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Vancouver's very own Calpurnia

 

>» Calpurnia concert at the Vogue

Sonam Kaloti
Arts Editor

 

Carma is an indie rock band formed
in Vancouver in 2017. The band consists
of vocalist and guitarist Finn Wolfhard
(who is well-known due to his role as Mike
Wheeler in the television show Stranger
Things), vocalist and guitarist Ayla Tesler-
Mabe, drummer Malcolm Craig, and
bassist Jack Anderson. Their debut EP
Scout was released on June 15, 2018.

Their first concert scheduled for
December 21 quickly sold out, so the band
added another show the next night at the
Vogue Theatre.

With only a year of experience under
their belt, I didn’t expect the band to
be very developed. My prediction was
accurate; there were many areas for the
band to develop. Smaller issues, such
as two guitar amps losing their cord
connection and vocal pitch errors in their
live performance, were both key faults
most bands make in their earlier years. Of
course, having room to grow is better than
perceived flawlessness.

Talso expected rock to be prevalent

in their live sound versus a mellow, breezy
take but I was impressed by their smooth
pace and key changes, easily gliding
between the genres in each song. The
quartet is extremely musically-inclined,
which threw me for a loop considering
their ages range from 16 to 17. Their
movements on stage matched their

tunes and the show came together as an

  

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Photo by Sonam Kaloti

experience of genuine indie rock. The
audience swayed and grooved, then the
next second the floor was pulsating with
jumps.

Wolfhard emitted amazing energy
as centre stage—jumping off sets,
headbanging while shredding his guitar,
and in quieter moments leaning into the
audience, capturing breaths during hushed

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moments. Tesler-Mabe was a sight for sore
eyes, dressed in flowy red sequined pants
and tall platform heels.

They kicked off the set with “Wasting
Time,” an upbeat tune boasting intense
guitar solos. During “Louie,” Anderson
clicked two sticks together for the beat,
being a minimalist groovy song. The band
also covered Weezer’s “Say It Ain't So.”
While many cannot do that song justice,
Calpurnia pulled it off with their sound
being similar enough, yet still presenting
their own take with Wolfhard’s belting
vocals. Seeing the setlist online, I was a bit
disappointed that they didn't play their
cover of “Butterfly” by Twin Peaks, however
they did cover “Wanted You.”

Lastly, they played “Waves,” a track
on Scout that sounds vastly different from
the rest of the EP. Tesler-Mabe’s soft, Mac
DeMarco-like voice carries throughout the
song. The guitars strum dreamily, and the
drums add the right amount of tang to the
otherwise delicate seven-minute song.

Although they're a relatively new
band, they've gained traction fast. They're
one to look out for as they gain the
experience that will back them up on their
journey into the spotlight.

Contact 2018: Two nights to remember

>» Contact Festival review

Sonam Kaloti
Arts Editor

 

estivals are some of my most treasured memories
for countless reasons, and Contact was one for the
books.

The annual two-day festival was held on
December 28 and 29, making it both the best post-
Christmas celebration as well as the best end of
2018 party. The art to be seen at raves and festivals
is abundant and often exclusive to these kinds of
events. People spend eons on makeup, body art, and
customized outfits—and the love given to each other
by other festival-goers for their hard work makes
putting in the effort more than worth it.

Dance circles are scattered among the crowd of
professionals and people just looking to have fun or
even learn from each other. Some people put on light
shows and spin with trailing fabrics like ballerinas
everywhere you look. The main stage at Contact was
the biggest stage I've ever seen so far, with the set
spanning an entire side of BC Place.

Despite being an avid rave- and concert-goer
since 2014, I'd never been to Contact before. The
experience was thrilling, especially because the
lineup was filled with artists I’ve loved since I was
a wee lad. Big names scattered both the main and
Fvded stages.

Troyboi, Galantis, and Valentino Khan were
just some of the performers for day one. However,
the headliner for the first day was the one and
only Skrillex (or grandfather of electronic music,
as | like to call him.) His visuals were nothing too
extraordinary and I was disappointed in a couple of
his drops. The main point of his performance that
confused me was when he conducted the audience to

do jumping jacks, since this seemed to be a surefire
way to induce heatstroke for most people there (1
begrudgingly did them, though, and I lived to tell the
tale).

Besides those points, Skrillex was easily one of
the best live electronic performances I’ve ever seen.
His mixing was skillful, but the best part of his set
was how he played songs that everyone wanted but
didn’t expect. I'd continuously heard beforehand that
he wouldnt play his old songs because he only played
his new remixes. The grapevine was fantastically
wrong as Skrillex performed “Bangarang,” “Cinema’,
and “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites,’ which had the
entire BC Place arena screaming, “Yes, oh my God!”

Day two had its own share of bigtime
artists, including but not limited to Space Jesus,
Borgore, Nghtmre, The Chainsmokers, and Alison
Wonderland.

Unexpectedly, The Chainsmokers had a fierce
EDM sound, which earned them a lot of cred
among the ravers who expected a set full of poppy
music much like their mainstream style. They did
a great job reminding the audience of their roots in
electronic, and in turn the crowd was blessed by the
hard drops and intensity of their flashing stage lights.

Overall, Alison Wonderland took the cake for
best set at Contact 2018. She played hits off her recent
album, Awake, such as “Church,” “Easy,” and “Good
Enough,” which thrust the audience into her soul-felt
lyricism. Her beats were melodic, the mixing was
smooth, and the bass she added was the kind where
everyone must stop fora second to just take it in.
Wonderland’s mix of heavy and heartfelt topped
Contact like the cherry on a sundae.

Wherever my next festival takes me, I hope to
see her there once again.

 

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