Outside The Box

Thursday at Supermarket on Augusta was Nice Friends 5 where a bunch of local bands showcase their sound inside a small space at the back of the restaurant. First up was Elos Arma. They tried hard to do concept songs with a lot of unusual rhythm, melodies, and harmonies. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. The drummer, bassist, and the band didn't seem to be in sync for most of the songs. The singers were off-key. It didn't help that the sound guy was still fiddling with the mix during their set so there was fluctuation in the levels. Sometimes the vocals were loud, then they suddenly dwindled. There was background feedback throughout the evening which was distracting.

The Box Tiger was up next. Similar to my first exposure last year, they were wild on stage. The singer comes from the long yelps school of singing, but most of the time it went well with their up-tempo style. The drummer was the back-bone of their live act, keeping things tight and high-energy. Like other local bands, they have to edit some of their songs though, veering through 4-5 changes in tempo and melodies.

The Inlet Sound was the final act. I wanted to hear live this atmospheric pop group from Hamilton, they sounded a little twee on video. But sleep and work beckoned.