Kazoo! presents Versa, Baby Cages, and L CON
Beneath the domino ceiling of Guelph’s eBar, Kazoo! kicked off their Halloween party on Fri, Oct. 28, bringing costumed locals together for a festive evening. After seeing a wizard walk in with a unicorn, followed by a cowboy and Leela from Futurama, a fun evening was clearly within sight.
Lisa Conway, also known as L CON, opened the evening with songs from her 2016 album Moon Milk. Her songs were intimate, bringing people close to the stage as she sang from beneath a signature Kazoo! cat mask. Her voice was beautiful and clear, comparable to singer-songwriter Elena Tonra of Daughter, combined with electric synth and drums reminiscent of Metric’s Synthetica. L CON succeeded in performing both soft rhythms and rapid sounds, while maintaining an eerie futuristic style. She celebrated the release of her third album Moon Milk with a short tour of five shows, concluding here in Guelph.
Following L CON came Baby Cages with their less compact-sounding experimental tunes. The Toronto-based musicians were humorously dressed as the Spice Girls, but with a small costume budget.Bringing to the stage a style similar to a 1993 Radiohead, Baby Cages successfully had the costumed audience dancing to the experimental dark pop. Vocalist Dorothea Paas belted out strong notes like Becky Starck during her contribution to The Decemberists 2009 album Hazards of Love. Baby Cages showcased music from all three of their albums; I’m so sorry, Indelicate, and their most recent release All U Want. Their confidence in one another and passion for their sound was apparent throughout their whole performance.
Concluding the show was headliner Versa. The high-energy, unique audio-visual group took the stage dressed in all white. Behind the band was a colourful display of visuals, produced by process-based artist Monika Hauck who was off to the side of the stage. She dripped colours into a mixture of chemicals as a response to the psychedelic-inspired sounds being made by the band. With a camera over her shoulder, she filmed the mixes and projected them on the back wall, occasionally disrupted by the silhouettes of dancing band members. Versa’s performance was surreal and loud as their bold instrumental music combined visual effects and sound, leading the audience to embrace the interconnection of senses and experience the fullness of the performance. Versa is heavily involved in the Canadian contemporary art scene, as they perform at many art festivals and art galleries.
The lean aesthetic of the second floor venue kept everyone close, the tea light candles lit on tables contributed to the evening’s warmth, and the bands alternative performances presented a great way to begin the Halloween weekend celebrations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUZ5om6zNmc
Photos by Robert Janes.