Vancouver singer-songwriter Adrian Teacher has put out a ton of material with a series of projects, including COOL TV and Adrian Teacher and the Subs, but none as beloved as Apollo Ghosts (at least according to some Vancouverites of a certain age). Reviving the old outfit with a new lineup, pared down to a trio for this tour, Teacher and company ran through as many of their short-but-sweet power-pop tunes as they could, with palpable glee.
As a songwriter and arranger, Teacher is as economical as it gets: his songs rarely stretch past two minutes, but they're packed with riffs, hooks and sing-along choruses. Even despite their short run times, it's easy enough to learn a chorus at the top of a song and holler along during its inevitable reprise, as on standouts "Lightweight," "Land of the Morning Calm," set closer "Angel Acres" and Adrian Teacher & the Subs cuts "Victory Square" and "Hello Everyone."
It all led to an entertaining set, buoyed by Teacher's affable (and characteristically brief) banter and the band's excited demeanour.
As a songwriter and arranger, Teacher is as economical as it gets: his songs rarely stretch past two minutes, but they're packed with riffs, hooks and sing-along choruses. Even despite their short run times, it's easy enough to learn a chorus at the top of a song and holler along during its inevitable reprise, as on standouts "Lightweight," "Land of the Morning Calm," set closer "Angel Acres" and Adrian Teacher & the Subs cuts "Victory Square" and "Hello Everyone."
It all led to an entertaining set, buoyed by Teacher's affable (and characteristically brief) banter and the band's excited demeanour.