West Ave play final show before hiatus.
Local band West Ave played what may be their last show in Sackville for a little while last Saturday. With band members going out west to work, the album they are currently working on is also in limbo. The show was out in the practice shed behind George’s Roadhouse, and the ability of the space to concentrate a crowd’s energy made the entire show a rowdy affair—as shows held there are famous for being.
Unfortunately, that rowdiness resulted in some broken strings, as it tends to do. The unannounced openers, Grocery Bag Legend, broke the first of the strings in their very first song, but things were able to keep rolling after a quick change to another guitar. The first of the trio of three-member-bands played a distinctly classic rock style of music that emphasized their sexual lyricism.
The second string broke during the Kavorkas’ set, severely interrupting the evening. Despite the interruption, their music showed signs of progression. It may have just been the atmosphere, but there was much more intensity in this set than their last performance at the Legion. The polished indie sound they were trying four months ago was replaced with a much noisier rock. It was kept varied by an almost constant rotation of band members and instruments that saw frontman Robert Blackbeard play guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums over the course of the set. In the process, the Karvorkas touched on elements of folk, punk, and straight-up noise rock.
West Ave had a set that was true to their previous performances, speedy guitar riffs and all, even though they were playing with a new bassist, as their original bassist had already flown out to Alberta. The SappyFest performers’ going-away bash was really well put together, though maybe not intentionally, as the previous two performances led into theirs well. The intensity displayed by the Karvorkas and the classic rock sound of Garbage Bag Legend’s set came together in West Ave’s performance, channeled into blistering guitar solos. The energy that they brought to the crowd wasn’t quite as intense as it was in October during their last Sackville set, but the atmosphere as a whole was more welcoming.
All in all, the trek out to the tiny, uninsulated shed behind George’s was a worthwhile expedition. The band will be together in Alberta, so it’s likely that this will not be the last time they play, but only a temporary move out of town.
