Peak Performance Project Year Seven Finale @ Commodore -- 11/19/15

It's over.

Thursday night marked the end of a seven year journey that put millions of dollars into supporting locals bands and talent. I am talking, of course, about The Peak Performance Project. As usual, everything wrapped up with this year's top three playing the grand finale at the Commodore, and the reveal of the winner. First place would take home $102,700, $75,000 went to second place, and $50,000 for third. The winner had been long decided, known only to a select few, and the night was just a celebration for the top three, to play at the legendary Commodore Ballroom. 

Starting off the night was Kamloops' Van Damsel who were, from the beginning, my prediction to take it (though I'm more often than not wrong when it comes to predictions). I have seen them a few times recently, and I think they were on top of their game Thursday night. The band was obviously happy to be playing the Commodore, in front of friends and family that had flown in just for the show. And that joy bled through into their bouncy and upbeat upbeat indie-pop. Especially lead singer Sebastien Ste Marie who hardly stood still, getting everyone to clap along several times, and even leaning into the crowd, arm outstretched, with the apropos lyrics "I just wanna reach you" during "Sophia". 
Other highlights included the swirling intro to "Something Gold", and their big single "Best of Everything", which saw them invite out Conan Karpinski  from follow Top 12 band Little India, and had the dancefloor singing along. 
I thought that would have been the perfect ending, but they had one last song, an instrumental intro spotlighting bass player Matt “Renny” Rennehan building to a bit more of a mellow song. 

Second up on the night was Bed of Stars, Evan Konrad and his band taking the stage to moody lighting and smoke, starting with the soaring single "Nothing Left to Lose". From there, they filled the room with alt-pop songs that matched the mood of the lightshow. 
I had missed their showcase set and it was hyped to me as one of the best, which may be part of the reason I was surprised that the set this night seemed flat. Which isn't to say it was bad; from a technical standpoint it was a good, Evan and his band were on point, and his vocals strong. But there was just something about it felt like it just didn't connect.
There were a couple songs I really liked, though, one that came midway through that I didn't catch the name of, but was a lot heavier and more rocking than the rest of the set, and near the end when he brought some of Smash Boom Pow on stage to help with a very unexpected cover, "Larger Than Life" by Backstreet Boys. It seemed like at that point in the set just getting into it, but it came just a bit too late, as there were only two songs left, ending with a with some bone-rattling bass. 

And finally, I couldn't think of anyone better to end off the night than the man that feels like the unofficial poster boy of the Peak Performance Project, JP Maurice. It was his third time through the program (not counting the couple times he was a hired gun for other bands) but clearly his most successful. 
With a band comprised of some familiar faces (members of Fields of Green, Willhorse, and Bend Sinister) he started with a bit of a slow and moody overture of "The Other One" before ramping up the energy. The set was full of JP's emotion-filled, heart-on-his-sleeve songs like "Get Some" and the unabashed "The Other One". One of my favourites, "Mistake" even saw large balloons bounce around the crowd until they popped, showering everyone below with confetti. 
Midway through his set he started an almost nonstop parade of special guests, first packing the stage with even more members of Willhorse and Bend Sinister, as well as some of The Boom Booms, Benjamin James Caldwell, and Savvie, for a song about touring the vast country of Canada. Some of which stayed onstage for the rest of the night, as he then brought out a horn section for a straight up throwback pop song, Evan Konrad for his bootcamp collaboration, and Roderick Campbell of Mindil Beach for the huge finale to the set, "Big Change" ... at a certain point it was almost easier to list who wasn't on stage. 

And then, of course, came the big announcement. Third place going to Van Damsel, and second to JP Maurice, which meant Bed of Stars took the grand prize of $102,700 in money for artist development. 

And of course, none of this would not have happened without all the hard working people at The Peak and MusicBC. They did an amazing job in their seven year run, and while -- if I'm being honest -- I disagreed with the some of their choices more often than not (for bands in the Top 20/12/3), I can't deny that the last seven late summer/early autumns have been a great time. A great time for musicians. A great time for music fans. A great time for the local music scene in general. I have discovered so many amazing bands and musicians through the project, even made some friends along the way, and I will be more than a little sad when this time next year rolls around, and it feels a little empty. 

Peak Performance Project Showcase #4 @ Fortune Sound Club -- 10/15/15

This is it. The final year of the Peak Performance Project. Now in its seventh year, 102.7 The Peak and Music BC have picked one last top 12. Are giving away three last giant novelty cheques. Are throwing five last parties. 

