Jack & Lois 301 James Street North
This Ain’t Hollywood 345 James Street North
I had been trying to meet up with the guys of Redanda for a while now and see them live. When they let me know they would be playing at This Ain’t Hollywood with friends The Great Machine, another band I’ve been wanting to see, it was the perfect time to set up a Redanda date.
We met up before the show, down the street at Jack & Lois, over beers, grilled cheeses, and burgers. Between the five of us, we sampled a good selection of the menu (I went with the “Mona Lisa” this time, which was very good, and fittingly came in a heart shape.)
It works out perfectly that all the band members’ names start with ‘C’ – Corey, Connor, Chris, Curtis – so I noted that I fit in, at least in terms of consonance, with mine starting with a ‘K.’ Close enough.
From there it was over to This Ain’t Hollywood to load in and sound check (an opportune time for me to say “I’m with the band!”) and hang out before the show. It was there that the universe dropped me a sign – the bands’ drink tickets were leftover tickets from I Heart Hamilton’s The Playlist 1.0. It hit me because I had just been thinking about getting the ball rolling on the next event, so I took this as a positive sign that I’m on the right track, and to keep things moving.
Redanda opened the show and I was happy to finally hear them live after listening to their 2 EPs, Carl and Christian. They’re currently working with Michael Keire at Threshold on the follow-up, and hinted that they have a title in mind. Mixing it up a bit, it likely won’t be another ‘C’!
I was trying to place Corey’s unique vocal style, and my friend Luisa pegged it when she compared it to Arctic Monkeys. I hear a little of that band and a little of The Strokes (we were chatting about the band’s new single which was just about to be released), with a big reggae influence in the mix. They’ve cultivated a sound that’s all their own.
Redanda introduced a new song, “Foosball,” their next single, to be released in the next month or so. I’m looking forward to hearing more from the band (and perhaps a foosball challenge for a future Redanda date!)
Next up, The Great Machine took the stage. Like with Redanda, I was excited to experience their live show after listening to their EP. The recorded tracks are high energy and loud, but seeing them live, they are even better. That energy is amplified and Greg, Jon, and Jonny go hard! The two Jon’s hold it down with a solid, hard-hitting rhythm section on drums and bass. Greg’s voice is unmistakable with his signature yelps that punctuate his raw garage rock vocals while hammering away on the guitar.
The three-piece are also currently working with Keire at Threshold and will undoubtedly produce some more solid tunes, having worked with him on their previous material.
Check out highlights from the show in the video below and catch the two bands together again on February 12th at Baltimore House.
– Kristin
