Written by: Rio White
Terminal West, presented by Zero Mile
10/25/2021
A pair of Canadian acts took the stage at Terminal West Monday night, showing off two vastly different musical and lyrical styles.
Opening the night on their first U.S. tour was Tiberius b, an energetic and eminently raw artist born in London and raised on the remote Cortes Island, British Colombia. Now based back in the U.K., Tiberius b showcased their debut EP, Stains, released in June on Mark Ronson’s Zelig label.
From the beginning, there was no masking the emotional significance of Stains, which was written “in the aftermath of a breakup that brought new revelations about their sexuality and gender,” according to an interview with them. magazine.
What immediately stood out about Tiberius b was their powerful voice, which at once conveyed the anguish of the past and the euphoria of self-discovery. Standing alone on stage with their BC Rich Warlock guitar (which has a story all its own), Tiberius b wailed, proclaimed, and interjected their way through a brief, yet memorable set.
The songs that elicited the most reaction from the audience were “Big Deal” and title track “Stains”, which fully featured the depth, breadth, and changes of the artist’s emotional journey.
Headlining the night’s music was Montreal-based TOPS, a band well known in Canadian indie circles for its combination of catchy 80s-influenced guitar and synth grooves with a particular attention to lyrical depth.
And to no surprise, the dynamic vocal talents of lead singer Jane Penny immediately made an impact. While most of TOPS’s performance during the night included songs from their 2020 album I Feel Alive, they opened the show with one of their two recently released singles.
Penny began the night using her higher, more whimsical register to perform “Party Again”, a song that describes the longing for socialization and friendship hindered by the pandemic.
As the band proceeded into their album, the excitement with which they played translated to the audience. Both the artists and the crowd created an atmosphere that released many of the pent-up feelings and emotions kept under lock by the pandemic.
Through songs such as “OK Fine Whatever” and the title track “I Feel Alive”, Penny transitioned to her lower, more refined register. The manner in which she was able to switch from one register to the other was not simply smooth and impressive. It reminds of a figure skater switching from beautiful gliding to an intense triple axel.
The climax of the night’s performance was provided through “The Hollow Sound of the Morning Chimes”. In this song, TOPS performed at an intensity that far exceeded the studio version of the song. The beauty of John Carriere’s guitar, Marta Cikojevic’s keyboarding, and Riley’s Fleck’s drumming perfectly complemented the sheer power of Penny’s vocals in this song.
TOPS closed the night with three songs: Their popular “Picture You Staring”, their other new single “Waiting”, and an unreleased single. Overall, the performance showcased the strength and talent of a band on its 10th stop of its first tour since the onset of the pandemic.
Tiberius b: Zelig Records, LLC
TOPS: Musique TOPS, distributed by House Arrest; Arbutus Records
