Babe Corner @ The Pearl -- February 01, 2024

You know when you like a band, yet somehow just keep missing their shows? I can finally cross Babe Corner off that list. While I have seen them in a ‘free outdoor show’ setting, I somehow haven’t seen them in a proper venue (just missing tickets for their sold out album release show last year) until their headlining show last night at The Pearl.

I got there a bit late, missed the first act of the night, doohickey cubicle, arriving partway through Layten Kramer, as he and his band were rocking out with “Unravelled” off his latest EP, Eye to Eye.
From there they kept up the energy with “Strange Displacement” before capping off with “Slow The Time / Bend The Light”, a 7+ minute tune that ebbed and flowed, growing to a clattering guitar solo, before calming back down for band member Dougal Bain to pull out his violin.

Soon after, the members of Babe Corner took the stage; Lindsay Sjoberg on guitar & vocals, Haley Blais on bass, Lilli Carr on guitar, keyboardist Alli Deleo, and drummer Jessica Jones.
With their nostalgic dream pop (or “babe core”) sound, they hit most of their new album Crybaby, from the chill “Bianca” to the grittier “Summer Slaughter”. Lindsay’s soft vocals drifted through the room, often joined by harmonies from the rest of the band, a prime example being “Caught on the Double”.

Lindsay also joked with the crowd, and her bandmates, between songs, telling stories or trying to get everyone in the room to march to the rollicking “Bone Dry Dunes” — my favourite off the new album, and a highlight of the set, as well as the absolute earworm “Cigarette”, another song rich with harmonies.

After the melancholic title track, “Crybaby”, they ending the set with Chris Vanderkooy joining on guitar for the breeze & charming “They Don’t Love You (Like I Do)”. But of course, they were back for one more song, their recent collaboration with doohickey cubicle, the synthy and dancey “Corner Babe” to cap off the night.

Crybaby was definitely one of my favourite local albums from last year, so I was very happy to (finally) see them at a proper venue last night.

Kylie V @ The Pearl -- January 19, 2024

Fun story about Kylie V: about 6 years ago I went to a friend’s wedding, where she introduced me to her nibling who was just starting in music. We had a brief chat about local bands, and later in the night they went on to sing with the wedding band. Soon after, Kylie V broke into the Vancouver scene, and I’ve managed to catch them at a couple outdoor shows and as an opening act, but this was the first time I had seen them headlining. And not only that, it was also the first time making it to The Pearl, since the club had been rebranded from Venue!

Sadly I missed most of the opening bands, la lune and Dawson Gool (a little awkward when Kylie at one point joked they didn’t trust anyone that missed them), arriving just as the latter was wrapping up their final song.

Thanks to it being an early show, there was a very quick turnaround before Kylie V hit the stage, first accompanied by Nolan Fae for a brand new song, and then the rest of their band as they went into “On My Mind” from their first full length, Big Blue.

From there the set was a mix of older -- their soft voice floating through the room on title track, “Big Blue”, and the soaring, emotional “Runaway” -- as well as teasing some new material like “Crash Test Plane” and “Year of the Rabbit”, mentioning they were working on a new album.

Between songs, Kylie chatted, joked, and told the back stories of songs; from the funny (“Natural” inspired by a little too much Benadryl) to the more serious (the gorgeous song “Catherine” being written for one of their best friends).

After a cover of one of their favourites, “Is There Something in the Movies?” by Samia, and without bothering with the encore fakeout, Kylie wrapped u the set with another new song, “Lucky Streak”, which started chill before cranking up the enrgy, and was one of my faves of the set.

Even putting aside meeting them those years ago, Kylie V has genuinely become one of my favourite newer acts in Vancouver, and I am very excited to hear what they have cooking in the new year.

setlist
[New song]
On My Mind
Big Blue
Runaway
Crash Test Plane
Natural
Catherine
Anomaly
Year of the Rabbit
Is There Something in the Movies? [Samia cover]
Lucky Streak