Calgary band puts emphasis on storytelling
Reuben and the Dark made a stop at the University Centre to deliver a resonating noon hour set on Fri, Sept. 30.
Often categorized as “indie folk,” the band brought an array of sounds similar to any other indie bands across the country. With tom-heavy drum grooves and supplementary synthesizers, the modern sounds coming from the stage presented nothing new to the casual listener. What this Calgary band added to the mix, however, was their dark and dramatic lyrical storytelling.
Reuben Bullock’s roots as a singer-songwriter were evident throughout the set, bringing a certain comfort to the stage despite the grim context of many of his songs.
“To be honest, it’s just a lot of stream of consciousness,” Bullock explained about his lyrical content in an interview with The Ontarion. “It’s just based on life—and maybe I have had a bit of a darker life at times, so maybe it pulls from that.”
As the band’s front man, Bullock alternated between picking up his weathered acoustic and putting it down, emphasizing the emotion in the music with his signature outstretched arms.
In songs like “Rolling Stone” and “Bow & Arrow,” the band really came together to demonstrate influences in gospel and country, while their latest single “Heart in Two,” took their sound in a more pop-friendly direction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhw2v0Rkdww
When asked about the band’s influences, Bullock explained that the band draws from a lot of different influences, but he personally “[tries] to stay within the ideas of the songs and not too much of the sonics.
Despite the band’s ability to wrap up each song with a tight finish, the audience’s hesitation to applaud was likely due to a lack of familiarity with the band and their material. But that’s what these noon hour shows are all about: bringing new music to the ears of students.
“I’m super used to it because we’ve done so many showcase shows where you show up, you play, and you hope somebody listens,” said Bullock. “It’s really honest.”
While the lunchtime crowd at the UC wasn’t the most responsive, one can easily imagine Reuben and the Dark playing their audience into a deeply emotional state in a more intimate venue.
Photo by Dana Bellamy/The Ontarion.