Canada Indie Week: Some Reviews

Canada Indie Week Day 4: Kingdom of Few @ The Hideout

Who: Kingdom of Few

From: Calgary, Alberta

When: 10 p.m. on Saturday October, 13

Pre-Show Hype: The band has released their debut self-titled EP in April 2011, and now it's their time to shine and let fans have a listen, live. 

Crowd: The crowd's vital signs were definitely positive. They were lively - bobbing their heads, swaying, and waving their hands in the air. Kingdom of Few got a good response out of them.

Style: The band had a hard rock attitude to accompany their hard rock music genre. They head banged. They moved around. They sang long notes, loudly. They are like a heavier version of Pearl Jam, and far more energized. 

Technicalities: The show went smoothly - no technological glitches. There were colourful lights above the stage, which often changed with the mood of the song (slow conjured up a dim blue light, while upbeat was accompanied by flashing red light). 

Memorable Moment: Drummer, John Clarke, was summoned to the front of the stage by Curtis Butala, frontman. He said, "[Johnny] Has a very beautiful voice," and John began to sing the end of a song with Butala. In conclusion, he did have a lovely voice and meshed well with the band's vocalist. 

Sex Appeal: Fitted shirts, tattoos, and zest - what's not to like?

Total Rank: 8.5/10 (The extra .5 is for the level of energy brought onto stage; it was very raw)

Canada Indie Week Day 4: Kayla Luky and the Gillam Express

Who: Kayla Luky and The Gillam Express

From: Grandview, Manitoba

Where and When: Czehoski @ 8:30-9 p.m on Saturday October, 13

Pre-Show Hype: Now that Luky's latest album, "The Time It Takes", has been out for over a year, fans have the opportunity to sing along to already familiar lyrics or get to know them if they don't already.

Crowd: The crowd was relaxed during Luky's performance, as the majority of people were eating a meal and enjoying a drink. However, that did not stop them from being attentive to the show - they were engaged in the performance with their heads turned to the stage, eyes wide open, and heads bobbing.

Style: A little bit of country, and a dash of blues makes for Kayla Luky's alternative country performance. She sang on stage as she strummed her acoustic guitar, but the accompaniments of the classical bass, electric guitars, and drums gave the music more pizzazz! Her true country girl essence shone through her performance.

Technicalities: On two occasions, the microphones made a loud screeching noise during the performance, which were piercing enough to make your ears ring. However, that did not hinder the quality of the performance for the most part.

Memorable Moment: It was memorable when Luky was pumping up the crowd and said, "Last night everyone was dancing. Mind you, the night was not as young and everyone was more drunk." This touch of humour amid a serious performance added an air of lightness and warmth to the atmosphere. 

Memorable Song: "Arizona" would definitely be the most memorable song of the performance. Introduced as a song about where they come from, the look on Luky's face was one of genuine bliss and nostalgia. The audience could really connect with the band during this song because they could feel the happy emotions of Kayla Luky and The Gillam Express. There was also a killer guitar solo in the song, to boot. 

Sex Appeal: Kayla Luky has the [country] girl-next-door look, complete with long,blonde hair, big blue eyes, and a little red mini-dress.

Total Rank: 7/10 

Canada Indie Week Day 4: Doll @The Hideout

Who: Doll

From: Ottawa, Ontario

When: 10:30 p.m. on Saturday October, 13

Pre-Show Hype: This band has previously played shows with bands such as Lacuna Coil and Spinnerette, just to name a few. Doll's latest release is "The Ragdoll Diaries", the band claims it's their "best work to date" (as stated on their official Facebook page and Reverb Nation page).

Crowd: The crowd was less lively than the music towards the beginning of the set. But as the set progressed, they moved closer to the stage, began to dance, and even saluted their beer bottles to the band.

Style: Doll is a mix of grunge and punk: the "I don't care" attitude of grunge is complemented by the hard sounds and fury of punk. Fronted by a female vocalist who is comparable to Care Failure (vocalist of Die Mannequin), her vocal attack is fierce. The band's influences of 90s grunge bands also shines through their music; think, Brody Dalle meets Courtney Love.

 Technicalities: There were no technical issues during the show. When Christina Kasper jumped into the crowd, she bumped into a table, but continued on with the performance (and that doesn't even count). The show went on without a hitch. 

Memorable Song: "FMO" was the most memorable song that Doll played. It's full of fiery, angry lyrics and the band conveyed this fire through their performance. 

Memorable Moment: In an attempt to energize the crowd at the beginning of their set, Kasper said to the crowd, "We only have a fifteen minute set so do whatever you want! Mosh, dance, or even jump on stage!" This clearly pleased the crowd and their enthusiasm for Doll increased.

Sex Appeal: This band's got style for miles: from Kasper's mini skirt to fox tail, to the drummer's Dimmu Borgir t-shirt. 

Total Rank: 8/10