Friday, July 25, was host to many musical acts but Hydra stole the night – with the ability to awaken the hearts and minds with the group’s artistry, it was a performance to remember. Hydra was created as a way to showcase Feist’s Metals album in a new and unique live format and consists of two groups also signed to the Arts & Crafts record label – Snowblink and AroarA. Collaborating artistically resulted in a sound that is almost indescribable through the written word. The performance captivated the audience and left concert goers in awe of the beauty they were shown.
Snowblink consists of husband and wife duo Dan Goldman and Daniela Gesundheit – whose relaxed indie-pop sound was picked up by Arts & Crafts shortly after Gesundheit moved from her sunny home in California to Toronto. AroarA also consists of a husband and wife duo Andrew Whiteman (Broken Social Scene, Apostle of Hustle) and Ariel Engel. AroarA played a small show at Silence in October of 2013 and blew the minds of those who were privileged to see the duo perform their masterpiece In the Pines, which is based off a book of Alice Notley’s poetry. Together, Feist, Snowblink, and AroarA have crafted an intricate and distinct sound that is a representation of musical artistry in its most delectable form.
Leslie Feist, along with Ariel Engel (AroarA) and Daniela Gesundheit (Snowblink) led the vocalization of the intricate and moving lyrics in the most beautiful unison. The three female vocalists are truly the definition of passion through sound. With the musical accompaniment of Whiteman and Goldman, the group also featured the talent of bassist Charles Spearin (Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think) and drummer Don Kerr (Communism, Rheostatics, Bidiniband).
This slot was filled with so many talented artists coming together to do what they do best, highlighting how artistry can be a joint effort that births something unbelievably beautiful. The performance was focused on Feist’s Metals, but also showcased songs from both AroarA and Snowblink’s recent repertoires. The group surprised and excited the audience with their encore performance of “Immigrant Song,” their Led Zeppelin cover – that was excellent both vocally and instrumentally and left the audience energized and ready to revel in the weekend’s festivities to the fullest.
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The Ontarion publishes independent, student-produced news, opinion, and commentary for University of Guelph students so that they can make informed decisions in their lives. To do this, The Ontarion provides learning opportunities and training in journalism, media production, leadership, board governance, and other aspects of nonprofit news.
The Ontarion is the University of Guelph’s independent student newspaper. It began in 1951 as part of the Ontario Agricultural College and then began to represent the entire University of Guelph once it amalgamated in 1964. The Ontarion incorporated in May 1970 as The Ontarion, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation registered with the province of Ontario.