BRAIDS | Noni Wo

Show: BRAIDS + Noni Wo
Venue: Bar le Ritz PDB, Montreal
Date: Wednesday, May 13th

It's a tough thing to work full time and then pour your heart out for this blog. Had I wanted to sleep better I'd be dedicating my time to my 9 to 5 job only. But my blog is where my love is. So I stay up late for shows and wake up at 5 or 6 the next morning to write the latest post. Sometimes, for a few minutes only, I close my eyes at work. It saves the day.

Had planned to write this post the day after the concert but felt I needed to sleep instead. Now, almost a week later, I tell to myself better late than never.

The opening act is Noni Wo. They're not bad performers but I think it could be better. It doesn't help that they decide to start with a new song and that the lead singer, Rory Seydel, for the first couple ones, sings without his guitar (he later mentions to the crowd that he's not used to performing without his guitar in hand). As if they purposely want to feel out of place for the first 15 minutes. The result is not great. Rory Seydel is a bit pitchy and out of rhythm. It gets better though as time goes by. Live, it reminds me of when I saw Un Blonde perform at the Ritz. In terms of experimenting with sounds. Only with Un Blonde, there was some soul in the music. With Noni Wo it has more of a 80's cold vibe to it. Unfortunately I'm a sucker for soul.

Noni Wo

As BRAIDS steps on stage, the place gets really crowded and I feel my claustrophobia kicking in. I wouldn't say I'm claustrophobic actually. Only I get uneasy in a packed crowd when am exhausted. Decide to move to the back of the venue. End up by the bar where I rest my elbows. I could sleep but instead, by having my arms on the bar, I feel the music's loud vibration. I enjoy it.

I can't say how many times I've listened to "Plath Heart" from the their debut album Native Speaker. It got obsessive actually.

I lost interest though with the second album Flourish // Perish. Never got back into it afterwards. Therefore arrived that evening having not listened to their third album Deep in the Iris. The result was amazement. Got truly engulfed in their world and in those songs. And feeling the music's vibration made everything better. Am in awe of Raphaelle Standell-Preston's voice. There's so much control.

BRAIDS

BRAIDS

Texted my friend still up front in the crowd as the show was coming to an end. We leave before the last song's climax. It was a great experience but my bed was calling me. As it usually is.