With Violet, Tokyo Police Club, and Barenaked Ladies
June 19th, 2024
Iceberg Alley Performance Tent, St. John’s, NL
All Photo Credit: Tara Thompson
The Iceberg Alley Performance Tent is back for another season on the banks of Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John’s, NL. This multi-day festival was “created to showcase the unique culture, traditions, and heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador alongside nationally and internationally acclaimed entertainment.” Taking place in a 38,000 square foot “big top” tent, this festival runs from June 19th to June 29th.
The festival kicked off on Wednesday, June 19th with the local band With Violet. This East Coast alt-pop band is considered an eclectic musical experience. Consisting of Sarah Newell (Vocals & Saxophone), Pete (Vocals & Keyboards), Matthew Cadigan (Guitar) , Spencer FitzGerald (Bass), and Hunter Madden (Drums), the band creates a radio pop sound that is sure to mesmerize all.
With Violet started off the night with high energy, setting the stage with what the night would bring. Singing original tracks like ‘Asking For’ and ‘Keep Up’, they showcased talents that kept the audience in the palm of their hands. Audience participation ramped up with the track ‘‘With Money’, as the audience joined in to sing the lyrics “with money” as various points throughout the song. They also played tracks from their latest album, including ‘That Boy’ and ‘Exs And Ohs’ which are sure to be fan favourites with their catchy lyrics and memorable melodies.
Mixed amongst the original tracks, With Violet shared some upbeat tunes to get the party started. A cover of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons’ hit, ‘December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)’, had the audience singing along while Sarah and Pete’s voices complimented each other perfectly as they shared lead vocals. Other covered hits include ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ by The Darkness, ‘Beggin’ by Måneskin, and ‘Ain’t It Fun’ by Paramore.
Next up was Tokyo Police Club who stopped in the tent on their final tour, with their farewell show scheduled at History in Toronto on November 29, 2024. This indie rock band from Newmarket, Ontario consists of Dave Monks (Vocalist & Bassist), Graham Wright (keyboardist), Josh Hook (Guitarist), and Greg Alsop (Drummer).
Tokyo Police Club started their set with ‘Breakneck Speed’, a track released in 2010 with thought-provoking lyrics and a catchy melody that captured the audience. Other songs from that era included ‘Favourite Colour’, ‘ Hands Reversed’ and ‘End of Spark’.
‘Argentina (Parts I, II, III)’ has the claim to fame of being over nine minutes long (complete with a lyric video of the same length). ‘New Blues’ and ‘Simple Dude’ made an appearance on their latest album.
The band also brought it back to their earliest days to end their set, with hits from their first album including ‘Tessellate’ and ‘Your English Is Good’; a track that found a spot on both their debut LP and first album, Elephant Shell. However, the fans were excited to hear that this was not the only show Dave Monks would be playing while on the island, as others in the band travelled to their next location. He let out a little secret that he would be playing again at a local venue the next night.
The grand finale of the night was Barenaked Ladies. Consisting of Ed Robertson (Guitar & Vocals), Jim Creeggan (Bass & Vocals), Kevin Hearn (Keyboard, Guitar & Vocals), and Tyler Stewart (Drums & Vocals), the Ladies have had an impressive career with over 15 million albums sold, multiple Grammy nominations and multiple Juno Awards in their pocket. These 2018 Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees are touring in support of their eighteenth studio album, In Flight.
This is not the first time Barenaked Ladies have played the rock. They were set to take the stage in the tent in 2021 but Hurricane Larry had other plans. The tent was destroyed and the concert moved to the Mile One Centre (currently the Mary Brown’s Centre). To commemorate this moment, a little tune was played reminiscing about their experience during that show.
The set started with cheers as the band settled into the tune for ‘Lovers in a Dangerous Time’. Popular songs such as ‘The Old Apartment’, ‘Pinch Me’, ‘Brian Wilson’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ left the patrons moving to the beat and singing along to every word.
A new treat at the tent this year were the screens on the back of the stage. During the show, the graphics added a little something extra to each song. One that captured my attention the most was during the song ‘Big Back Yard’, where there was an evolution of what could be found in both a backyard and life. This definitely aided in captivating the audience.
The Ladies had the audience hanging on to every word of a song such as ‘One Week’ and ‘If I Had $1000000. I mean, who doesn’t know almost every word to those two songs? The Iceberg Alley choir certainly had a stellar performance helping out with these. It was a wondrous sight to behold.
Their grand finale was a medley composed of snippets of songs including ‘Vampire’, ‘Flowers’, ‘As It Was’, ‘Take On Me’, ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’, ‘So Long, Farewell’ and ‘Rock of Ages.” An amazing combination that left you wanting more.
The audience was also treated to songs from their latest album, such as ‘Just Wait’ and ‘Lovin’ Life’, a catchy tune that was saved for the encore, reminding us to live each day to the fullest. With a stage presence that has been perfected over the years, great audience engagement, and stage banter, Barenaked Ladies are definitely an act you won’t want to miss this summer.
With night one in the books, I cannot wait to see what the other nights will bring.