Royal Canoe, a hard working band, brought it to First Avenue’s 7th Street Entry on Monday. Bringing everything that creates music is what they do. No backing tracks make their live sound; its all real, as is their hard-driving percussion beats. You feel their music when you come into their show.
Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada) is home to this six-piece ensemble, featuring
Matthew Peters
Bucky Driedger
Matthew Schellenberg
Derek Allard
Michael Jordan
Brendan Berg.
Appearing with them were Little Scream and local act Mariah Mercedes.
A big year for Royal Canoes includes promotion of their current album, “Today We Are Believers” which won Best Independent Album at Western Canadian Music Awards and won Juno’s Alternative Album of the Year (2014).
Matthew Schallenberg, the group’s keyboardist, has also been busy working as a composer on the film Lovesick. Preforming in the film’s s soundtrack he received a nomination for his song “Draw Blood“, at the 5th Canadian Screen Awards of 2017.
Surviving Manitoba’s hard winter wind, and occasional prairie heat, to revel in the intense blue Canadian summer sky; Royal Canoes, like the land it is from, is a musical survivor, since forming in 2010. While Winnipeg is not normally considered a big music scene, they have an fan base and a loyal group who appreciates rock. Finding new fans everywhere, they have toured thoughout Canada, Europe and the US, in the past few years.
Little Scream is a rich, almost fantasy-filled musical experience. “Cult Following”, her 2nd album is something that needs to be experienced from start to finish. Music flows from one song to the next. It is music rich and everything flows like a well put together film – that must be fully seen to be appreciated. Desire and pain of encounter seems to sum it up.
Living up to her recording’s promise she did not disappoint her fans and those new to her sound. Leaving everyone wanting more, she lit up the stage.
Mariah Mercedes, a local Pop and R&B singer, showed off her awesome vocal talent . At 21 she is just getting her musical sound on the local venue scene. Combining net-soul and R&B she make you understand her talent. Songwriting is part of her work and she put her great talent on stage last night.
You must be logged in to post a comment.