beekeeper @ Science World -- 11/01/13

photo: Leigh Eldridge

"It's not an ending, it's an evolution", is something Devon Lougheed said to me in regards to beekeeper's final show. After a strong couple of years, the trio of Devon, Luke Cyca, and Brandi Sidoryk are going their separate ways, leaving the future of beekeeper uncertain. Devon, always a schemer, has hinted that the band may continue in some form, but after last night's show beekeeper as we know them are done.


The show was at Science World as a part of the Amped exhibit, with beekeeper headlining the first of four Teen Band Nights. Each night will see three bands with members between the ages of 14-19, followed by a Peak Performance Project alumni headlining. The three bands this night were ADOB, a ska band; The Specifics, a jazz-rock band; and Strip the Silence, a punk band, and all three were pretty typical high school bands -- loads of potential, but still very young and green.




beekeeper took the stage to their usual prerecorded phone message offering bad advice, and started the set with "Good News". They've always been an energetic bunch, but all three were in fine form for their final outing, with Devon was cracking wise with the crowd, mindful of the younger turnout.

Highlights of the math-rock-y set included the genre-shifting "Oh Hi" complete with kazoo solo, the jokingly renamed "I Don't Need Hope, I Need Whiskey Homework", and "Pinwheel Revolution" which is a rare showcase of Brandi's operatic voice.
They ended the show with the last traditional beekeeper fans-on-stage, as they invited the crowd up for the final song, "Believe, Believe", and took one last bow.

setlist
Good News; Table and Bed; Oh Hi!; Sudden Cuckoo; Pets Eat Their Masters; Drownings; Pinwheel Revolution; I Don't Need Hope, I Need Whiskey; Believe, Believe. 

Then & Now @ Biltmore -- 08/20/13

The brainchild of Vancouver's beekeeper, Then and Now is a simple concept; take a handful of local artists, and get them to play a brand new song & an old song-- their newest, shiniest song, and one of the first songs they wrote, potentially embarrassing. 
The night was also a fundraiser for Megaphone Magazine, a local publication that is sold by the homeless or low income people, who get to keep the profits of their sales.

Starting off the night was Redbird, and Savannah Leigh Wellman really took the concept to heart, setting the bar for the rest of the night. Her "then" song was one written in high school, influenced by pop-stars, called "Make Your Move", that peaked when Savannah started rapping. It was exactly in the spirit of the show, and as amazing as it was cringe-worthy. Her "now" was a brand new song, thematically similar but decidedly more mature.

Buckman Coe was up next, his older song being a folky love song, while his new was more reggae influenced.

Victoria musician Katie Schaan, better known as Ciseaux took the stage next, starting with an acoustic guitar and the song "Close To Me" off of Katie's debut album, which was put out under her own name. 
Her new song was a love song about a boy, played on the ukulele. After wrestling with some technical problems, she ended up unplugged it and perched on the front of the stage, completely unamplified, her powerful voice still filling the room.

Devin Miller from Young Pacific was the first of the night to break from the acoustic, with his electric guitar. His first song was about friendship, or a lack thereof, and his newer one made use of his pedal board, for a song that was a bit more spacey and ethereal.

Wrapping up the first half of the night was the super secret surprise guest, Bed of Stars. Like many others throughout the night, his "then" song was a love song. His "now" was a pretty chill newer song.

After a brief intermezzo, Skye Wallace took the stage to start the second half. Joined by Alex the cellist, her first song was one written when she was a teenager. Her new song was one called "Monster" and built to some absolutely intense vocals.

There was a change of pace as spam poet Duncan Shields was up next, also joined by Alex the cellist. His nerd-themed pieces included a "then" which used video games as a metaphor for his ex-girlfriend, with great wordplay & puns, especially for video game lovers. His "now" was something he described as "filk music", which was taking folk songs and rewriting the words to make them nerdier. His was to the tune of "If You're Happy & You Know It" and was about Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Ford Pier. His "then" song had a very 90s-Canadian-vibe to it, and Pier took the concept of "now" to an extreme; he had only finished writing the new song at 6:30 that same morning, and it had never been performed out loud before.

