Thursday
Emay, Tenderness, & Minotaurs @ eBar
Written by Adrien Potvin
The second evening of Kazoo! Fest saw eBar hosting Hamilton rapper Emay, Toronto experimental pop artist Tenderness, and Minotaurs—an afrobeat big band led by Guelph musician Nathan Lawr. All of the evening’s performances were accompanied by the live visuals of Versa, an artist’s collective made up of Alex Ricci and Monika Hauck.
Emay kicked off the evening with his moody, self-produced beats and introspective lyrics, leaving the audience limbered up for the dancing to follow. Chrissy Reichert, performing under the name Tenderness, performed shortly after, with a set of self-proclaimed “devotional pop.” With her unique noise collage of primordial beats and politically-charged, spiritually-informed lyrics, Tenderness’ set was the more experimental of the three. Her set was by far the most enjoyable and unpredictable.
Minotaurs performance marked a bizarre and jarring shift from Tenderness’ apocalyptic dance-noise. While Minotaurs performed an enjoyable and funky set, it didn’t capture quite the same stirring, revolutionary spirit that Emay or Tenderness’ music evokes, though they provided the audience with an ample opportunity for dancing and having a good time. The band, featuring a horn section and a set marked by afrobeat inspired grooves, played well into the night.
Guelph Night Market Mini Flea @ The Common
Written by Robert Janes
Kazoo! Fest brought the Night Market to The Common Café on Thursday, April 7, 2016 for an all ages event.
For an entrance fee of $2.00, people gathered into The Common Café to check out pop-up shops and to have a few drinks. People bustled through the crowded café with smiles on their faces and beer in their hands. Many of the shops were selling vintage clothing or handmade goods like jewellery, pottery, and more clothes.
Your Pal Al seemed to be a hot attraction as people huddled around the booth to purchase a cactus. To name a few, other shops included Black Hole Vintage with their pottery, candles, and vintage clothing, as well as Bobby Raffin with his photography, jewellery, and accessories. Additionally, Alpine Print sold beer cozies and t-shirts. There was also Friday’s Child, Goldeen, Spell Caster, Outpost Vintage + Thrift, White Tiger, LOL, Take Time Vintage, Charlie & Murphy, and Vicky Mann.
The Night Market brought the people under one roof for a few hours of drinking, socializing, and the purchasing of artwork. The event became a piece of art in itself, especially when held in comparison to any other market.
Sandro Perri @ Silence
Written by Alex Harris
One of the gentlest performances of Kazoo! was also one of the most moving. The name of the host venue was appropriate, as barely a word was spoken by the audience during Perri’s performance. This was partially out of respect for the accomplished musician, but also to detect the intricate subtleties in Perri’s songs.
As Perri’s own bandmates pointed out, his music is a genre of its own. Experimental folk would probably suffice. Sandro Perri isn’t a flashy guy and his music reflected this. There was never an unnecessary note played during the set. Each section of every song complemented the next, and moments of experimentation always seemed perfectly normal, if not familiar.
Any good music festival should pull a few tricks out of its hat and Sandro Perri’s generally un-hyped performance gave festival-goers plenty of new material to add to their music library. These kinds of surprises are what make Kazoo! great.