Playing Monday evening at Zaphod Beeblebrox in Ottawa, a night normally reserved for showcases, Evangelicals tried their luck on the least fun night of the week in one of the least fun cities in Canada. Promoted as a joint jaunt, the original pairing of the excellent Norman Oklahoma four-piece with the almost-as-excellent Parenthetical Girls was downsized when the latter band were stuck in Oregon with engine troubles.
The handful of people in the audience (mostly guys in their mid-20s) was treated to a set courtesy of Ottawa LGBT hero Glenn Nuotio. Seated behind his ebony and ivory, Nuotio ebbed his way through a set of gentle and bombastic songs drawing comparisons to Deserters Songs-era Mercury Rev. Calming pacing through his songs, Nuotio gives every word and note a cinematic sheen, virtually drawing a shield between audience and performer.
A Parenthetical Girls deficiency coupled with the lack of bodies in the crowd resulted in grounds for Evangelicals to hit the stage around 9:45 pm. Looking poised and focused, the four-piece kicked the set off with a pair of tracks from their new LP, The Evening Descends. Nominally celebrated for their live energy and enthusiasm, Evangelicals put on a good face and trudged through their set. Guitarist and vocalist Josh Jones employed between embracing and attacking his guitar while demonstrating how tight and wide-ranging his songwriting skills actually are.
Regardless of their druggy image, dank attire and their skull and crossbones motifs, Evangelicals come off more Supremes than Spiritualized in a live setting, thanks to Austin Stephens Benny Benjamin powerhouse drumming, and Kyle Davis cannonball bass lines. After only 45 minutes, Evangelicals wrapped it all up into a disordered ball, culminating with a polite encore and the realization that the old adage still stands in the 21st century. No matter the situation, the show must go on.
The handful of people in the audience (mostly guys in their mid-20s) was treated to a set courtesy of Ottawa LGBT hero Glenn Nuotio. Seated behind his ebony and ivory, Nuotio ebbed his way through a set of gentle and bombastic songs drawing comparisons to Deserters Songs-era Mercury Rev. Calming pacing through his songs, Nuotio gives every word and note a cinematic sheen, virtually drawing a shield between audience and performer.
A Parenthetical Girls deficiency coupled with the lack of bodies in the crowd resulted in grounds for Evangelicals to hit the stage around 9:45 pm. Looking poised and focused, the four-piece kicked the set off with a pair of tracks from their new LP, The Evening Descends. Nominally celebrated for their live energy and enthusiasm, Evangelicals put on a good face and trudged through their set. Guitarist and vocalist Josh Jones employed between embracing and attacking his guitar while demonstrating how tight and wide-ranging his songwriting skills actually are.
Regardless of their druggy image, dank attire and their skull and crossbones motifs, Evangelicals come off more Supremes than Spiritualized in a live setting, thanks to Austin Stephens Benny Benjamin powerhouse drumming, and Kyle Davis cannonball bass lines. After only 45 minutes, Evangelicals wrapped it all up into a disordered ball, culminating with a polite encore and the realization that the old adage still stands in the 21st century. No matter the situation, the show must go on.