Pop Evil headline Intimate Rock Show at Venue
written by Scotty Evil
Rock fans got their money’s worth out of one ticket at VENUE on Granville street in Vancouver on Wednesday night. The bill featured rock in 3 slightly different but distinct forms, and the musicianship was on point.
Local boys La Chinga opened the night with their heavily 70’s infused classic rock style. They drew the growing crowd in and then transfixed them with hair-whipping bass and vocals from Carl Spackler, perfectly timed guitar solos via Ben Yardley and featured Jason Solyom on the drums (who is a hard-hitting beast by the way). With 3 albums of material including their latest, Beyond the Sky, these guys seriously channel the spirits of rock from days past. It’s not easy to fill those boots with a power trio but trust me, they did it justice and then some. And inserting some RUSH via the riff from “Tom Sawyer” near the end of their set was the cherry on top. The audience was totally digging it.
Fast forward a few decades style wise and we were treated to Royal Tusk, out of Edmonton. They wasted no time acclimatizing to a Vancouver stage. While their sound is well produced and sparkling on their albums, they up the ante when performing live. The lead vocals delivered by Daniel Carriere are stunning and flawless, yet when bantering with the crowd between songs he’s funny and affable. For a band that’s only been active for 5 years, they are polished and professional, with a great stage presence and connection with the crowd. Their earlier tunes are incredibly groovy but their latest album, Tusk II, cranks up the edge and heaviness. Halfway through their set, a fan ran up to the stage, shook the crap out of a Budweiser and sprayed them mid-song. Daniel responded a few songs later, grinning.
“It’s warm up here and it’s great to get refreshed like that, we really appreciate it! (laughing) Just don’t do it again, okay?”
And they are super nice. I literally wanted to take these guys for a beer somewhere and just hang out. Bassist Sandy MacKinnon was working their merch table before the show and we had a great chuckle about one of their shirts riffing on the logo from the first RUSH album, saying instead TUSK. Yes, two references to my all-time favourite band in one show. Epic.
With the bar set high, Pop Evil took the stage and brought their very modern rock with them. And I have to say, I think the unusually laid-back crowd was a bit of a let-down. But frontman Leigh Kakaty took it as a challenge and was extremely charming the entire show. Hits like “Footsteps (Go Higher)” were perfect foils for audience sing along. And wow, there were a TON of female fans! Their energy put the guys in the crowd to shame this night.
I found their songs to be immediately catchy; influences like Rage Against the Machine are evident but these guys are seriously a guilty pleasure to listen to. Each member was fun to watch on stage and the fans blowing under the hair of drummer Hayley Cramer just enhanced how much she was delivering on the skins. Impossible not to bang your head to.
VENUE delivered on a jam packed show that made the price of admission a bargain. Those who missed out should kick themselves hard; this was a solid show with something for all the rockers.
PS Whoever designs the Pop Evil merch is a fucking genius.
5/5
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written by Scotty Evil
photos by Red Lenses Photography
