A recipe for a good night? Four bands playing on a Saturday night at The Vogue Theatre. The ingredients: Dralms, The Darcys, Bear Mountain, and The Belle Game. The show sold out merely hours before doors, making it a memorable homecoming show in particular for The Belle Game and Bear Mountain, as it marked the last of a slew of US and Canadian tour dates for the two bands.
Starting off the night was Dralms, a Vancouver-based band consisting of Christopher Smith (vocals, guitar), Shaunn Thomas Watt (drums), Peter Carruthers (bass), and Will Kendrick (keys). They released a two song EP earlier this month titled Crushed Pleats, which is available to stream via their Bandcamp page.
Toronto鈥檚 The Darcys were the second performers of the night, and the only East Coast representatives on stage for the evening. Lead singer Jason Couse acknowledged that the band鈥檚 relationship with Vancouver was a work in progress. Along with fellow band mates Wes Marskell (drums), Dave Hurlow (bass), and Michael le Riche (guitar), the band gave the audience a taste of what the other side of Canada has to offer, musically.
Bear Mountain definitely brought the highest level of energy to the stage, as trademarked by electro-dance sound. The explosions of confetti added to the ambience at the appropriate times, and it was clear that the band knows how to have a good time. By the end of their set, the hometown crowd was calling for an encore for one last song. Guitarist Kyle Statham joined in on the mosh pit fun made possible by the removal of the front rows of seats at The Vogue.
Last but certainly not least, The Belle Game beamed in front of the hometown crowd at The Vogue, literally and figuratively. Lead singer Andrea Lo was bound by a series of strategically placed lighting, as her stunning vocals drew the audience through the songs of Ritual Tradition Habit. The band has recently been getting attention for their debut album on an international level, and will be heading off shortly to tour Europe.