The parties are the showcase series (plus finale) which have been running all month, and are just a part of the artists' overall experience. First, they went to a "rock & roll boot camp" where the musicians went on a week long retreat to get lectures and advice from industry pros, to help them refine their craft, and team up with a band from the PPP Alberta Top 12 for a collaboration song. Phase two is a series of shows at Fortune Sound Club; three artists a night for four weeks, showing off what they learned to not only an audience, but a panel of judges. They've also been assigned to learn a "Classic Canadian Cover" to play during their set. I always love hearing bands play cover songs, and it's always interesting to see who each act chooses, if it's someone obvious to their style, or something way outside the box.

And while I know MusicBC doesn't purposefully "stack" the lineups for these showcases, there's no way that it was just a coincidence that the last ever Peak Performance Project Showcase featured these three. 

Starting the night was Cory Myraas from the Okanagan, better known under his musical alias Windmills. Cory was alone on stage with a guitar, armed with a drum pad and looping pedal as backup, in front of a projection screen, sometimes showing beautiful scenery, sometimes showing abstract geometric animations. His ambient-pop (or "swoon-pop" as he jokingly dubbed it) driven by haunting guitars and his smooth voice, as he harmonizing with himself on songs like "Face To A Name". 
I've seen Windmills a few times live, and while I have enjoyed his performances, one thing that always struck me was his set usually seemed to drag a little towards the end; but that was definitely not the case here, as he built to a strong ending. "Shame" had Cory lamenting "you're a mistake worth repeating" as it built in intensity, followed by a bit of a dancier song which saw him grab a megaphone and go into the crowd (and also completely bail getting back onstage, but he recovered nicely, even poking fun at himself after, with his charmingly corny stage banter). 
He closed out the set with his Classic Canadian Cover, a strong rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". Which was a good cover, to be sure, but I am just not sure the world needs any more versions of that song, especially since it has been perfected at least three times. 
(It was, surprisingly enough, the first time "Hallelujah" had been covered in the entire run of the PPP)

Staying in the Okanagan, next up was Van Damsel, bursting on stage with a great energy & stage presence, and some fun indie-pop. They got the crowd clapping and dancing, as frontman Sebastien Ste Marie hardly stood still all night. He bound around the stage, even coming right up to the edge a few times, once reaching into the crowd during one song with the apropos lyrics "I just wanna reach you". 
After teasing a cover early on by slipping in a little bit of Arkells' "Leather Jacket", their actual cover ended up being my favourite I have seen this year, a pretty badass version of "Romantic Rights" by Death From Above 1979. And that would have been good enough, but they even segued into Cory Hart's "Sunglasses at Night" in the middle, with Sebastien donning a leather jacket and shades.
And after a few more songs, they wrapped up with a catchy song called "Circular Symphony", and their big single "Best of Everything", which had people singing along. 
From the buzz early on, they've been a favourite to at least place in the top three, if not win the whole thing, and would definitely not be surprised to see it happen. 

Finally, to close out the show, the series, and the project, was a man who has been involved in it perhaps more than anyone else (not employed by Music BC) JP Maurice. It was not only his third year as an entrant, but he had also played with a couple other bands in the project.
He started off the set from the back of the room, weaving through the crowd (which was a sea of his own face plastered on glossy printouts, something he says he had nothing to do with) with a moody redux of "The Other One", before launching into his upbeat & catchy pop-rock. 
His cover took us back to the 80s with "Innocence" originally by Harlequin, and he also pulled out his winning Bootcamp collaboration song, originally with Alberta band The Wisers, but this time with Bed Of Stars' Evan Conrad filling in. 
After a older song, and still one of my favourites of his, "Mistake", and the full version of the heartfelt "The Other One", the set came to a finish with a (literal) bang; his current single, the huge, pop-rock anthem "Big Change". He brought out a small horn section, one of his pals from Mindil Beach for a rap verse, and a burst of confetti to close out the night. 

As predicted by the lineup, it was strong showcase, and a heck of a way to end close this chapter. I am predicting we'll see JP and/or Van Damsel in the top three and wouldn't be surprised if Windmills is in there too.

The next step is the voting, which is open now, where you can go vote for your favourite (because everyone loves voting, right?!) and the wait until the top three are announced on October 29th. From there, it's on to the finale at the Commodore Ballroom on November 19th. 

Peak Performance Project Showcase #3 @ Fortune Sound Club -- 10/08/15

This is it. The final year of the Peak Performance Project. Now in its seventh year, 102.7 The Peak and Music BC have picked one last top 12. Are giving away three last giant novelty cheques. Are throwing five last parties. 

The parties are the showcase series (plus finale) which have been running all month, and are just a part of the artists' overall experience. First, they went to a "rock & roll boot camp" where the musicians went on a week long retreat to get lectures and advice from industry pros, to help them refine their craft, and team up with a band from the PPP Alberta Top 12 for a collaboration song. Phase two is a series of shows at Fortune Sound Club; three artists a night for four weeks, showing off what they learned to not only an audience, but a panel of judges. They've also been assigned to learn a "Classic Canadian Cover" to play during their set. I always love hearing bands play cover songs, and it's always interesting to see who each act chooses, if it's someone obvious to their style, or something way outside the box.

