Raise Your Hands

With the Luminato festival and NXNE starting, the season for free concerts has begun. Sunday afternoon, I headed over to David Pecaut square to see The Hidden Cameras, a "collective" of indie players since 2001. A number of the artists including Laura Barrett, Reg Vermue (Gentleman Reg), and Owen Pallett have gone on with solo careers. Most of them have re-united recently for a number of shows. But the ring-leader has always been Joel Gibb, penning what he calls "gay church folk music".

It was an apt moniker as the band numbered at 12 people with back-up singers, a full band, harp, and cello. Numerous songs started with organ-like chords and ended with exhortations, chants, or swelling choruses. It was clear why this outfit is fondly remembered as an indie darling. In an alternate timeline, they might have taken the place of Arcade Fire. Onstage and off, both the older members and fans have brought their young children along. With choreographed moves and catchy arrangements, their music went over well with the little tykes. An intermittent drizzle kept most people seated and covered up but at the end, after Gibb exclaimed "We're working so hard up here", he finally got the crowd to stand up and join in on the fun.