CMW Critical Conclusions for…The Zolas (Canadian Music Week 2013 concert review)
Canadian Music Week is hitting its stride. Day 1 was highlighted by Illitry and Inlet Sound, Day 2 was Diana and CHVRCHES, who blew our minds, and first up on Day 3 were Vancouver’s indie poppers, The Zolas (who we previously interviewed – I recommend that you check it out).
The Zolas @ Rivoli (Copyright: PeteHatesMartin / Martin Bazyl Photography)
Venue: Rivoli
First Impressions: For a band that lost their drums and synth temporarily due to airline incompetence (see tweet below), they seemed in good spirits. Lead singer Zachary Gray oozed sexiness (I’m saying this as a totally heterosexual man), staring into the crowd and swaying from side to side.
VICTORYWhere has our synth been?: Austin->Atlanta->Washington DC->New York->back to Atlanta->Jacksonville->YYZ. twitter.com/thezolas/statu…
— The Zolas (@thezolas) March 21, 2013
Stage Presence: 9 / 10 – Zach moved his arms and was in constant motion throughout the night, always staring into the crowd – he subtly owned the stage.
Crowd Reaction: 8.5 / 10 – big jeers after songs. Lots of buzz in the crowd from the gig.
Banter: 9 /10 – Zach noted that it was hell for them to get here, and he launched into the above tweet about the path of their drums. Hopefully their drum kit has an Air Miles card.
Zach also hilariously noted that “I’ve seen no bands, as I’ve slept for two days. I’ve been drinking olive oil and it feels great. No one can use this mic now. Sorry, secret guest.” (If Twitter tells me the truth, Treble Charger were the secret guest)
The Zolas @ Rivoli (Copyright: PeteHatesMartin / Martin Bazyl Photography)
Number of times they said their band name: Twice (one time for each member, although they had 2 bonus touring members with them)
Number of girls in the crowd who wanted to sleep with Zach: How many girls were in the crowd? That’s pretty much your answer
Number of readers who think that I want to sleep with Zach: Probably more than I feel comfortable with. He’s a good singer and front man, end of story.
Water/alcohol/neither: Tom was drinking beer and why not after the gear nightmare? The bassist mixed water and beer (not in the same cup) which is always good advice for hangover avoidance (which I need more of this week).
The Zolas @ Rivoli (Copyright: PeteHatesMartin / Martin Bazyl Photography)
The Last Word: 8.5 /10 – I’ve always liked the track Knot In My Heart, but when played live, the chorus just ‘popped’ for me. Everyone previously loved the chorus and I was a casual fan, and it’s like I finally ‘got it’ when I heard it live. The band ran through other newer tracks like Anicent Mars, Strange Girl, and closer Escape Artist. I would’ve liked to hear a few more upbeat tracks, such as one of the PeteHatesMusic Top Tracks from 2012, Observatory, but that’s just me being a picky asshole. Overall, a solid set which definitely won them some fans.
Check out more photos of the band on our Facebook page. More great CMW coverage can be found if you a) “follow PeteHatesMusic on Twitter” and b) “Like PeteHatesMusic on Facebook“, trust me!
