Jon and Roy returned to Sugar Nightclub, along with The Zone’s January Band of the Month, The Wild Romantics and Victoria’s Zoubi And The Sea.
This here is Zoubi Arros, and she heads up Zoubi And The Sea. Their sound is a mix of folk, funk, jazz, and pop, along with a healthy dose of sexy during their incredible cover of Queens of the Stone Age’s Make It Wit Chu.
Canon EOS 70D · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 70 mm · 1/180 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
It’s also one of those wonderful bands who realizes that music needs more horns, as evidenced by the response Chase Watterson’s saxophone received.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 10 mm · 1/180 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
This here is Jon Middleton of Jon and Roy. They’re one of the bands which keep YYJ on the map; a Victoria institution with an ever-increasing fanbase.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 98 mm · 1/180 s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400
This here is Lou, who I always feel bad is left out, so I tend to call the band “Jon and Roy (and Lou).” Behind him is Roy who, unfortunately, due to standard club lighting, was never out of the shadows enough for a clear capture. A shame, ’cause he’s a dapper gent who rocks the hat really well.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 20 mm · 1/180 s · f/3.5 · ISO 6400
And this here is— wait, that’s Laura Mina of Carmanah, a totally different band! S’okay, she was guesting with Jon and Roy, and is a great fit for their sound.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 70 mm · 1/180 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
Jon and Roy were the headliners of the show, but I was there to finally catch The Wild Romantics live.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM · 16 mm · 1/180 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
Real-life couple Aleisha Kalina and Evan Miller hold back none of their love for each other on stage. The Wild Romantics is a highly appropriate name for this band. Their harmony clearly isn’t limited to their vocal performances.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 70 mm · 1/180 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
Their music — which I could best describe as folk/rock turned up to 11 — is full of raw energy, but their presence on stage is powerful. I’ll definitely be catching up with them for a rockstar portrait next time they’re in town.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 70 mm · 1/180 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 70 mm · 1/180 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
Hailing from Nanaimo, but now based in Vancouver, Aleisha and Evan discovered each other while performing separately, and have been inseparable ever since.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 70 mm · 1/125 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 105 mm · 1/90 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
They made the top 12 of the 2014 Peak Performance Project, have appeared at Canadian Music Week and NXNE, were The Zone @ 91-3’s first Band of the Month of 2016, and have just released their debut EP, She Could Tell, on Bandcamp (I bought it there, and you can too!), iTunes and Spotify.
Canon EOS 70D · Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 · 70 mm · 1/60 s · f/3.5 · ISO 3200
If you Spotify, listen now! Then you too can enjoy what are probably the strongest opening and closing songs to a record I’ve heard in a LONG while.
=)