With everybody’s bellies full of Toronto’s famous Bitondo’s Pizza from across the street, a lucky number of music fans were lucky to catch a fantastic lineup at the Monarch Tavern. Vancouver’s Apollo Ghosts were in town touring behind their new LP, Pink Tiger, and brought along two of Toronto’s brightest in No Frills and Dorothea Paas.
Dorothea Paas
Dorothea Paas opened the show with what she called on Twitter a “very rare acoustic set.” Paas is an absolutely captivating performer. Between songs, her dry humour has showgoers laughing away, but when the guitar begins to shimmer, and her soulful words get carried on her golden voice, you can hear a pin drop — she has everyone’s attention.
No Frills
Toronto-based “bummer-pop” outfit No Frills took the stage with a set of cuts off their new album, Downward Dog. Singer Daniel Busheikin’s matter-of-fact, deadpan delivery is excellently buoyed by the band’s tight and peppy musicianship, particularly his dynamic and energetic counterpart Maddy Wilde, who launched into her feature song, “Copy Cat,” as if it were her last time.
Sadly, this is No Frills’ “last show for a while.” Although you won’t see them live for a bit, you can find Downward Dog on all streaming platforms or buy it from them on Bandcamp:
Apollo Ghosts
The most striking thing about watching Apollo Ghosts is their love for doing what they do. Singer/guitarist Adrian Teacher and bassist Amanda P.’s infectious presence brought the intimate and engaged crowd to the front to cut loose.
What followed was a generous set, as Apollo Ghosts ripped through what seemed like as many songs as humanly possible, including reaching back to 2008’s Land of the Morning Calm, showcasing Teacher’s expert storytelling that has anchored the band’s discography for over a decade.
The set concluded with Pink Tiger’s title track, poignantly featuring the line “friends are family.” Everyone at the Monarch Tavern that night had a friend in Apollo Ghosts, which is a credit to the warmth and love radiating from the stage, making that night a family affair.
Apollo Ghosts’ Pink Tiger Tour continues across Canada and as on tour across Canada and the UK this summer. Click here to find more dates.
