24-03-09 | Green Auto | Blue Rivera, Wack, Reverend Ape

Another Saturday night in Vancouver, with a chilly air to greet the herald as he arrives at Green Auto, where an invitation has brought him there. Tonight, three offerings will be put forth in tribute for Him to quench His insatiable hunger.

The offerings will all be repeats tonight; the herald takes comfort in knowing that those presenting tonight will be up to the task.

BLUE RIVERA

Joining the bill at the last minute, this quartet opened the evening with a high-energy bang that got people moving right away. Groovy, sexy, upbeat, and rocking, they straddle a fine line between chill rock and bounce-the-night-away rock.

Most of the songs were high-energy rock, with the exception of a single chill one that brought everything into a sexy, intimate vibe before kicking it all back open into fun-time rock and roll.

The lead guitar was a tad quiet, but other than that, they all came through great. I thought I kept hearing the bass pop like there was a broken speaker, but no one else I spoke to heard it, so maybe I am crazy.

They performed the kind of songs perfect for a summer night. Breezy and fun, they always bring a wicked good time to the crowd. They were engaging and entertaining, and they were the perfect opener for this night.

The crowd, small at first but filling up nicely as the set went on, was engaged with their energetic pop offering with lots of sexy grooves and bouncing jams to get booties shaking.

WACK

For the second time in a month, this sextet tickled my earholes with their funk-laden groove fest, designed to get feet moving. Everything was tight, and the addition of the second percussionist playing mostly a pad but various other smaller percussion instruments, too, brought another layer to their groovin’ good times.

Their sound has become solid, engaging, and dynamic, with three new members bringing their talents to the table. The addition of the guitarist from GRINCH SIMPSON, a fantastic ax wielder, was a stroke of genius; their playing fits the band’s sound and groove perfectly.

That guitar sound was so fucking gorgeous. Every solo was a thing of magic that just got me squiggling so damn much. Their tone was perfect, and their passionate playing elevated the entire band.

The perfect level of funk in every song, with that gorgeous bassist laying down sick as fuck riffs all over the place. Can’t get a good funk groove on without a fine bassist laying it down, and fuck me, were they ever doing their job.

I have always enjoyed this band, but now they are entering the must-see category. They had the whole crowd bouncing and loving every moment. The well-crafted set brought the perfect ebb and flow, taking me on a ride, a spell only broken when they announced their last song.

REVEREND APE

Closing out this great night at Green Auto, this quartet weaves a powerful blend of four decades of hard rock that never fails to delight the crowd who flail and dance in abandon. The band invited me out for their first show at Green Auto, and they fucking killed it.

High energy from the start, they put forth a monstrous set full of absolute bangers. They played multiple new songs, all next-level songs in their catalog, and they showed fantastic signs of a band on the rise. Having always impressed me, this offering, in particular, was one of their best.

They were so tight and on point. The drums kept a perfect smash-into-your-neighbor flow the whole set, with the rest clipping along nicely. At one point, the bassist and drummer had their own little solo section while the other two sat down and played a game of chess.

The crowd fucking loved it, complete with ape chatter between the crowd and the eventual winner of the nail-biting game. Love the connection with the crowd this band creates.

This was an absolute banger of a set to finish off a night of killer sets. The energy was high the whole time, and the apes took it home really lovely.

He was pleased with tonight’s offerings.