Kicking off this Thursday evening at Lanalou’s was an odd choice of an opener as it was the touring band KARMAN CRAFT from Kelowna presenting the first offering. This being their second offering after I caught them in Penticton earlier this year, it was fantastic to see them at home.
Hard grooving rock led by the sexiest of groovy as fuck riffs throughout, especially coming from that bass. Most walking of walking bass riffs, non-stop, had my feet moving all over that floor.
Sexy solos, especially those in their slow song, have excellent squiggly goodness. Strong vocals, care of the guitarist, and a lot of power and conviction there.
Next, it was a first offering from the quartet BLOOM SHACK, giving us a dose of psychedelic/grunge rock full of ebbs and flows, huge noise, and more ethereal moments.
The lead guitar and drummer provided the psych vibe. The drummer was always doing exciting shit, seemingly never playing the same thing twice, moving around that kit with skill and confidence. So much fun to move to.
The guitar’s killer solo and noodling work provided all the sexy noises I expected. Huge soaring solos, a beautiful squeal, so good. So much jamming noise.
Vocals gave the grunge vibe, with their delivery in that lackadaisical manner and heartfelt lyrics delivered with heart. They busted out a violin at one point, adding a beautiful element to a song.
They also had the keyboardist from the final band come on for one song and a free jam. It’s always tough to jump in like that, but it worked.
Finally, it was RAY ALEGRIA and their pop-rock offering with Mexican roots influence throughout. Keyboards were prominent, played by the band’s namesake, who was also on lead vocals, which gave the set a sexiness vibe.
Fun songs, good energy, and an upbeat-ness were a joy to move around to. Surprisingly, virtually no one was joining on the floor for this one, even though it was undoubtedly danceable. Sigh.
He was pleased with tonight’s offerings.