Local Summer Series – Vancouver Review
As the night descended upon the Biltmore Cabaret in the heart of Mount Pleasant, Vancouver, the atmosphere crackled with anticipation. The evening's crescendo belonged to Tiger Really?, closing their set with a fervent cover of 'Kyoto' by Phoebe Bridgers. Tiger Really? toyed with the audience's emotions, initially teasing an early exit before making a triumphant, boisterous reappearance for one last song. We cheered and twisted along to the anthem, soon splintering into the night with the band’s name blooming excitedly on sweaty lips. It was a moment when the ghostly presence of Phoebe Bridgers seemed almost tangible.
Back to the beginning: the four-act bill promised a great night from the very start. Vancouver locals Passion Mango were up first, though unfortunately I arrived after their set. Friends of friends said it was a spectacular opening performance, and their Spotify certainly boasts an impressive quantity of songs to sink your teeth into. Their most recent EP, Garden Party, showcases slick production, a mix of genres, and a self-assured approach to songwriting. The band can certainly command the journey of a song; take track ‘Solstice’ full of pauses artfully before delicious licks of reverberating guitar melodies and dazed vocals. Their versatility shines throughout their current discography; ‘Cut from a ceiling fan’ calls back to Jeff Buckley, whilst ‘Pocket Crease’ shimmers playfully like a track from The Backseat Lovers, and ‘Warehouse’ booms with sounds of Peach Pit.
Next up were Farhaven, a band I luckily managed to catch. The four-piece exuded boy-next-door-energy but managed to project a slick togetherness that commanded you take their ‘buttoned up, tucked in 60s revival style’ seriously. ‘Sing along to this next song if you know it,’ front man Thomas Van Alstine smirked, ‘mosh a little if you want’. When his pluck broke mid-song, he didn’t bat an eye. The drummer was set back from the group, cast into luxurious purples and blues which ensured for cinematic viewing. The jumpy pace of ‘Going Home’ had the crowd rocking hips and laughing out-loud, especially at the song’s concluding guitar solo and doubled vocals. By far the band’s biggest hit, the unskippable, romantic summer hit ‘Take my Number’ had the audience invested, bellowing back lyrics ‘take my number when you leave’. This was rivalled only by their closing cover of ‘Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked’ by Cage the Elephant, as big and riotous as the song’s sexy chorus requires. Farhaven gave something I hadn’t seen in a long time - a band improving before your very eyes, forming themselves in the dips between whistles from the crowd and ad-libs between songs. I’m excited to see where they go next.
Rosemary Ginger followed, a synth and alternative pop project blending shoegaze, laid-back funk, and jazz. It became immediately obvious that some of Vancouver’s finest musicians had taken the stage. Most notably, Jack Zhao on bass kept the whole groove moving with captivating skill; I often couldn’t tear my gaze from his power over the instrument. The vocals by both Adam Doucette and Amy Tan came together harmonically, piercing the group’s thick, layered instrumental backdrop like the sharp pop of peppermint. Amy’s voice reached incredible heights. Track ’take me there’ was gorgeous live, whilst ‘ocean in between’ made for easy grooving before moving into an awesome scream-session, guitars heavy and emotion thick. The group covered Lianne La Havas’ cover of Radiohead’s ‘Weird Fishes / Arpeggi’, which almost brought me to my knees, the audience holding their breath alongside me in awe as each member came together in the great exclamation of sound. ‘This is the first time we’ve played together for months’, the band admitted sheepishly, which made their power over the room even more incredible.
Finally, the main event. The four-piece Tiger Really? took the stage to a great sea of applause and kicked off strong. Something had shifted in the room; the audience were alert, awake, eager not to miss a trick as frontman Lian Shao dipped his head over the mic and leant into the crowd, singing crisply and clearly lyrics of yearning and youth. His vocals were unique, teetering between melancholic softness and pensive screaming, at times reminiscent of Real Friends’ former vocalist Dan Lambton. Their emo-jazz fusion was most evident in song ‘Slippers’, whilst personal favourite ‘Dead Ringer’ saw feet bouncing from floor along with the persistent beat of drums. The band worked naturally together; the guitarists rocked back and forth, absent-mindedly grinning at the whole affair like they fit right in on the stage. The guitars on ‘Rites of Spring’ were particularly punchy, showcasing relentless pace that elevated the tune. Before the gig, the words emo-jazz had, rightly or wrongly, symbolised for me something akin to South London’s Opus Kink, encapsulating the dark underbelly of life in the big smoke. Instead, Tiger Really?’s take on the genre was romantic and revitalising. In our conversation after the set, Lian referenced Black Country New Road as an influence on their music, as well as bands from over the pond such as American Football and Car Seat Headrest. This made me nostalgic for days gone by, days of messy pop-punk concerts in Manchester half a decade ago. And yet, I hadn’t expected to find such hope on this random Thursday evening, as if the future of the genre lay somewhat in the hands of such a talented, bright-eyed band.
It’s easy to get caught up in the loop of the London music scene, trapped in similar circuits like a snake gorging on its own tail. And yet, thanks to the echoing vibrancy of Rosemary Ginger, the charismatic playfulness of Farhaven and the sheer star-quality of Tiger Really?, I'm beginning to see a way out of the dark, deep cavern of city sound and out into the world beyond, full of great promise and catchy tunes that deserve a space high up in your music rotation.