And wrapping up the night, beekeeper themselves. The only full band electric set, Devon surprised his bandmated by choosing "Nice Lunch" for their "then", an old, rarely played song from their first album. They then wrapped up the night, with their newest, called "Arms Length". As with just about everyone throughout the night, it was an interesting juxtaposition between the then and the now, seeing how the songwriters have progressed.

The first time they did this show, last year, it ran a bit long, but this year did not drag at all. With a leaner lineup, the night zipped along at a fine clip, and I can only hope they plan on this again next year. It's a fantastic concept for a great cause.

Toque Sessions: beekeeper hearts Sidney York @ CBC Vancouver -- 02/28/13

Now in their fourth year, the CBC Toque Sessions is a series of free shows at the CBC Vancouver building, featuring some great local talent, and recorded for later broadcast on CBC Radio and CBC Music.

Hosted by CBC Radio 3's Grant Lawrence, this was a unique session, titled "beekeeper hearts Sidney York", with the "sibling bands" sharing the bill. Aside from being often tour-mates, the two bands also share members; Brandi Sidoryk is the voice of Sidney York and the bass of beekeeper; Luke Cyca keeps the rhythm on drums for both bands; and beekeepers's Devon Lougheed not only plays guitar with Sid occasionally, but also produced their upcoming album. 

Sidney York started the night with their unique indie-pop, with three classically trained musicians and including an oboe & bassoon, two instruments you rarely see outside an orchestra. They kicked off with the upbeat and poppy "Mile High Love" and got the crowd clapping along to the infinitely catchy "Dick & Jane".
As always, so much energy from the three ladies -- Brandi Sidoryk, Sheryl Reinhardt, and Krista Wodelet -- especially Brandi who, when not behind the keyboard, bounces around the stage.
The set also included a few new songs off their upcoming album, Hearts, which saw Devon out to join them on guitar.
Since they joined Brandi to make the group a trio, Krista and Sheryl have gotten much more comfortable on stage, and are fully integrated into the new songs, as opposed to just playing on the songs Brandi had written for the last album. A love song to technology -- as it was introduced -- "Electrolove" saw all three of them played the same keyboard, and Krista had more prominent vocals on the newer songs. After the synthy title track "Hearts", they wrapped up their half of the show with another new one, "Want You Back", a rich and lush song that had me hooked, and definitely looking forward to the new album.

setlist

Mile High Love; Dick & Jane; Doctor Doctor; Math and Fractions; Electrolove; Hearts; Want You Back.

After a brief break, the pre-recorded "Bad Advice Hotline" sounded through the studio (giving apt advice like "if you get confused, just nod") and beekeeper took the stage, launching into "Table & Bed". Their frantic, poppy math-rock can be hard to pin down, with songs routinely changing tempo, key or even time signature, but they're also ridiculously fun and unique. The songs have boundless energy, which comes from all three members, especially from Devon, who hardly stood still all night; even performing a high flying leap off an amp during "I Don't Need Hope, I Need Whiskey" -- which he admitted proved dangerous at a recent show.
They did bring it down for one calm song in the set, the low key "Drownings" saw just Devon on guitar with Luke and Brandi coming to the front of the stage for backup vocals. But they swung the energy right back as the remaining members of Sidney York came on stage for the kazoo solo (yes, kazoo solo) in the catchy-yet-out-of-left-field country swerve that "Oh Hi!" takes, and Krista & Sheryl stayed on to add their bassoon and oboe to the next couple songs.

They wrapped up the night memorably as every members from both bands took the stage for a gorgeous cover of "Your Ex-Lover is Dead", originally by Stars.

The show was a great addition to the pretty stellar lineup of CBC Toque Sessions this season. And as they draw to a close, I am hoping that next winter will see another round of great bands as the Toque Sessions continue.

setlist
Table & Bed; Sudden Cuckoo; It's the Blood; I Don't Need Hope, I Need Whisky; Drownings; Oh Hi!; Good News; Spider Webs/Insect Eyes; Your Ex-Lover is Dead [Stars cover].

beekeeper EP release @ Biltmore -- 02/09/13

One thing I really enjoy is watching new or young bands grow and evolve as they go.
The first time I saw beekeeper, I certainly didn't dislike them; Devon Lougheed and Luke Cyca had a great energy and obvious passion, but they were a bit... all over the place.
However, in the last couple years they have been joined by Brandi Sidoryk (the brains behind Sidney York) on bass, have a few tours under their collective belts, and have been through the latest Peak Performance Project. And having seen them a few times since that initial show, I can say all that has definitely helped them tighten up as a band and become a bit more focused -- or as focused as beekeeper can be.
That work and improvement definitely shows in their latest EP, Shout At People, the release of which they were celebrating at the Biltmore.

