A Night of Music to be Thankful for: “A Very Indie Thanksgiving”

For one fall evening, this past Friday, October 5^th, to be exact, the Kelowna Community Theatre became the city's epicentre for indie music. From the moment the doors opened at 7pm until the last remaining concert goers filed out into the mild autumnal night around 11:30pm, nowhere else in the city was there such an assortment of talented indie-rock musicians. That's because the Theatre hosted an excellent show: “TGFM (Thank God For Music) - A Very Indie Thanksgiving.” The concert saw musical performances from Fields of Green, Van Damsel, JoyfulDoor and Windmills. It definitely left those in attendance thankful for live music!

Kyle Tubbs - Lead Singer, Fields of Green (Photo Courtesy of Valaura Vedan)

For those of you who may not know, Fields of Green are an alternative rock quartet. It's entirely accurate to consider them one of the best up and coming indie talents in B.C. In fact, their recent victory in the Fox Vancouver Seeds contest is testament to that very fact. Van Damsel are a Kamloops based, high-energy, four-piece alternative band with influences such as Radiohead, Bloc Party and Interpol. They make music to move by. JoyfulDoor are another quartet. Talented and ambitious they are making what they describe as “progressive, experimental rock.” They're cultivating a growing reputation in Kelowna, so keep an eye, or ear, out for them. Lastly, we come to Windmills. Windmills may be just one man, but it's a man who basically gets through the work of a quartet! Cory Myraas is Windmills and he uses looping to perform his own expressive version of experimental alternative rock. So that gives you an idea of the musical feast that occurred at the theatre, but what was the audience like?

Well, unfortunately, the turnout wasn't great. It really should have been, but it wasn't. Perhaps, many people were busy with other Thanksgiving weekend plans. I'm not sure, but I am certain that with the talent on display, the place deserved to be packed. Fortunately, the artists never let the less than deserved turnout bother them, and if anything, it probably just served to make the whole evening more intimate and special for those who did attend. From the intimacy of Windmills's one man, “I-have-the-ability-of-four-men” show, to Fields of Green front-man, Kyle Tubb's, brilliant acoustic performance of Lilac Wine, the evening was a definite musical success. JoyfulDoor put on a show worthy of their tag as “one of the foremost indie bands in Kelowna.” Lead singer, James Balehowsky was in fine voice, each note shortening the distance between observer and performer. It's easy to get what can only be described as 'musical tunnel vision' when Balehowsky hits his notes. It is possible to become transfixed. Van Damsel, visiting our city from their hometown of Kamloops, put on a show full of energy and verve. They even took the time to tell us why Kamloops is better than Kelowna! They will not be welcomed back! I joke, of course, as they put on a great show and they will be welcomed back anytime.

All in all, the “TGFM (Thank God For Music) - A Very Indie Thanksgiving” show was a success. The only negative being the relatively small turnout. A big thanks must go to KeyNote Productions for organizing the event, the Kelowna Community Theatre for hosting, the volunteers who staffed the theatre and the musicians for putting on an excellent show. Thank-you!

You can find the music of Fields of Green HERE.

Fields of Green (Photo Courtesy of Valaura Vedan)

Van Damsel HERE.

Van Damsel (Photo Courtesy of Valaura Vedan)

JoyfulDoor HERE.

JoyfulDoor (Photo Courtesy of Valaura Vedan)

and Windmills HERE.

Windmills (Photo Courtesy of Valaura Vedan)

I'd like to mention one more thing before I go, Fields of Green, Van Damsel and Bjorn Kriel will be performing in a fundraiser concert in order to raise funds to help save the lives of children in Guatemala. It's an exceptional cause and you can help by attending the show at Kelowna's Rotary Centre for the Arts on October 17^th. You can find the event on Facebook, including links to more info, by clicking HERE.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Want to talk to Vince? E-mail him at: vince@welcometokelowna.com