If you’re a fan of many different styles of music, I hope you have some deep pockets to afford the myriad of shows pulling through Metro Moncton in October. Mixes of old and new faces alike are set to adorn the various stages of the city throughout the month with something to please virtually everyone’s tastes.
Here are some of the show highlights:
■ Halifax garage-punk band Outtacontroller with guests Blue Thunder Kuno and The Beaten Hearts play Moncton’s Plan B Lounge, 212 St. George Street, on Saturday Sept. 29. Show time is set for 10 p.m.
So is it kind of cheating that I’m sneaking in a September show into a column that is supposed to be looking at shows taking place in October? Sure it is, but we wouldn’t cover the show if we didn’t feel it merited the coverage. With no disrespect intended towards either The Beaten Hearts or Blue Thunder Kuno, Outtacontroller are the so-called big cheeses on this bill. The Halifax band released their full-length debut Don’t Play Dumb on Germany’s P-Trash Records which is also home to Moncton’s Fear of Lipstick.
Outtacontroller guitarist-vocalist Terry Ahern tells The Times & Transcript that if the band has their way, a tour to Germany might possibly materialize next summer:
“Ideally, we would like to tour Germany next summer but we would be just as happy to be playing in the United States and/or Canada too,” Ahern says.
The group’s show in Moncton tomorrow night will be Outtacontoller’s first show with two new members. It is something that Ahern is looking forward to for a couple of different reasons.
“The Moncton show is going to be the first time we are playing live with our new members. I think that we are looking forward to seeing how the sound of the band evolves with this new lineup.”
■Bend Sinister perform at Moncton’s Plan B Lounge, 212 St. George Street on Monday, Oct. 15. Show time is set for 10 p.m.
One of the most exciting records I discovered this past summer was Bend Sinister’s Small Fame. A compelling mix of retro influences, the record nods to each of these influences while still bringing a distinct modern flavour to the mix. The group has been hailed for their powerful live show, led by vocalist and keyboard player Dan Moxon. It will be hard to find a more exciting Monday night in Metro Moncton in the month of October.
■Wintersleep and Elliott Brood perform at Oxygen Nightclub, 125 Westmorland St. on Friday Oct. 19. Advance tickets are $22.99 plus service charges, available online at www.sonicconcerts.com and at Cut Throat Pizza, 800 Main Street.
When Wintersleep last performed in Moncton this past January, they performed in the relatively intimate confines of the Tide & Boar Gastropub. At the time, they previewed a number of songs that would be released on Hello Hum, their fifth studio record. As the group continues to simultaneously refine and redefine who their fans know them to be musically, praise for the record has been virtually unanimous.
If Wintersleep’s sound lies in the mysterious, Elliott Brood’s sound would be the folk and alt-country equivalent. The group’s newest record Days Into Years is a stunning walk through history, inspired by a visit to a European graveyard that serves as the final resting place for more than 11,000 soldiers from World War 1.
Though both Wintersleep and Elliott Brood have their strong points on record, both acts are absolutely phenomenal live. This is a show worth checking out.
Article published in the September 28, 2012 edition of the Times & Transcript