I have only caught a little bit of the first two nights, but this was one I was certainly not going to miss. 

Mike Edel was up first, no stranger to the Peak Performance Project. In 2012, he placed fifth, and is now back for another shot. I came in a little late, as Mike was already a couple songs in, with a stage of some familiar faces such as Shaun Huberts on bass and Alexandria Maillot providing backup vocals (in theory anyway... more on that in a second). With his rootsy, folky vibe and smooth voice, Edel played a collection of heartfelt and finely crafted songs. 
His cover stretched the definition of "classic" a little bit as he chose "Caught me Thinking" by Bahamas. A great song, to be sure, but perhaps a little soon to call it a "classic"? He did a pretty straightforward cover, with Alexandria providing the backup vocals... except I couldn't hear her at all from where I was standing. Her mic was either too low, or just not on. Which was disappointing. 
After a couple more songs, Edel took the band deep into the crowd for an unamplified acoustic song, which would have been really cool any other night, but I don't think it quite worked for a crowd like the PPP showcases. I'm sure it was great for the people in the immediate vicinity, but from where I was standing the din of chatter was as loud as, if not drowning out, his singing, despite people's vehement shushing. 
That kind of hurt the momentum of the set for me, but he finished off with a couple more songs that picked things up again. Aside from that, it was a pretty enjoyable set. 

If you follow this blog at all, you probably know I had a favourite going into this thing, and that favourite was Chersea. And as excited as I was to see her performing her showcase, I was equally intrigued, since it would be my first time seeing her with a backing band. Chersea usually does everything herself, with mountains of instruments and looping pedals, building layer upon layer for each song. And while she still did some of that -- playing keys, synth, and even the trumpet for a song -- she was joined by Adam Michael Dean on bass, and a pair of drummers, Chartwell Kerr and Timmy "Boom Bap" Proznick. 
After playing her introduction video, moody blue lights covered the stage as music to match and the disembodied voice of Chersea filled the room. She was quickly spotted coming up through the crowd from the back of the venue, starting the set off with the dark and vaguely creepy "The Wolf", her current Peak single. 
Chersea was very energetic and upbeat throughout the set; I am used to seeing her more or less tethered behind her equipment, and while she was always bubbling with energy there, the band setup allowed her way more space to move around the stage, which she used to her advantage. After a soaring and catchy pop song that I assume was called "Heartbreaker", she pulled out her Classic Canadian Cover, Chilliwack, a fun rendition of their song "My Girl" that included a keytar solo.
She also got the audience involved a few times, recording everyone clapping along and working that into the loop for "Comfort You", a danceable song that let her powerful voice shine. She also released large balloons into the crowd, to bound from person to person until they popped, showering those below with glitter. 
I tried to step outside of my bias while watching it, and still captivated by the set. Chersea is a great performer, and I really hope she makes the top three (but will no doubt have a bright future regardless). 

Finishing off the night was Little India. I had actually seen them just a couple weeks ago opening for 2013 PPP winner Rykka, and thought the indie-pop four-piece had a pretty similar set to that night. 
They started off with a few songs reminiscent of the early 00's indie-rock/post-punk sound (or even the bands that inspired that movement), but as the set went on, they seemed to get more and more into their own sound. 
Their Canadian cover was "Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne (which made me feel a little old, that these young kids grew up on the song), and was a decent rendition, making it their own. 
Much like last time, it was their last two songs of the set that really caught my attention. Both songs took interesting twists and turns, ending the set with an explosive finish. 
They are still a bunch of young guys, and are definitely full of talent and potential. I would be a little surprised if they place in the top three this year, but if they keep at it, soon enough they are going to be big*. As I said last time, I am definitely interested to see how they progress. 
*(Mind you, the last time I said that about a band in the Peak Performance Project it was Dear Rouge, so...)

All around, it was a strong showcase with all three acts bringing something different to the table. And next week is going to be the last Peak Performance Project showcase ever, with JP Maurice, Windmills, and Van Damsel. 

Peak Performance Project Year Seven Launch Party with Good For Grapes & The Wet Secrets @ Fortune -- 05/27/15

The seventh (and final???) year of the Peak Performance Project kicked off last night, in style, at Fortune Sound Club.
Starting with the announcement of the Top 12 (cut back from a Top 20 last year, to accommodate the newly launched Alberta version of the Project), the bands chosen will take part in a week-long bootcamp learning everything that can about the industry, play a series of showcase shows, and take part in other challenges, all to have a shot at the giant novelty cheque for $102,700 presented to them by Music BC and 102.7 The Peak.

