CMW Day 2 Andy Stedman, Captains @ Cadillac Lounge
Day two of Canadian Music Week brought me to the Cadillac Lounge. The inviting atmosphere and tempting heated outdoor patio almost clouded my attention for a moment but nothing could cause me to yield from hearing the lineups for the evening. Andy Stedman, Agpak Mum, Captains and My Jerusalem rounded out the list.
The British singer/songwriter Andy Stedman began the evening with a soft set list. The clear vocals and deep lyrics caused the crowd to take notice. One of the highlights of his set was the song ‘The Butterflies’ which managed to tug at my heartstrings but even with songs like ‘Middle Of The Sea’ he was never limited to the theme of sadness to make a good song. Even with a busy schedule Andy still managed to include some of his light humour between songs which warmed up the crowd and left me with a great first impression.
Andy Stedman – Middle Of The Sea
Agpak Mum followed with their flavor of ominous introductory music. Relying heavily on their tempo and melody most of their songs would start off strong and tend to waiver off as they progressed. Very bass heavy melodies combined with synths and even (what looked like to me) bongo drums. It was difficult to enjoy because the moment the vocals began it felt like they were competing against each other.
Agpak Mum – Shot With Your Shirt Off
From Sydney Australia, Captains were my pleasant surprise of the evening. Admittedly, I found it hard to follow with the chorus of the first two songs. I was listening with an ear waiting for generic and was thrown off when I didn’t get it. The contrasting duet vocals of Matt Cambell and Arezo gave songs like ‘Take a Photo of Me’ real character. Well met with good tempo changes their lineup was strong.
Providing my evening with closure was My Jerusalem. Audibly the first thing that caught my attention was the violin. Bands like Tantric could attest to the difficulty in finding the niche to give the instrument attention without it dominating the music. My Jerusalem took the challenge by alternating the way in which it was used. From tempo to melody, from background to foreground it was used between songs to change the flavor of their music.
I’ve visited the Cadillac Lounge a few times prior to this evening but never mainly for the music. The crowd was more muted then the regulars normally are. This allowed the artists to be the showcases. Tomorrow I’ll be returning to the Cadillac Lounge once more for Canadian Music Week day three. The venue will be hosting artists; Chiwawa, Casual Projects, Two Foot Talls and Redeye Empire.
Hey thank you loads for this review, I stumbled across it and was really pleased. I enjoyed playing Canadian Music Week and have another week here doing a few gigs in Toronto area, which I am looking forward to.
Anyway, thanks again and stay in touch.
Andy Stedman