This concert brought to you by the letter "P"
Panick and the Silent Folk
Originally uploaded by sfllaw.
A fair while ago, I went to the Green Room to see a free concert. It was a sponsored show, put on by Akachic Records, whom I happen to write for from time to time. I arrived early and sat down in the stifling heat. The bartender brought over a glass of ice water, for which I was eternally grateful.
The room slowly gathered people, some sat in the back benches, while others opted to sit up front. The stage was filled with equipment, two chairs, and some dim lighting.
First up were Panick and the Silent Folk. They're a small band that consists of two muscians, and they're a bit difficult to describe. They have songs that sound like poetry. Matt Risk strummed on his guitar as he sang complex verses with his raspy, straining voice. He was accompanied by Neboysha Rakic who made noisy, electronic effects. The room had filled up by this point and the audience was at attention. Perhaps they were trying to make out the symbolism. I should think.
Pagoda
Originally uploaded by sfllaw.
Pagoda came up next. They're a band that drove all the way up from Washington, DC to play. They seemed to be travelling pretty quickly, as they wanted to leave for Toronto that night.
Their sound is nice and sweet. It's full of slow beats and powerful riffs. Their guitarist played tunes that were strangely melodic and their lead singer has such a beautiful voice when he hits the upper register. You don't expect this at all, since their appearance belies their music. When you see them, you'd totally think they just broke out of gaol.
Pax Nipponica
Originally uploaded by sfllaw.
We had a little break as the people on stage fiddled with their equipment. I took this opportunity to grab a bit to eat, and came back as Pax Nipponica went on stage. Even though their drums were laid down in advance, they were all sorts of catchy. Bruno C. stood by, keeping a watchful eye on the laptop as he played the bass.
Yan T. stood on the edge of the stage and sang softly into the microphone as he played his blue guitar. He's got a pretty voice, which goes well with the soft, touching music. Slightly creepy lyrics, now that I think of it. Pax Nipponica is a little on the poppy side, with Bruno's mussed up hair and Yan's square glasses, they could definitely win hearts and minds.
Their songs were geared towards that, with different arrangements than their CDs. Especially Turn off your cellphone, which was unplugged and much applauded. A very good set indeed.
Article written for Akachic Records.