BONJAY, KAT BURNS, BOXES & BAGS, the WHITSUNDAYS and the PIXELATORS at Rolly’s Garage
on Sat., April 4. Rating: NNNN
The second edition of Daps Duo all-ages shows had a lot going for it. Besides five refreshingly varied musical acts, it featured $2 grilled cheese sandwiches, a fun and unusual – albeit ch-ch-chilly – venue in a converted Ossington auto shop, and an ambience of youthful goofiness. Plus, when it ended, the sun was still out.
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Playing to just a handful of kids at 1 pm, the Pixelators pumped out sparse electro pop made promising by Sarah Dylan’s voice. Edmonton’s the Whitsundays – decked out in sombreros, ponchos and headdresses – followed with a tight set of Zombies-influenced garage pop while Boxes & Bags, also costumed, reached din level with their Frankensteinian trumpet-touched ramshackle rock.
Endearing Kat Burns, using a ukulele and whispered melodies, “brought the quiet” to the swelling crowd, while soulful Bonjay vocalist Alanna Stuart proved she’s, hands-down, one of the city’s most enrapturing performers.
