LANY and Transviolet | Vancouver

Let's just say life has been dragging me by the hairs on my head for the past couple weeks. September never fails to stomp on the pedal for me, and as the leaves begin to fall, my state of mind tends to take a dive. Swarmed with the need to keep up with readings, finish papers, and prepare for a critical presentation, the last week of the month was nothing short of busy, which is why it was the perfect time to head to a gig (ha!- note: heavy sarcasm).

I knew several months ago when tickets came out for The Kinda Tour that there were high chances that I'd be six feet under the piles of my to-do lists, but my stubbornness insisted. And now, after the show, I'm chuffed to say that despite the stress, I've got no regrets. The show was that good. 

In all honesty, I came to the show mainly for LANY. I have a pesky habit of forgetting to look-up the openers for most of the concerts I've ever been to, and this one was no different. Guiltily, I went in there blind, not knowing anything about the other act.

That being said, I did walk away from the show obsessed Transviolet, who were the openers for the show. Admittedly, I don't normally listen to their genre very much, but I guess it's a true testament to their music considering that they're all I can listen to now. Almost a full week after, and still, I'm hook, line and sinker, constantly feeling a strong urge to dance around (despite my lack of ability) all because of their solid tunes.

In terms of preferences, I have always gravitated towards the sound of male singers. There are only a select few female voices that I like, and Sarah McTaggart's fit right in to that bracket. Distinct sound with a broad range, and hauntingly beautiful, hers was a voice I've come to appreciate.

Evidently, the first time I heard it was live, but after listening to the studio-recordings, I'd say hearing her in real-life was practically the same, if not better. And don't even get me started on her stage presence. The way she moved was wholly captivating. She was part rockstar with her aptly-timed jumps from the kickdrum, and part mystical creature with her compelling dances. To sum her up into one word: electric. The rest of the band was nothing short of incredible either. Their energy was palpable and filled with an almost effortless kind of cool. The latter of which was so apparent when I met them after the show. 

MY TOP 3 TRANSVIOLET SONGS YOU OUGHT TO LISTEN TO: 

1 | Future

2 | New Bohemia

3 | Night Vision

Now for the headliner - I first came across LANY almost a year ago when I stumbled on a YouTube video that was soundtracked by their song, "Made In Hollywood." Shortly thereafter, the song was all I could play throughout the summer of 2015. It's hard to explain why I came to enjoy the song so much, other than that in an almost synonymous kind of way, I associated it with good vibes. It was a tune that simultaneously calmed me, made my heartbeat pick-up a little, and also somehow made me want to groove a little. Essentially, it's like the feeling you get on a sunset drive after a long day of adventure, but in the form of a less than 4 minute song.

The rest of their music carries a laid-back LA feel to them; even the more dance-y songs retain this vibe. This was only natural though, considering how much they rep their hometown. Truthfully, it was such a thrill to hear it all live. I'm always worried that bands won't live up to the recorded versions of their music when their live. Fortunately, my worries dissipated in an instant this time 'round.

LANY truly does sound stellar in a live setting. Although I love Paul's voice in digital format, I'd say that hearing him in person was an experience in and of itself. Studio versions are polished to perfection, but live versions retain much of the emotion and energy, which pretty much sent currents through me.

I tried to shoot video footage of at least a song or two so that I can relive the moments a little more vividly in the future. For a multitude of plausible reasons, my DSLR was picking up the sound horridly. Perhaps, I was standing too close to the speakers, but the recorded sound was filled with so much noise that whilst editing, I decided to just overlay the song itself at 70% to ease your ears. Though it blows that I had to do that, I'm glad that at least the audio was salvageable and the footage was pretty decent. 

WATCH WALK AWAY - LIVE IN VANCOUVER

It really was a pleasure to have gotten the chance to dance the night away while these guys playing killer tunes. Song after song was just one good time after another. I pretty much felt like we were all in a lengthy montage of a feel-good film with an ace soundtrack. Definitely not a bad feeling to experience amidst a very stressful and busy season.

 MY TOP 3 LANY SONGS YOU OUGHT TO LISTEN TO:

1 | ILYSB original / stripped

2 | Pink Skies

3 | 4EVER!

Truthfully, they have a ton of tunes that are real rad. I narrowed this down to three so as to not overwhelm you all, but if you like what you hear. Do check out the rest of their music!

After the show, I was lucky enough to have gotten to meet Paul. All I can say is well, wow. What a nice human. He approached the group of us waiting and walked down the line giving everyone a hug before starting back to the front of the line for pictures. Really, I'm lucky to have gotten this chance. Likely, the next time they come back, they'll be playing bigger shows. Who knows how difficult it will be to catch a glimpse of them afterwards. Genuinely, I predict that their following will just expand further as they grow and continue to release killer tune after killer tune.

Lastly, just a special shoutout to this babe of a human. Thanks for this night, Phil! Your outfit was fierce. Here's to 9 years of friendship, and another 9 x infinity more.

Stay rad,

Kimberly