because it has been able to keep me asking the same question to myself since I was 15…Where is home?

When it comes to the most fun song City and Colour has to offer, I’d say, Mizzy C, from the 2015 album, If I should Go Before You. Mizzy C starts out strong with an electric guitar that strums hard with a catchy melody that leads into Green’s great voice. The song has sass. It talks about changing direction and being in the search of something. But for me the reason this song is the most fun is because of the guitar…The guitar is the personality of this song. It brings life to the lyrics of the song. I highly recommend giving it a listen and if the guitar at the start of the song does not get you interested, I’d be surprised.

City and Colour plays at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, November 12^th and 13^th, 2021!

Current Swell will be playing at the Commodore Ballroom in November

Posted on October 30, 2021 by Bailey Bates

Victoria, BC band, Current Swell will be playing at the Commodore Ballroom Friday, November 5^th, 2021.

This Canadian band was formed in 2005 and consists of Scott Stanton, Dave Lang, Lous Sadava, and Chris Petersen. Originally a group of friends jamming and writing music, that led to backyard and beach performances helping them gain popularity through an online presence and dedicated fan base. Current Swell has been known for its genuineness and staying true to their folk roots. Much of their sound employs an eclectic mix of blues-rock, folk, surf, indie rock, reggae, and ska. Often, they are compared to Jack Johnson, Blitzen Trapper, Xavier Rudd, and the Black Keys. The band credits their success to their dedicated fans/online fanbase after their song “Young and Able” from the 2009 album, Protect Your Own became popular on YouTube. Current Swell has a significant fan following in South America, particularly Brazil, where they headlined in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in 2012.

In 2011, Current Swell placed first at Vancouver’s Park Performance Project. They also made appearances at the 2010 Winter Olympics and the Ottawa Bluesfest. The band also played one of the largest concert venues in Victoria at a Canada Day concert for 45,000 people. The band has opened for The Beach Boys, Xavier Rudd, Dispatch, Bedouin Soundclash, and The Beautiful Girls.

Their latest album, Demos ’16 starts out with blues-folk vibes with their first track “Limelight (Demo)” which is followed by “It Ain’t Right (Demo)”. Their acoustic sound compliments the vocals that offer a soulful flare to each track. Current Swell for sure knows what their sound is and has been innovating while sticking to their roots providing folk-like music with a west coast twist that is easy to dance and chill to.

Current Swell hits the stage at Commodore Ballroom Friday, November 5^th, 2021.

Mother Mother concert & best song and most fun song

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Bailey Bates

Mother Mother is coming to the Commodore Ballroom on December 2^nd the December 5^th.

Mother Mother has kept itself in the spotlight for alternative music for quite some time. Their most recent album, Inside, is charged with fury. According to Apple Music, the album is a self-described “pandemic album”. It deals with pent-up cabin-fever energy and a longing for release. From their intense songs “Two” and “Sick of the silence”. To a more intimate and subdued sound with tracks like ‘Forgotten Souls’ and “Pure Love” the album, blends the passionate vocals of Ryan Guldemond and his sister Molly Guldemond flawlessly.

In anticipation of this behemoth alternative band hitting the Commodore in early December, I thought I would share what I think their best song is and their most fun song.

For me, I believe “Happy” from their 2012 album, The Sticks is Mother Mother’s best song. When I was in high school a group of friends and I made this thing called: musicclub. Music club without a space because we thought it was cool. What we did in musicclub was choose a theme. It could be anything. It could be as simple as, happiness or excitement. Sometimes we would also choose genres. Essentially, we’d choose a theme and pick 3 songs each and then go down to my basement, play everyone’s song one by one and just listen. Afterward, we would discuss how we interpreted the song and how it made us feel. I cannot recall the theme of this week, but I chose “Happy” by Mother Mother. This song is musical genius lyrically and with its pacing. It starts out intimate with Ryan Guldemond paving the way, then Molly Guldemond brilliantly pops in harmonizing and singing adding a dreamlike quality to this cesspool of sadness as the song describes a warped sense of happiness and the longing for wishing for happiness that can’t be found anywhere.

