Ruby Coast/Winter Gloves
Date: February 7, 2009 The Way to Celebrate The usual winter concert lull was quite pronounced this year. The weekend that I saw Ruby Coast, Winter Gloves, and The Weathermaker's play at Mavericks coincided with the restoration of bus service after a 52-day strike; and I hadn't seen another concert in that span. While this show was not the most memorable, it was certainly good to take in some live music again. Local quartet The Weathermakers got the night started on a decent note. Vocal duties were shared by the rhythm section of bassist Natasha Beaudin and drummer Matt Deline. Both sounded fine, although the lyrics were not always distinguishable in the mix. The songs seemed very geographically themed, with Beaudin seeming to introduce half the numbers as being about Ottawa, with one of the exceptions being a song called "Chicago." Overall, the band set a good mood, as the bar filled in significantly from its sparse starting crowd. Next up was the band that was recommended to me, and the reason that I was in attendance, Winter Gloves. The recently-formed Montreal act has been a touring monster, touching down in Ottawa no fewer than half a dozen times in the past year. This hard work has clearly paid off, as the band has already built a dedicated following in the city; and their cohesive playing will no doubt continue to win converts. The short, punchy songs showcased tight rhythms, prominent synths, and the clear vocals of frontman Charles F. I would have expected the band's polished sound to promote dancing, rather than the weird scuffle that broke out in the crowd mid-set; but despite that distraction, Winter Gloves made a strong impression. Although Aurora's Ruby Coast brought a raw and rough sound more suitable for fighting, the crowd stayed well-behaved, but active, for their short yet effective set. The young band shared Winter Gloves' penchant for serving catchy songs and keeping them brief enough to not wear out their welcome, although the headliners stayed much more in a rock and roll realm. As with the other acts, I entered the night mostly unfamiliar with Ruby Coast; but I enjoyed what I heard. My first concert of 2009 is unlikely to stand as one of the year's best but it was nonetheless a successful break from a musical drought. All of the bands played well, the crowd was spirited, and it was simply a fun night, overall. <--Prev (Neil Young) | Next (Buck 65)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |