WEIRD AND WIRED

LAWNYA VAWNYA 15 NEWSLETTER SATURDAY JUNE 7

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WE’RE IN THE FINAL STRETCH OF THE FEST, AND WHAT A RIDE IT’S BEEN! BE SURE TO LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST, AS THE PROGRAMMING IS TRULY STACKED ON THIS FINE WEEKEND DAY. IS IT SUNNY? I’M NOT SURE YET BECAUSE THIS IS BEING WRITTEN ON A FRIDAY IN CASE I’M TOO SLEEPY TO WRITE IT TOMORROW MORNING. HERE’S SOME STUFF THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY :)

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MUSIC CRAWL

There’s something about the LV music crawl that feels quintessential to the festival at large. Find yourself in Solitude Vintage reminiscing upon a decade and a half past when that space was Model Citizen, as Katie Baggs ends the first act (trio Topanga) with a song she sang at the first LV so long ago. Back then, many of us were babies, and some of us weren’t even yet born (like Jake and Pam’s sweet little one, who was visibly rocking out wide-eyed through the window at Johnny Ruth). Topanga warmed our hearts amongst the beautifully curated vintage pieces with protest songs, nature songs, songs of love.

Then we bopped across the uncharacteristically hot street to Fred’s Records where Fraud Perry treated us all to a sick hip-hop/rap/electronic dance set that was provocative in all the right ways.

Next up, on the back patio at the ALT, Marlaena Moore wowed us alongside (ominously?) tall tulips with her deep and daring vocals and nostalgic electric guitar slow burns. She welled up in the middle of a song which I assume is called “I miss you” and admitted that she missed her boyfriend who had been on tour a month, and was moved by how cute everyone in NL was, breaking the fourth wall in a way that felt like a big group hug.

The second last stop on the crawl was the Johnny Ruth store on Water St., where Absolute Losers stood like models in the display window and regaled us with these laid back but tight and catchy rock jams that felt like summertime patio beers and bowling alley birthdays. Finally, we landed at the Eastern Edge parking lot where the Phonoautomat trailer was set up for interactive DJ experimentation.

I’m not sure how to end this review because I’m starting to get sort of dizzy from all of the cool music so I’ll just tell you that then I came back to my hotel, ate some tuna, and wrote this review. I love tuna, I love music, and I love Lawnya Vawyna. Lol. The end.

-ALEY WATERMAN

WATERMAN

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CARTEL MADRAS/FRAUD PERRY/ALBERT DALTON/HOST: \garbagefile

I arrive on George Street just as the night is beginning, and I can already hear the music from outside the Rockhouse. The beats are blazing, and the lyrics are fast paced and punching through the walls before I can even get through the door slung wide open in the peak of summer heat. Albert Dalton is who I am hearing and it’s no surprise LV has him on the stage tonight. He opens the show with a fiery command and lyrical prowess honed over almost a decade in music, mixed with his own unique local warmth and Newfoundland easy going attitude. Dalton’s catalogue of

music is huge and the different samples and sounds he played with tonight showcase how wide his taste reaches. He proves that when it comes to hip hop or rap, St. John’s still has its own stars to offer and there is no need to outsource from other cities. Following Albert is a lovely and emotional trip hop drag performance by our own Backslash, who of course delivers a precise and moving performance with a delicacy and power they ooze on and off stage. A highlight of the night is when Backslash reminds us about the importance of coming together in the name of hip hop and rap, reflecting on the critical and political potential of a bunch of queers gathering to celebrate local and national art and reminding us all that until all of us are free, none of us are. I am so grateful to be there alongside them and everyone else.

After a short break, Backslash gives the next performer a loving introduction. When Fraud Perry arrives on the stage, the energy of the room completely and immediately shifts. From the moment she speaks into the mic, we all know we are going to be in for an incredible set. There are few artists who I can certainly say fill both shoes in the pair that make up superstardom—creative brilliance and undeniable charisma—but by the end of her set I know for sure that Perry is one of them. From the unmatched confidence, lyrical and vocal expertise, and an infectious personality that could win over any crowd anywhere, it's no surprise to me that Fraud Perry is one of Montreal’s brightest rising stars in music right now. Last, but most definitely not least, to hit the stage is the act many in the room were all waiting for: Cartel Madras. This dynamic duo was the perfect final act to this incredible show, highlighting the diverse and multifaceted sounds, voices, and subcultures showcased within their music and performances. With ease, these two artists dominated the stage and hyped the crowd, giving us all what we were waiting for and more. Shifting genres, flows, and references numerous times throughout the set, this gifted group of sisters had all of us begging for an encore by the end of the night.

FAUNA/PENNY AND THE PITS/ANDY AND THE DANNYS @ THE SHIP

My brain is beginning to turn to the most colourful mush after all of the incredible events, and following another day in the sun—this time at the downtown music crawl and merch and print fair—I stumbled into the Ship for another night of music. The show opened with local band Little Fauna, with Krys Burton on vocals and guitar, Stephen Spencer on drums, and Kathy Oke on bass. My first thought (as a budding bass player myself) was “that’s some bass,” and, shortly after, that the vocals were reminiscent of the Cranberries. Fellow concertgoers described the sounds with hints of the Pixies (Jessica) and Hole plus a bit of Twin Peaks (Justin).

Penny and the Pits were up next, and we all love a girl band. Fronted by Maritimer Penelope Stevens, this band oozed with feminist joy, rage, and revenge. Astonishingly, this was the band’s first time playing a live show together, though they could’ve fooled me and I’m sure many others in the bar. Their first album recorded and set to be released, every song played was a badass anthem worshipped by the crowd. Everyone loves a song about kicking a husband to the curb, but this band took it one step further by singing about kicking one out of a moving vehicle.

Meisha and the Spanks sadly couldn’t make it (we love and missed you!!!), but they were subbed in by Andy and the Dannys. This fun unit got the already dancing crowd moving even more and charmed us all with their unique and high-energy tunes.

-NICOLE HALDOUPIS