Review and Photos by Melanie Macpherson
The Capitol Music Club's 9th Anniversary Celebration kicked off with a weekend full of exceptional performances, highlighting both local and national talent. The three day celebration starter was packed with energetic performances and an air of excitement.
Thursday night The Capitol invited everyone out for a cover-free Customer Appreciation Night that boasted a variety of local musicians on stage, a Ukrainian style buffet, and a pile of prizes.
Friday night belonged to the banjos, as Saskatoon's Dirty & The Perks and Shred Kelly each brought their own unique blend of high energy, folk inspired rock to the stage. Dirty & The Perks’ performance had the crowd on their feet, dancing and singing along to every song. At one point 2 trays full of tequila shots and limes were delivered to the stage and the band toasted The Capitol, a venue that has had an integral part in their career.
Shred Kelly played a monster set of 15 songs including all their own hits as well as their recently recorded cover of Smashing Pumpkin’s “Disarm” and a sing along to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Their infectious energy and joyful exuberance were contagious and the crowd responded with abandon; dancing and singing and generally having a blast. If you didn’t catch my interview last month with Sage McBride of Shred Kelly, check it out here. It’ll be a poor consolation prize for having missed this killer show, but you might get an idea of just how much fun this was.
Saturday's overflowing lineup began with a Drag Show featuring Ivana Beer and Roxie Rollerr. The show was a fantastic start to the night, as the duo lit up the entire room with their raunchy yet lighthearted performances. I thoroughly appreciated their talent, creativity and captivating charisma.
Hollow Oax took the stage next, bringing a thoroughly enjoyable mix of hard rock, punk and metal. Somehow it’s light and heavy at the same time, and because that doesn’t make sense to me either, I’ll definitely be looking for a chance to see these guys again so I can figure out what’s going on there.
Imagine if Freddie Mercury played drums in a Rockabilly band, and you might have the beginning of an idea of what Dylan Jules Cooper brought to the stage. A fascinating blend of old and new, that has got to be heard live for full effect, Cooper was not a disappointment.
With a perpetual motion stage show that put all my photography skills to the test, GreenWing brought the house down with their frenzied energy and 90’s inspired pop rock sounds. After, apparently, hearing more than enough comparisons to Weezer, GreenWing fought back by playing a phenomenal cover of “Say It Ain’t So” that had me singing along so thoroughly I forgot I was supposed to be taking pictures.
The diverse lineup, rowdy energy, and intimate atmosphere made for an unforgettable weekend. If you missed this one, it's not too late; there is still a whole month of shows with something for absolutely everyone. If this first weekend was any indication, you are going to want to get in on as much of this party as you can. Check out The Capitol Music Club on Facebook or Instagram for a full schedule.