Wendy Eisenberg's Viewfinder + Bernice + Pete Johnston's Stranger Still

Event Details

Event type: Ages 19+

WENDY EISENBERG'S VIEWFINDER (bandcamp)

NYC guitarist, singer / songwriter Wendy Eisenberg returns to Toronto behind their newest record Viewfinder, a collection of songs about wanted & unwanted clarity, one of their strongest to date! Wendy will be joined by Zekkereya el-Magharbel on trombone and electronics, Mari Rubio (More Eaze) on violin and electronics, and Ryan Sawyer on drums. The quartet weaves in and out of Wendy's song structures with improvised flourishes, playful meanderings and a careful ear. Wendy's vocals & lyricism feel like one body moving slowly and weighted with emotion before errant guitar notes finally provide a release. The frenetic energy of angular guitar jabs and swinging drums move the band from thoughtful avant jazz moments to noise rock inspired rips that feel like the hallmark of Wendy's versatility, balancing & marrying these sonic worlds. Jazz rippers feature bleating trombone calls like some spirit trying to escape the rhythmically charged chaos that Viewfinder evolves into. One of the voices to watch in avant garde music. Don't sleep on this!

BERNICE (bandcamp) 

Toronto avant soul power trio of Robin Dann, Thom Gill, and Phil Melanson create off kilter songs that find themselves encapsulating the beautiful smoothness of R&B without any of the traditional trappings. They dance somewhere between the airy syrup of ambient jazz fusion, sparse jabs of musique concrete, and Yoshi's sonic palette. This career jokers pull out the electronic beats that pop, slurp, slide & sizzle as Robin's vocals hover over top is a mystic cloud of angelic synth tones. An elegantly sparse cacophony of glitched samples and side line whispers notate their musical world. All of this boiled down into your favourite avant pop jams. 

PETE JOHNSTON'S STRANGER STILL (bandcamp)

Composer & guitarist & banjo player Pete Johnston's Stranger Still ensemble taps into deep east coast celtic traditions, as they set the poem of Alden Nowlan to music, building a surreal world of sound around these evocative texts. Obviously folk influence mingles with minimalism and improvised jazz elements. Dual vocalists Mim Adams & Randi Helmers create glowing harmonies that sit in perfect contrast to the string propelled rhythms that drive the songs. Toronto stalwart Rob Clutton fills out the band with his methodical bass lines. Gearing up for a new recording, come check their new tunes!

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