The first gig of the year always brings out a certain energy in crowds. At Yukon Blonde’s stop at the Capital Ballroom on January 26th, the crowd was ready to shake off January and bask in some sunny sounding psych-rock. Jeffrey Innes, lead singer of Yukon Blonde, later stated “You guys fucking showed up,” and he definitely wasn’t wrong about that. A crowd full of excited Victorians will show up time and time again for their favourite local(ish) bands, and this night was no exception.
Layten Kramer of our fair Garden City opened the show with some easy breezy psych-rock. It was busy for an opener at the Capital; the energy was high already and there was excited chatter while the band worked through their set. The band played a selection of songs from Kramer’s latest release, 2021’s LP Dear Apathy. The entire album makes apathy sound like a strangely good time. Strange Displacement had the folky, western influences merging with psych-pop sensibilities. It sounds like a lot, but if you give it a listen, it’ll make you feel things. Another song standout was The Void from 2018’s Glory. It has the best lyrics for anyone who is sick of dating in Victoria: “Well, I am very happy / Yes, I am oh so happy / Alone.” I feel that in my bones . . . thanks for voicing it, Mr. Kramer.
Yukon Blonde graced the stage and got down to business with Shuggie Come Back to an ecstatic crowd. The Vancouver-based band showcased their evolution through genres over the past 14 years, from the bouncy indie rock of Tiger Talk’s My Girl from 2012 (one of their two encore songs) to the sharp pop-synth of Lovers in a Crowded Room off 2023’s Shuggie. 2015’s On Blonde selection of songs were definitely some of the more electric of the set. Saturday Night and Favourite People were stand outs, and I Wanna Be Your Man had the crowd moving and singing along to every word.
The crowd was pretty fired up at certain points (a mini mosh pit opened up during one of the final songs – whatever floats your boat), and the band was fueled by that energy. They filled the stage effortlessly, literally and figuratively. The three front men roamed about and played off each other. The person they had on the keyboard and tambourine, Jemuel Roberts, was having the best time, and kept the energy high on stage. My eyes kept being drawn to them. The band lengthened their songs with some jams towards the end of their set and made the most of their time on the stage.
The crowd danced and had a blast . . . the bands were smiling and grooving . . . it was truly a great Friday night for all. And, if that show was the start of the year ahead of me for gigs, it’s a lovely way to start 2024.
