As the seasons change, the days get longer, and the daylight extends its warm reach, the herald is once again drawn to Red Gate -the source of many Sunday night flailing’s- where a fine selection of offerings awaits.
It will consist of two repeat offerings and two brand new ones, always a treat and the reason the herald was drawn to this one. Arriving a couple songs in, the band was already in full swing when the herald slipped through the crowd to begin his divine task.
KYLIE V
This was the first offering from this quartet featuring who I assume is the band’s namesake on lead vocals with their selections living in the indie/singer-songwriter territory.
The lead vocals had a gorgeous voice and could hit and hold high notes with grace. Never gets abrasive or sharp, always in that beautifully melodic vein. They describe themselves as an indie rock fairy, which is the vibe that comes through in their endearing and soothing stage presence.
Sound overall was chill, an alt country/folk vein, with a handful of upbeat foot moving parts, though few and far between. It all made me move, though more swaying than flailing
Rest of the band was straightforward, tight and functional, creating a beautiful foundation done in the service of the lead vocals.
A few folks in the front were getting groovy with their jam, but for the most part folks stayed put to enjoy this one. Good sized crowd to start the night too.
JESS WATERS
At first blush, one might be excused for calling this trio a country/folk outfit, but as the set unfolded one quickly realized they were much more than that pigeonholed genre.
Songs featured odd structures, build-ups, and big crashing banging moments. There is a spacey psychedelic element here under the beautiful voice whose soft grace belays the true nature of the band.
The lead singer informed us they had been suffering some throat issues, so their singing was not up to one-hundred percent. While it was not noticeable through the set, at one point they said they would normally scream during the next song, which they obviously weren’t going to do.
Damn shame to miss out on a potentially wonderful scream. All the more reason to catch them again, soon.
The music was creative and dynamic, with the drummer moving us around from chill to downright head banging rocking in a fluid and talented manner. Great bass riffs rounded out this offering that kept me guessing the entire time.
Crowd was a little more in this one, catching the fire when it was lit. Got to stretch my legs a bit on this too.
PALE NORTH
A repeat offering from this trio who put forth a fantastic offering of dream-punk/emo/noise goodtimes.
The lead singer/guitarist has just the sexiest tones and all the pedals in the world to work with. Effortlessly moving between them, they always generate the perfect sound for each song. They did a guitar swap and left their last note played on repeat while they swapped. Simple yet so effective in killing that dead air in between.
The bassist was on fire and having a fuckign blast up there. They were animated, singing along to the vocals even though they didn’t have/use a mic most of the time, a beacon of energy that just radiated. At one point they did use the mic, and it was to bellow out some delicious screaming that was such a treat.
The drums were all energy focused into smashing the shit out of them smashy things. Tight, focused, they play with aggressive authority, rolling off fills and snare hits like machine gun fire and keeping laser leveled on the groove.
So much noise overlay thanks to that guitar, but the groove was always there to move the feet. Much more involved and animated crowd on this go, with even a mosh pit opening up on a couple occasions near the end.
HOPE SLIDE
Another repeat offering, marking their fourth, dose out a beautiful set of folk/indie jams. Always an enjoyable offering as they bring forth their lovingly and beautifully crafted songs full of ebbs and flows.
The keys were front and center on the regular, the focal point of this sextet full of talented folks, showing some serious skill as they played every part with passion, every note holding emotion. They put on a real clinic here.
Everyone sounded fantastic and you could really hear the violin clearly, an instrument that tends to get lost in the mix especially with that many humans up there.
The various mix of influences added to their sound creates a soundscape that is easy to get lost in. A full thick sound that envelops you as you travel with them with the only thing pulling me out was when the keys did something gorgeous.
As per the norm for a four offering Sunday night, the crowd had thinned some but those who remained were all grooving with this beautiful offering.
He was pleased with tonight’s offering.