Date of show: February 10, 2012
Written by: Chiara DiAngelo
On one of the coldest nights of the year thus far, winter finally decided to show its face. If you happened to be at the Silver Dollar, however, you would have had no idea snow was falling outside as Jane’s Party brought a breath of much needed fresh summer air into the packed room.
“Hugely talented” (to quote a co-worker in attendance), Jane’s Party is anchored by Zach Sutton (drums) and fronted by Jeff Giles (keys, guitar), Devon Richardson (bass, keys) and Tom Ionescu (guitar) who share lead vocals and often switched instruments throughout the set.
Delivering breezy pop songs in their purest form that are powered by 3-part vocal harmonies and smiles that just won’t quit, Jane’s Party is one of the prettiest bands around – both to listen to and look at. 😉 They played a bouncy set that featured all five songs off their fall release Jane’s Party EP (plus many more), and had the crowd on their feet dancing by the time “What You Believe In” came around halfway through. Other highlights of the night included the oh-so-danceable “Alone Together,” a drunken audience-led “Happy Birthday” to Giles, and an invitation to “grab your partner and do-si-do” to “Bringing Me Down” that actually saw couples slow dancing.
The band finished out the night with “Anytime Now.” Despite the crowd’s desperate pleas, they couldn’t provide an encore. We were sadly forced back into the cold February night, with only their “ooh-ooh’s” replaying in our heads (and perhaps some remnants of alcohol still coursing through our veins) to keep us warm.
Could 2012 be the year of Jane’s Party? Only time will tell. But one thing is for certain: Next time Jane’s Party throws a party, make sure you are in attendance! And be sure to buy them a shot!
Don’t be fooled by the band’s name, 3-piece Rival Boys is very much commanded by female Lee Rose (vocals, bass). Brother Graeme Rose (guitar, vocals) and Sam Sholdice (drums, vocals) round out the band. They have two releases: 2011’s Mutual Feelings of Love and 2009’s Life of Worry.
Rival Boys mixes a little bit of sweetness with an edge of distorted, often otherwordly sounding, guitar and adds in heavy drums to produce a sound I can only describe as grunge-pop. The band pounded out a set that alternated between highlighting Lee’s sweet and breathy vocals on tracks such as “Bow and Arrow” and “Reach To It” which had me thinking of the Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan, and these unexpected belts of aggressiveness by both Roses, on songs such as “Dark Science” and “Sober and Single” that just stop you in your tracks and demand your full attention. There is obviously no rivalry between siblings, as Lee and Graeme shared the stage, and fed off of one another’s energy, blending their vocals in pitch perfect harmony.
This band isn’t just a brother-sister duo however, and drummer Sholdice is definitely something to watch. He pounded the drums with such an intense look on his face that I actually often had difficulty tearing my eyes away from him.
Fronted by Kritty Uranowski (guitar, vocals) who donned quite the bedazzled show-stopping pageant dress, and featuring the “doo-wop” duo of Steph Guthrie and Lara Zarum on back-up vocals, Patti Cake are the modern hipster version of a classic 60’s girl group, but with a roller derby “grrrl” edge. In that, you get the sense Kritty could kick your butt if she wanted to. There are boys in this band too – Dan Bedard (guitar), Jordan Andrews (bass), Jeremy Woodcock (keys), and Adam Hindle (drums) – but I will admit, it took at least four songs until I really noticed them (sorry boys!). Such is the power of a voice like Uranowski’s.
Featuring songs off their aptly named EP Prime Minister of Cool Chicks, Patti Cake entertained the crowd with a set that could have easily fit in at a high school homecoming dance in the 1960’s, and fittingly included a cover of “Stop In The Name Of Love” by super-girl group The Supremes that came complete with coordinated dance moves. The set ended with the deep and soulful track “Nobody Loves Me Anymore” – except, I’m pretty sure the crowd was smitten with you Patti Cake, so much so that they demanded “one more song!” Uranowski put down her guitar for a cover of No Doubt’s “Sunday Morning,” a perfect choice. Unbridled by an instrument, this allowed her theatrics to take center stage, while we unleashed our inner 10-year old selves and sang along.
buying shots for bands 
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