West Coast Love for Hannah Georgas and Aidan Knight at The Mod Club

Date of show: February 1, 2013
Written by: Chiara DiAngelo

Playing an earlier show on a Friday night, this was the first date with Aidan Knight joining Hannah Georgas on her cross-country tour, with The Belle Game having been the opener for the Western Canada dates.

A Newmarket native, Hannah Georgas moved to Vancouver several years ago, and has since made her mark on the West Coast and beyond. Georgas made her entrance to a stage set with glowing lights and pulsating beats. With her latest release Hannah Georgas moving in more of an electronic, synth-based pop direction, the jacked up backing beats unfortunately seemed to overpower her feather light voice at first, especially during opening song “Elephant.” She gained momentum on “Enemies” and “Robotic” however and her voice finally took its rightful place in the spotlight. Georgas had been suffering from a cold during her album release party at The Rivoli in October so it was great to finally hear the new songs the way they were meant to sound.

After beginning her set on the keys, Georgas finally left her spot there and took the microphone at centre stage to just sing “Somebody” and then took up the guitar for “Lovers Breakdown.” The venue was sufficiently grooving by the time dance-heavy “Shortie” came along, a song that would fit right in to the venue’s post-show dance party. Changing gears, Georgas switched to the ukulele for “The Deep End” and then slowed things down with “Thick Skin,” which was filled with her reverberating voice and distorted guitars.

Describing the time in her life when she decided to go for it and pursue music full-time, Georgas sent out “Millions” as a bit of an “eff you” to those who say you can’t do something. The crowd cheered and there was a definite feeling of love for Georgas in the air throughout the set, especially from the fans up front desperately snapping photos and jostling for a prime spot in the front row. After a new song entitled “Waiting Game,” Georgas ended her set with older track ““All I Need.”

Quickly returning for an encore, Georgas performed a solo rendition of “The Beat Stuff” from her debut EP of the same name before her band returned to back her on the heartwarming “Ode To Mom,” that was written for her mother. It was a quieter but riveting option to bring the show to a final conclusion.

Aidan Knight & The Friendly Friends

Humble, unassuming, and slightly awkward in the most adorable of ways, Victoria, BC’s Aidan Knight took the stage with his band of Friendly Friends – Colin Nealis (guitar, bass, violin), Olivier Clements (keys, horn), Julia Wakal (keys, horn), and David Barry (drums) – to open the night. They started their set with the first three songs off Small Reveal, that was released last Fall. On record, Small Reveal is lushly expansive yet introspective and intimate. Live, Knight was able to take this and create something truly massive, all the while still managing to make the packed Mod Club feel like a tiny, cozy experience.

Quiet and haunting, first song “Dream Team” began with just Knight and his guitar before the remaining instruments began to slowly join in, and ultimately transitioning into a full two minutes of just instrumentals including horns to conclude. Both Clements and Wakal took up their horns for “A Mirror,” an age-old love song that transformed into a grand production showcasing Knight’s rich baritone.

A trombonist also joined the band on stage throughout the set, adding so much extra depth and rich textures to “You Will See the Good in Everyone.” While at times it seemed like each band member was lost in the private world of their own instrument, it all combined to create something magical. Commenting that things got a little crazy on that tune, Knight opted to reel in the energy with a stirring solo performance of “Margaret Downe.”

Deciding that they had enough time for two more songs, Knight opted to end with some older fan favourites from Versicolour. First, “Jasper” was preluded with its signature extended instrumental introduction before launching into the lyrics, as Knight encouraged the crowd to sing along. Nealis switched his violin for the guitar and Barry ended up drumming on the risers for an epic jam out to close out final song “Knitting Something Nice for You.” It was a triumphant return for Knight, well-received by his long-standing Toronto fans and perhaps garnering some new ones along the way.