When it comes to their most fun song, I personally think it is “Infinitesimal”. Infinitesimal starts out with running. The guitar is and drums are fast-paced and the lyrics pop as the melody trucks forward. Usually, I consider most fun songs to be the ones that you can’t help but dance to, and this is for sure one of them. Mother Mother has so many other songs and it was hard for me because I was in between “Infinitesimal” and “I Go Hungry”, from their 2014 album Very Good Bad Thing, but I ultimately went with “Infinitesimal”. The song gets stuck in my head and easily amps me up.

Mother Mother hits the Commodore stage December 2^nd to the 5^th!

Opinion: Phoebe Bridgers’s song “Halloween” is profoundly amazing.

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Bailey Bates

Phoebe Bridgers is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer originally from Los Angeles, California. She made her debut with her album Stranger in the Alps in 2017, followed by her 2020 album Punisher. Punisher earned critical acclaim and four Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist.

In my opinion, both of her albums are phenomenal. However, since it will be Halloween soon, I thought it would be fun to discuss her song :Halloween” from her album Punisher. “Halloween” is a very intimate song, the guitar, strings, and faint wailing noises create a night-like sound that comes off haunting yet floaty. The song follows a story of how it is Halloween and “we can be anything”. This statement is sung in such a melancholic manner even though the idea of becoming anything is freeing.

Throughout the song, there is this push and pull with lyrics where mention how Halloween offers a chance for illusion, but because of this opportunity it is harder, to be honest with ourselves and just be who we are and say what we really want to say. Whenever I hear this song, I think it tells the story of two people who are in a rut. There is still something between them, but instead of them being honest about how they feel, they use Halloween to reveal only what they want. Halloween is where people dress up and become anything. The statement about how she can count on the person they are with, to tell the truth when they are wearing a mask is dreadful.

The fact that this couple counts on finding truth from one another during a day of make-believe, I think presents the idea that perhaps when people have the option to hide in plain sight, they can show more of their true self, because there is already so many different costumes and masks that nobody would know if you were being real or not.

Ultimately this song reflects on how a time like Halloween, where illusion and make-believe are so prevalent there is an opportunity to truly be who you want. Whether it is your true self or not because perhaps nobody would know the difference.

Game/opinion: best song and fun song (All Time Low)

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Posted on October 28, 2021 by Bailey Bates

All Time Low will be performing at Vogue Theatre on November 5^th,2021!

Did anyone else listen to All Time Low while growing up? All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland, and was formed in 2003. The band consists of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson.

I can recall back when I was 15 years old, wearing my first pair of skinny jeans and worrying about what grade 10 and high school were going to have in store for me. Those were the days…Certainly cheaper than whatever the hell my life is now, but I digress…It was early October in Calgary, AB. Unfortunately, a snowstorm began, but I had tickets to go see All Time Low and Marianas Trench in Calgary, and by god no matter how much it looked like the planet Hoth, I was going to make it to this concert! Around age 15 I was going through a pop/rock/alternative phase. Changed up my style and I was very much into All Time Low. Since All Time Low will be performing at Vogue Theatre in Vancouver on Friday, November 5^th, 2021, I thought it would be great to fill my ego and tell you what I believe All Time Low’s best song is, and what their most fun song is…Here we go!

In my humble opinion, I believe their best song to be “A Daydream Away” from their 2011 album, Dirty Work. “A Daydream Away” is a more lighthearted song backed up by organ-like notes with an acoustic guitar leading the melody. The song follows the story of a person who describes the person they are in love with as being a “daydream away” because they are also friends. The song goes through memories of these people spending time together that leads to him wishing and imagining them together. It sounds cheesy, but I think I see this as their best song because of the nostalgia of the song as well as the teenage-like mentality the song produces. I can recall feeling like I was never good enough for people I had crushes on and fantasizing about what it would be like to be with that person. It was certainly a daydream away.

When it comes to what I think their most fun song is I think this is also because of nostalgia. I’d say their most fun song is from the same album and it is called; “Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass”…Like any teenager who daydreams about their crush and all the nice things about figuring out love or liking someone, there are also the first break-ups and the teenage angst of feeling bitter or misunderstood by a former partner. There is also blowing things out of proportion… It is funny how some things seem so much more important as a teenager compared to, well now… Anyways, “Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass” is very much what you think it is about. It follows the story of someone feeling like they have been misused and left alone. What makes it worse is that it is Christmas! More than anything this song is fun because it makes me recall how I felt after a particular breakup…it was stupid, and this song always makes me laugh at myself. Ultimately the song itself is basic in my opinion, but if you listen to it and think about how you felt during your first few high school crushes, I’m sure it would also make you laugh.