Kicking off the night was The SSRIs, who were definitely a good fit to be opening the show. With a loud and frantic rock sound that was a little psychedelic, a little noise-pop, they started the night off with a bang. They were high energy, if a little too chaotic or schizophrenic at times, but they seemed to grab the growing crowd's attention with their set.

Second up on the night was Young Liars with a ubiquitous synth-pop sound that seems to be popular in the local scene right now. I have seen them a few times before, opening for other bands, and their sets have always struck me as just "okay". Many of the songs blend together, and they don't have much of a stage presence, but I don't necessarily think it was bad. The upbeat pop got lots of people into it and moving, and they put on a decent -- if forgettable -- show.

And finally, as a pre-recorded "phone message" filled the room, beekeeper took the stage and launched into "Table and Bed" from their debut album BE KEPT. They started strong and hardly let up for a set full of frantic, poppy math-rock full of mid-song-changes in time signature, key and tempo. You never know where any given beekeeper song is going to go once it starts -- for example, one of my favourites of the night (and off the new EP) was "Oh Hi!" which starts off as a rock song, but takes a left turn with a country breakdown, and even includes a kazoo solo.

Other highlights of the set were "Drownings" which was the most sincere and calm moment of the night, with just Devon on guitar and Brandi & Luke coming to the front of the stage to sing backups; "Pinwheel Revolution" which, for a brief moment, took advantage of Brandi's opera background; the awesomely titled "I Don't Need Hope, I Need Whiskey"; and the "Classic Canadian Cover" they learned for the Peak Performance Project where they tease a bit of Rush, but then swerve into Alanis Morissette's "You Learn", Brandi and Devon sharing vocals for an interesting and cool version of the song.

The aforementioned energy and passion has multiplied exponentially, and the trio has great chemistry -- Luke and Devon both occasionally back up Sidney York, so they are no strangers to sharing the stage -- and Devon isn't shy of chatting with the crowd, giving shout outs, continually asking if everyone wanted to "do something weird", and inviting everyone up for their now-traditional "family photo", the stage packed with fans who danced their way through the last song, "Believe, Believe".

beekeeper may not be for everyone -- their songs are anything but traditional and many can definitely be called "weird" -- but you can't deny the talent of the three musicians and the enthusiasm they pour into the band, and you can't help but be stung by the amount of fun they have on stage.

setlist
Table & Bed; Good News; Sudden Cuckoo; You Learn [Alanis Morissette cover]; Oh Hi!; It's The Blood; Pets Eat Their Masters; Drownings; Pinwheel Revolution; I Don't Need Hope, I Need Whiskey; Believe, Believe.

Peak Performance Project Showcase #1 @ Red Room -- 09/13/12

The Peak Performance Project is a multi-year contest in which The Peak, along with Music BC, picks 20 BC musicians/bands a year and makes them stars. Past winners are We Are The City, Kyprios, and Current Swell with a ton of great bands and artists included as well.
Part one of the project was a rock & roll boot camp where they went on a week long retreat to get lectures and advice from industry pros to help them refine their craft. Phase two is a series of shows at The Red Room, four artists a night for five weeks, each playing a 45 minute set. The bands are rated by a panel of judges, which will go toward their final score in the project, and they've also been tasked to learn a "Classic Canadian Cover" to play during their set. I always love hearing bands play cover songs, and I am definitely looking forward to see who each act chooses (and, as in the past, I am going to keep a running tally on how many Arcade Fire, Neil Young or Leonard Cohen songs we get).

And going in to this, I'm not going to pretend I don't have biases; there are bands this year I am familiar with and bands that I am already a big fan of, and this showcase was, at first glance, the one I was looking forward to the most. 


