There seemed to be no shortage of concerts happening on Friday night from huge shows at the arena and clubs to underground shows happening in pop-up spaces. With everything going on, I knew without a doubt that I’d end up at Vinyl Envy to check out Lovecoast’s set.
The night started with local band Violet. A local super group of sorts featuring members of Man Made Lake, New Groovement, The Timebenders and more. With that stacked lineup, it was difficult to believe that this was only Violet’s fifth live performance.
Violet put on a fairly strong performance that ebbed and flowed as a good set should. Their bluesy pop sound fit well with the crowd and seemed to land lots of new fans despite the fact that no recorded music from the new band is out yet. They ended their set with a bit of a ripper that left the crowd wanting more and making them a hard act to follow.
The room was filled with familiar faces, friends, family, and concertgoers looking for an escape from the March rain. In the midst of the crowd were two neon-shirted little girls in homemade shirts that said “Jesse’s Girls.” The two tykes turned out to be drummer Jesse McNeill’s nieces. They were possibly the best part of the show (sorry Lovecoast and Violet) by stealing focus, dancing, and having fun in the middle of the crowd before eventually making it on stage to dance with Danielle Sweeney during Lovecoast’s set.
It’s extremely hard to not enjoy yourself at a Lovecoast show. Even the the biggest curmudgeon finds themselves toe tapping and their butt wiggling. These extremely talented musicians know what it takes to make fun and danceable music. Heck, they do have a song about it. It’s pretty great when the little kids at the show put everyone else to shame with their dance moves.
A definite highlight was hearing several new songs that Lovecoast has been working on for their forthcoming album. Sticks and Stones, All My Light, and Play For Keeps could all easily be high rotation singles in my books. Without a doubt, whenever their new record comes out, they’ll be getting a lot of attention, and they deserve it.
It seems that Vinyl Envy has grown into Victoria’s hub for live all ages music. There are more and more unique interesting shows happening there. It’s a great space and we are so glad that Lovecoast put on this amazing show there.
I’d also like to mention that this weekend is also Vinyl Envy’s two-year anniversary party. There will be free live music every hour on Saturday and Sunday from 1PM to 4PM featuring Allison Brown, Nic Whitehouse, Vic Horvath, Steph Macpherson, Jaya Bremer, and more. In the evenings, there will also be live music for $10 featuring Kirsten Ludwig, Peach Pyramid, The Miffed Neighbours, and more. Get tickets and find out more on their website.