All Time Low hits Vogue Theatre on November 5^th,2021!

Game/opinion: best song and fun song (Bastille)

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Posted on October 28, 2021 by Bailey Bates

Over the past few years, a friend and I have played this game when we go out of town and the drive takes us over more than 2 hours to get to our destination. We simply call it, best song and fun song. It is quite simple. As we make our journey the playlist flips from song to song, and we both ask each other what song we think is personally the best of that artist and what is the most fun to listen to. More than often, it ends up being the two of us trying to see if we will pick the same thing, but many times it proves to be a very fun conversation! I thought this would be a cool thing to try here with the British alternative band, Bastille.

Bastille has been around since 2010 and has produced many hits including “Pompeii”, “Flaws”, “Things We Lost In The Fire”, and many more. So, what in my opinion do I consider to be Bastille’s best song and their most fun song? Well, I’d say their best song is their 2021 single: Distorted light beam. For me, this song naturally became a bop that stuck. The cyberpunk-like synth and vocals by Dan Smith backed by an epic track that pulses the further you get into the song, made me feel like I could go anywhere or be anyone, as the lyrics of the song repeat in the chorus.

However, after replaying the song multiple times I dug deeper into why this song became their best song for me. It was the lyrics…The lyrics speak so much truth. This digital juxtaposition Bastille takes on the idea of dreaming and video games attempts to highlight how both the dream world and the digital one, can provide a fantasy. A place of freedoms that is better than reality. When I came to this conclusion…it blew my mind! Both dreaming and video game entertainment are fictitious, but both can become something that greatly impacts us as a viewer because video games and dreams, force people to physically participate in what takes place. In turn, this causes us to feel entrenched in a fanatical world that often can feel better than our own (aside from nightmares).

So, what do I think is their most fun song? Well, I’d have to say: Things we lost in the fire. The piano start that leads into the heavy percussion of the song creates an epic feeling that lends its hand to the lyrics of the song talking about catastrophe, losing, and what the future may hold. Overall, it is a song that I can’t help but want to sing along to. If you find yourself listening to music in a car on the way to somewhere with a friend or two, try playing best song and fun song. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

BC music scene: Boy Pablo playing at Hollywood Theatre October 27th, 2021

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Bailey Bates

Boy Pablo is an indie-pop music project of Chilean-Norwegian singer-songwriter Nicolás Muñoz. Muñoz writes, records, and produces all the music. Boy Pablo consist of Nicolás Muñoz (guitar/vocals), Gabriel Muñoz (lead guitar), Henrik Amdal (bass guitar), Eric Tryland (keyboard), and Sigmund Vestrheim (drums). Boy Pablo found the spotlight in late 2017 after their music video for the song “Everytime” gained international popularity on YouTube.

Their latest EP; Wachito’s self-care tape released in 2021. This 5-track EP has a synth retro sound with an alternative rock sound. My personal favourite is Honey. Its poetic lyrics follow the story of falling in love with someone, and how the power of falling in love can feel timeless. The music video highlights the feeling of young love and innocence in the idea of finding love for the first time. The music video also has a narration halfway through explaining more of this love story adding an almost (500) Days of Summer-like feel to the narrative of the video.

The rest of the EP offers light synth that delivers a retro 80’s flare that is complimented very well by guitar and the light and warming vocals. Overall the Wachito’s self-care tape EP delivers a narrative of young love that explores the wonder of all the emotions that come with dealing with being compelled to be with someone. The last track of the EP is an acoustic song featuring Chavela. The singing duo delivers a charming song where they talk back to one another about being nervous to unveil their love for one another. Again the theme of discovering love is cemented as the main theme, but it is this last song that solidifies the idea of moving forward because both lovers are finally admitting that they have fallen for one another and although they may feel scared, the song ends on a hopeful note.

Boy Pablo plays at the Hollywood Theatre on October 27^th, 2021 at 7pm!