Ali Milner: The jazzy-pop sounds of Ali Milner started off not only the night, but the showcase series. Her backing band included some familiar faces; Erik P.H. Nielsen on bass and Rob Tornroos on guitar. I've seen Ali play a few times in recent months, and I would have to say this is the best set I've seen her play. Behind the keys with her gorgeous voice, her bubbly personality is infectious, and it translated into a fun and upbeat set, with dynamic songs like "Fly". 
Ali is no stranger to covering Canadian singers, and her cover wasn't new, rather a song that she's had in her repertoire for a few years, "After the Gold Rush" by Neil Young. It was a good cover, but I was hoping she would do something new.
The set ended with "Waiting", which saw Ali take out a box of egg shakers part way through the song and jump into the crowd to distribute them for people to play along -- and they all had numbers on them, with one lucky person winning some merch. 

I genuinely hope that Ali makes the top three -- which would make her the first female to crack the top three -- but I have a feeling this is going to be the hardest year to predict the outcome.

beekeeper: With the lights dimmed, and a robotic voice introducing them, the trio of Devon Lougheed, Luke Cyca and Brandi Sidoryk hit the stage with a high energy and did not looking back. Their genre-bending "math rock" may be hard to keep up with due to the frantic arrangements and seemingly constantly changing time signatures, but drummer Luke anchors them magnificently, and they put on one hell of a live show, which is either absolutely brilliant or incomprehensibly weird. Or both.
Devon was more focused on stage than I've seen him, especially between songs, still showing his manic energy and goofy sense of humour but not going overboard. He even took the set down for a moment with a sincere story and almost mellow (or, as mellow as beekeeper can get) song called "Drownings". 
For their cover, they teased playing Rush, but then launched in to "You Learn" from Alanis Morissette, which was definitely the most interesting cover of the night, giving it a "beekeeper twist", and even had Devon going into the crowd.
"Pinwheel Revolution" took a moment to show off Brandi's operatic past and her glass-shattering voice, and they brought the set to an end with a "family photo", pulling up as many fans as they could fit on the stage for a big group picture, and then letting everyone stay and dance for the last song, "Believe, Believe". 

Probably the most high energy and genuinely fun set of the night, beekeeper is another band that I really hope makes the top five, but I can see them maybe being just a little too "weird".

Redgy Blackout: The members of Redgy Blackout hit the stage looking slick, adorned in dress shirts and ties, with Scott also sporting a vest and top hat. They were immediately fun and energetic, with their unique mix of indie rock, folk and pop. Both Scott Perrie and Jeremy Breaks have a good live energy and play off each other really well, getting everyone moving to songs like "Coming Alive" and "Bottom of the Sea".
After what I thought was going to be an introduction into a Matthew Good Band song for their cover, they ended up going with Arcade Fire's "Rebellion (Lies)", giving a more up-tempo version, and getting the crowd to yell along with the "LIES!" 
Their final song they brought out Brandi from beekeeper to help out on backup vocals, enlisting the crowd as well, and scores of balloons being tossed throughout the crowd to wrap up their set. 

While I enjoy watching Redgy Blackout live -- they are tight, have great harmonies and write catchy songs -- I think they are just missing something, some ineffable quality to really push them over the edge.

Jordan Klassen: One of the more well known acts -- with a little bit of Peak airplay before the competition started -- Klassen ended off the first showcase. The first thing you notice about Jordan is his incredible energy on stage. He oozes enthusiasm, jumping and leaping around the stage; rarely will you see a more enthusiastic tambourine player. That energy definitely rubs off on his five bandmates, and even into the crowd. 
Klassen's rich, folk-pop sound gives way to grand songs that start slow and build to a soaring finish. Like the alternating slow burn and explosiveness of "Piano Brother", the lush "The Horses Are Stuck" and "Go To Me", which had a couple members mingle in the crowd with tambourines, creating a surround-sound feel for the song.
His cover was the 90s pop hit "Love Song" by Sky, which was not at all ironic, but endearing and appropriately cheesy. It was probably my second favourite cover of the night, as it was both a unique and interesting take on the song. The set, and the night, was brought to an end with "Call & Answer", which is probably my favourite song of his; another one that starts soft and grows to an energetic and huge ending.

I would not at all be surprised if Klassen makes the top three of the contest; he has almost everything they're looking for, and would definitely be deserving. 


And with that, the first showcase was done. Join me next week at the Red Room where we'll have the chance to see The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer, The Fugitives, The River & The Road and The Headwater. It's bound to be a good one. 
And hopefully the sound in the Red Room is better next week.