This year kicked off with a "Victory Tour" of last year's winner Good for Grapes, and the first PPP Alberta winner The Wet Secrets, after the live announcement of the top 12. They started here in Vancouver and will tour across BC and Alberta, finishing off in Calgary for their Top 12 launch party.


It has been something like eight years since The Wet Secrets last played Vancouver (one of their members was only 14 at the time!) and thanks to that, I had never had the seen them play live. So I was very much looking forward to it, having heard nothing but great things.

When they six-piece band from Edmonton hit the stage, the first thing you notice -- okay, the second thing you notice, after their matching marching band uniforms -- is their unique instrument composition. No guitar, just lead singer Lyle Bell on bass, and a strong horn section with Kim Rackel & Emma Frazier on trumpet & trombone, respectively (as well as backing vocals, and some sweet choreographed backup dancing) and Christan Maslyk rocking the sax. Drummer Trevor Anderson and Paul Arnusch on keys (and congas) rounded out the band.

But of course the spectacle of their outfits wouldn't mean a thing if they didn't back it up with their music, and they certainly did with a fun and catchy alt-pop sound. They started off with "I Can Swing A Hammer", the first song from their upcoming album, before ramping up the energy for the raucous marching song "Secret March", one of my favourites, and a song that will be stuck in your head for days.

Other highlights included "If I Was a Camera", which asked the crowd to take off their clothes, as the band went first, doffing their marching band jackets during the song, and "Get Your Shit Together", a song to listen to "when experiencing technical difficulties with the people of Earth."

And as fun as The Wet Secrets' music sounds, it often hides some darker (and, more often than not clever) lyrics. Lyle introduced one song as the happiest song about murder/suicide, and another favourite "Sunshine" is a cheery song about wanting to escape a dreary city (Edmonton) and "die in the sunlight"

Lyle was also quick to give advice to any of the top 12 bands in the crowd, and tell tales about the fun times they had in the competition last year, especially at the bootcamp, before they finished off their set with a cover of The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry".

It was a really fun set that absolutely lived up to my expectations, and proved that they are definitely worthy of having been the first Peak Performance Project Alberta winner.


It was getting late on a school night and the crowd started to thin, but as soon as Good For Grapes took the stage, their loyal fanbase rushed up to dance along with their folky sounds. The seven members filled the stage with energy and their rich sound filled the room, a set with songs that burst to life with a hint of brass and strings, and spot-on harmonies.

Their biggest song, "Skipping Stone", had people singing and clapping along, and they also included a very interesting version of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" -- which was a little amusing, since one of the challenges in the Project is to learn a "Classic Canadian cover" and yet neither cover in the night was Canadian. They wrapped up the set with another grandiose song that included the obligatory floor tom breakdown, as the crowd chanted for an encore as they left.

To be completely honest, I haven't really been much of a fan of the band over the last couple years, but I can not deny they are very good at what they do. It's just a certain sound that I have grown a little weary of over the last couple years, and I feel that while the band has certainly improved since I first saw them, they haven't really evolved much. But they did mention they just finished a new album, so it'll be interesting to hear the new material.



As for the Top 12 itself, here is the list in order of announcement:

Little India – Langley
Chersea – Port Coquitlam
Smash Boom Pow – Vancouver
Jesse Roper – Victoria
Find the Others – Bowen Island
Mindil Beach – Vancouver
Bed of Stars – Abbotsford
Mike Edel – Victoria
Windmills – Vernon
JP Maurice – Victoria
Joy District – Comox Valley
Van Damsel – Kamloops

Regular readers will/should already know how much I like Chersea, so I was happy (but not at all surprised) when she made it in. She's also the sole female artist this year, but surprisingly not the only looper. Windmills, who I have seen before and like okay, also made it in. Perhaps they'll take after Hannah Epperson, who places second a couple years ago.

Three of the twelve bands are returning; Mike Edel, Van Damsel, and JP Maurice. Honestly, I am not sure that I like returning bands with a smaller pool, especially since JP and Mike also previously placed 4th and 5th (respectively) in 2012 AND it's JP's third time in the project (not even counting his backing up other bands). Van Damsel, at least, has changed their sound a bit since they were in it two years ago, and have been getting a push recently on The Peak; I think they are the early favourites to win.

Most of the other bands I either know in passing; Bed of Stars, or have only seen their names around town; Little India, Mindil Beach and Smash Boom Pow. The rest of them I am not familiar with at all, and look forward to hearing them.

And the first chance to see them all live will be at the Khatsahlano Street Party, on July 11th, where all 12 bands will play short sets throughout the day on the Peak Stage. See you there!