Miscellaneous - Zaphod's, Ottawa, 30/4/2005

  by Andrew Carver

published: 15 / 4 / 2005

intro

At Zaphod's in Ottawa, Andrew Carver enjoys a performance of high energy show combining 60's British psychedelica and American rock’n’roll from Winnipeg’s Telepathic Butterflies

Winnipeg’s Telepathic Butterflies are a fine band that blends 60's British psychedelica with early 60's American rock’n’roll, and they put on a put on a high-energy show for a small audience at Zaphod's on April 30. First up were Mono Hum who began as a roots rock-oriented guitar and drums duo; they recently added a keyboardist who plays both organ and synthesizer and who added a few psychedelic touches to the band’s sound. They were an appropriate opener for a band with its feet in Memphis, and its heads who knows where. Songs like 'Mr. Laughabee’s Circus' and 'All Very Hoopla!' (the band’s “hit”) may bear twee names, but the band plays with force and precision. Rejean Richard is a capable singer and also has a frenetic, searing guitar style that meshes well with drummer Jacques Dubois’ hyper style and hip-swivelling bassist Eric Van Buren’s robust rhythms. I don't remember them being so hard-edged when they played at a pub named Irene's many moons ago (if memory serves, they were still a duo then). Though the crowd was sparse when they started, by the time they wrapped things up the club kids who had arrived for the night’s disco were grooving along.

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