BC music scene: Laterdays, a band born from friendship

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Bailey Bates

Laterdays is a Vancouver-based duo that had its humble beginnings born from friendship and collaboration. The duo of Laterdays consists of Nik Pang and James Songalia. In a heartwarming friend-like fashion the band name derives from the family channel hit cartoon, The Weekenders. The Weekenders follows a misfit group of friends who would always end episodes by saying their motto; “laterdays” at the end of each episode like a sign-off/motto. Nik Pang simply said, it was a show he loved as a kid and that it rolled off the tongue. Both Nik and James are in their twenties and have known one another for over 10 years. In an interview with Nik Pang, Nik mentioned his first acquaintance with James happened 10 years ago when they met at a metal concert at the Vogue Theatre.

As time went on, both Pang and Songalia joined punk bands, going separate ways, but staying in touch. Before Nik and James teamed up to make the Laterdays, they used to fill in for each other’s punk bands, but they never had the opportunity to create and play music together. Finally, in 2018, the stars aligned. Both Nik Pang and James Songalia started bouncing ideas back and forth in the spring of 2018. The duo was trying out different sounds and ultimately leaned towards a more pop/indie-influenced sound. Nik Pang, however, describes Laterdays older songs as more in the vein of surf rock and bedroom pop but stated that their new music offers a more diverse sound. Just as Laterdays began to practice their new material and gear up for some shows, the public health orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic kicked in. Although there were limited ways to perform due to health restrictions, like many artists, Laterdays kept writing and recording on their own when meeting up was allowed. Now we come full circle into 2021 and Laterdays is playing shows and releasing new music soon. To keep up with Laterdays, you can find them on Bandcamp , Spotify, Soundcloud, Facebook, and Instagram

BC music scene: Purity Ring performs at Hollywood Theatre tonight

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Bailey Bates

Edmonton, Alberta-based electronic pop band Purity Ring will be performing tonight, October 26^th, 2021, at 9 pm at the Hollywood Theatre. Purity Ring was formed back in 2010. The band consists of multi-instrumentalist/producer Corin Riddick and Vocalist Megan James. In 2012 they released their debut album; Shrines to critical acclaim followed by Another Eternity in 2015.

Purity Ring’s latest album, WOMB, was made in 2020. This 10-track album of synth-pop focuses on a coming-of-age. From the theme of blood on the track: “i like the devil”, it stains bedsheets, to ‘femia’, the lyrics describe waking “in a sea of dark liquid”. There is a sexual awakening dawning, as well as a transformation of a brand-new body coming to fruition. Throughout each song, a young woman showcases her budding passion and divine shame, while the synth beats pulse, float, and send the listener into an ethereal world that has trouble stirring in the distance, with each track swelling into something greater.

Throughout my time listening to the album, I began to see this musical journey as a tug-of-war against fighting how to act or deciding to act for ones-self. It is a struggle to let go of the worries of others and get lost in the storm of emotions no matter how terrifying or beautiful they are. I highly recommend listening to this album if you have not heard of it yet.

Although Purity Ring has yet to release another album, they released a single in August of 2021 called Soshy. The single was mixed entirely by the duo, vocalist Megan James and instrumentalist Corin Riddick. In a brief statement, Megan James described the archival music video for ‘soshy’ as “a wraith to descend the summer stairs with. I personally see this music as fading memories that offer some sort of nostalgia with an underlying haunting. Like a thought, you can’t seem to shake. Purity Ring plays tonight at the Hollywood Theatre at 9pm.

Opinion: theatre will survive and adapt to technology

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Bailey Bates

Without a doubt theatre has gone through a lot. For centuries it was the main form of entertainment. From ancient Greece to London England, theatre has inspired, terrified, educated and broadened the craft of acting and storytelling. Ultimately technology was developed, and the birth of motion picture came to be. Technology has drastically changed our way of life, culture, and how we consume entertainment. What does this mean for theatre? Well, it means that it is going to change whether we like it or not. Thinking back on shows I have seen throughout my time at university, and out of university, there have been implementations of new technologies. It is important to realize, that although the technical aspects are not the the main feature. It has slowly become more integrated component of a show. Theatre is adapting for the climate of entertainment presently. I think this means theatre will look different and maybe draw in a newer crowd/demographic. After all the artists of the future have already grown up with more technology than the artists that are currently active. Perhaps the integration of technology in theatre will lift it hit to new heights. However, it could also lead to theatre costing more to produce and perform. So far only major shows or things like Broadway have the funds to afford newer technology for their shows. Meanwhile small theatre companies produce amazing work, but not as many people will see it because it does not have the money to afford technology like a high grossing show does. Although, due to everyone being locked inside from COVID-19, it could very well be the opposite. Maybe people will get bored of shows with technological splendor or perhaps appreciate seeing a live show because we have been limited/deprived of physical entertainment like theatre and concerts for quite some time.

