Kazoo! brings Hamilton electronic artists to Guelph
On Friday, Feb. 7, Jessy Lanza and Junior Boys came to Guelph for their last show in Canada before going across the Atlantic Ocean to tour parts of Europe. Both bands are then set to continue their tour across the United States and Canada together.
Jessy Lanza approached the stage wearing a crop top and a baggy thrift shop windbreaker. Her drummer stood in place and began pounding a slow and steady bass that made the floor tremble.
As Jessy Lanza’s set began her fans languidly swung back and forth, the audience seeming to fall into an immediate trance. Illuminated by blue lights, Lanza produced a score of electronic pop accompanied by angelic childlike vocals that echoed and reverberated off of the walls. The music had its own presence and atmosphere that resonated throughout the bar.
Lanza’s music was eerie—both light and tremendous. Her angelic voice wisped through the bass, the snaps, and the sharp synth notes. With every beat of the drum, note sung, or button pressed, Jessy Lanza was able to give another member of the audience shivers.
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…while the room dissolved back into a state of ecstasy.[/pullquote]
Junior Boys have been a part of the Ontario music scene since 1999. Comprised of Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus, Junior Boys just released their fifth album Big Black Coat on Feb. 5, 2016, which has already been praised with several good reviews.
Junior Boys opened their set of electro pop to hoots and hollers from buzzing fans. Their music was a work of mechanical and technological wizardry that droned in and out like a pulse.
Junior Boys experienced a technical difficulty just past midnight that lasted over five minutes. A handful of sound techs jumped on the stage, and once the problem was resolved the band broke right back into the beat while the room dissolved back into a state of ecstasy.
Their sound was dark and ominous, mysterious and dream-like. Between their music and showmanship they were able to hypnotize the crowd. The entire room moved in complete synchronization to the beat like blades of grass in the wind—dancing to the dazed sounds of the Junior Boys.
During their song “Too Young,” Junior Boys blew the power again.
“Sorry folks… well at least you know we’re not playing a CD or some shit,” said Jeremy Greenspan.
As the second complication of the night was getting sorted Greenspan started telling his audience a story. He began talking about how Junior Boys lost their American visa and hired a new booking agent that was getting the band “shitty EDM gigs.”
Greenspan asked the new booking agent if they could play in Canada since they could no longer tour the U.S., to which the booking agent said, “Yeah I can get you gigs all over Canada! I can get you DJ gigs in Toronto, I can get you DJ gigs in Montreal. Fuck, I can get you DJ gigs in Vancouver [or] Victoria. I could even get you a DJ gig in Gelf!”
“…And that’s the minute he got fired!” exclaimed Greenspan.
The room then exploded into cheers, howls and whistles, and the band restarted “Too Young.”
The Junior Boys won over Guelph with pure showmanship.