Erase The Space

Because of an early show, I was at The Rivoli too late for opener Little Boxer. Likely because it was mid-week, the venue was only sparsely filled. Another 'lil band was taking the stage: Little Coyote. This 3-piece gave us a set of ambient, dreamy synth pop with delicate piano. The crowd grew even thinner by the time head-liner Paperwhite came on. This was a shame because this Brooklyn synth band do not visit Canada too often, possibly because the last time they were here for CMW their festival slot was in the gastropub Bier Mrkt. That show must have been "traumatic" because they claimed this was their first show in Toronto.

Katie Marshall, along with an energetic female accomplice, gave a set of high-energy dance songs. The 80s influence was there, but it was modern and fun. As a duo, they did have to trigger a lot of samples and use backing tracks, but it was still enjoyable. The downside, of course, is that this type of music needed a room full of enthusiastic dancers to have maximum impact. Given tonight's tepid reception, I don't know if there will be another Paperwhite show around here.