Seeing people fill up venues and seeing festivals looking for artists, brings a hopefulness that theatre will indeed come back and the demand to see a live show, will outweigh the expectation of a show being a full-blown spectacle like phantom of the opera. Some great things about technology in theatre is that it has brought sound, lighting, and projection. But how far should we go with this? Tech is great, but you don’t need much to make a meaningful or entertaining piece of theatre. In my experience there is something exciting about working or watching a play produced with a lower budget because it forces the production team to think outside of the box. Certain items, costumes, set pieces, and moments become highly theatrical and cleverly presented. It is the challenge of a low budget that has potential to elevates the piece itself. I think we, as society, have become accustomed to technological entertainment and therefore, we see it as a must for things like theatre. For example, technology allows instant access to anything you want. It gives gratification. A fix of media to stimulate ourselves. In 2019 Pornhub alone had an average of 39 billion searches and had 42 billion people accessed the site. As a form of entertainment…That is a hell of a lot of searches and time spent on one site in general. This beats the number of searches and views on YouTube immensely. So, what does this mean? I think this tells us that technology has changed our identities, but to what extent should we want it/ let it change us as an audience? Does it matter, does it not? With entertainment being so easily accessed via streaming services and YouTube, it makes sense on why theatre is not as popular as it once was.

When playwright Christopher Durang arrived in New York City in 1975, he paid $10 for a standing-room or obstructed-view tickets. A few years later, it cost only about $30 from 1981 to 1984. By 2008, the average ticket on Broadway was $86, and premium orchestra seats can now fetch $400 to $600. “These seats must be for people in the financial industry,” Durang marvels. “I don’t feel there is any play I personally want to pay $400 to see.” With live performance becoming more niche, while still trying to make a profit the prices for certain shows goes up. This in turn leads to people not wanting to go see theatre because of the pricing. If we add more technologies into a theatre show, naturally the price for the show itself would go up. So where does this leave theatre? In my opinion I think it will be fine. It may sound like I am admitting defeat when I say this, but I think theatre has already accepted it will never be at the forefront of entertainment as it once was. Theatre, for quite some time now has been struggling, but it is because of that struggle I think theatre has become stronger in terms of the community of artists and theater goers that inhabit it. It also has made theatre companies get more creative and involved with their communities. Many offer classes and summer programs or camps for children who are passionate about performative arts. The bottom line is there is an energy from going to a theatre show that can never be replaced. Even going to a movie theatre can greatly improve the viewing of a movie. Although the movie itself is recorded, the crowd witnessing the story unfold together helps create an almost mystical feeling.

If that is what it can feel like to attend a movie at the theatre, attending a play can feel if not as good, even better. As an artistic medium the driving force that keeps theatre going is the battle to tell stories in a personal manner. Theatre is a fleeting creature and once the show is done, you could go to the same show the following night, but the moments from the first night can never be replicated again. That is where theatre thrives, that is where magical moments come to life, that is where conversations start, and that is where memorable moments cling to our minds for years to come.

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Author Archives: Bailey Bates

City and Colour concert & opinion/game: best song and most fun song

Current Swell will be playing at the Commodore Ballroom in November

Mother Mother concert & best song and most fun song

Opinion: Phoebe Bridgers’s song “Halloween” is profoundly amazing.

Game/opinion: best song and fun song (All Time Low)

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Game/opinion: best song and fun song (Bastille)

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BC music scene: Boy Pablo playing at Hollywood Theatre October 27th, 2021

BC music scene: Laterdays, a band born from friendship

BC music scene: Purity Ring performs at Hollywood Theatre tonight

Opinion: theatre will survive and adapt to technology