Place 4 Bands hosts night of experimental rock at Outpost
Taking part in Guelph’s DIY music movement, Outpost Vintage + Thrift hosted a night of community and music on Jan. 20 as three independent bands took to the stage for a Place 4 Bands showcase.
These are the kind of creative events that foster such a deep sense of community in Guelph: local, homegrown, and certified organic.
Local bands Cold On Pluto and Ferne opened up the night to a tightly-packed crowd, followed by a fantastic set from Montreal-based band, The Tender Threads.
Cold On Pluto, the project of Guelph locals Rigel Rozanski and Sara Bortolon-Vettor, recently added bass guitar and trumpet to their previously two-piece outfit. This expansion added a whole new level to the already multi-dimensional nu-gaze band, promising to produce a wealth of peculiar delay-drenched rock.
Ferne, led by local guitar charmer Ian Bain, chugged through a short but sweet set of R&B influenced jazz-rock. Showing off his love of the fretboard and all things “wah,” Bain mesmerized the audience through the instrumentals backed by an incredibly tight and groovy rhythm section. The band will be putting out their debut album shortly under a new name.
Closing out the night, The Tender Threads put on a great set despite an R. Kelly-centric karaoke hangover from the previous evening. The four-piece group weaved their way through experimental folk-pop compositions, masterfully aided by soaring trombone jam sections. Blending in elements of mild psychedelia and soft rock, the band was able to gently bring the audience back down to earth as easily as they were swept up. The band is currently touring to support their October debut record bl:ndness.
Big recognition also goes out to Outpost’s owner Carolyn Fielding for allowing her space to be used in such a great capacity.
Photo by Dana Bellamy/The Ontarion.