Concerts July 4-11

Thursday, July 5
Forest City Lovers, Himalayan Bear, Beasts and Superbeasts
Logan's Pub
10:30, doors 9pm

Scanning Livevictoria.com, this is the only concert in the upcoming week that I'm excited enough about to attend. If you're like me and you missed Ohbijou on Monday, the Forest City Lovers give you another chance to see/ hear some head-nodding, toe-tapping, vaguely folky, female-fronted music. Kat Burns and her band are from Toronto (or Southern Ontario, at least). Here is their myspace in case you want to listen to them. Himalayan Bear is, of course, Ryan Beattie of Chet. Assuming you live in Victoria, you've probably already seen at least one of Beattie's projects, so you know what they're all about. If you're looking for indiepop a la Gumdrops and Lollipops' preferred content, they are not your speed, but they can be nice. Himalayan Bear is particularly good in summertime because their music makes me feel like I'm sucking back numerous fruity drinks in a timeless lounge in Hawaii.

oK, so Forest City Lovers and Himalayan Bear should be enough to get you out to Logan's for this show, but I have to admit that Beasts and Superbeasts are the real reason why I'm going. A while back I approached Michael to open for a couple bands from Olympia who I was trying to bring to town (the show never happened), and although he couldn't play the show, he was really friendly and we had a good chat.

"So, I'm curious, and I have to ask, how did you hear about us?"
"Well," I'm stalling, embarassed. "I haven't actually ever seen you play."
Michael laughs.
"But some friends recommended that I approach you, and I do sort of know who you are--from the Smallhorse days?"
Michael really laughs.

Smallhorse was a fairly well-known local band who I must have seen at least four or five times. They played a lot of shows during the brief time they existed, around three years ago. As their Livevictoria profile reads, "It only takes one shot from a raygun to kill a smallhorse." A couple members of Smallhorse (including Michael of Beasts and Superbeasts) began playing in the Raygun, and Smallhorse broke up. I never saw the Raygun live, although Casey, formerly my cohost on My First Balloon, regularly played them on our radio show. The Raygun themselves broke up almost two years ago when Xavier left town (I think that's what happened... although it was probably more complicated than that). Anyhow, Beasts and Superbeasts resulted. It seems to me that Michael played alone for awhile, but he now also has a band which comprises the former members of the Raygun, sans Xavier. The Raygun had a minor local hit for a time called "Rock'n'roll is the only way out" or something like that. I think you know how it sounded from the title. It was arty, dancey sort of stuff, very cool. Beasts and Superbeasts is not as cool. They are quieter, unassuming, honest, and, so Emily and Steph tell me, very good.

Go!

(Or see them play with Balacade and Azeda Booth, again at Logan's, on July 25th...)