What: Iceberg Alley Performance Tent
When: June 14, 2023
Featuring Vertical Horizon, Soul Asylum & Sugar Ray
The Iceberg Alley Performance Tent is back for another ten nights of fantastic music showcasing local talents, Canadian favourites, and some International superstars! Night one kicked off with a tribute to the 90s with Vertical Horizon, Soul Asylum, and Sugar Ray. Definitely a treat for those who grew up in the 90’s/early 2000s era.
Vertical Horizon, a band that got their start in Washington, D.C. during the early 90s, opened the festival with a solid set. Best known for the number one single, ‘Everything You Want’, the band has seen many iterations over the years. The current lineup features founding member and vocalist/guitar player Matt Scannel; Ron LaVella (drums, percussion), Mark Pacificar (bass, backing vocals), and John Wesley (rhythm guitar, backing vocals). Keeping in touch with the Canadian side, Neal Peart of Rush can be found hitting the drums on a few tracks from their release in 2009.
The band played a mixture of tracks from their latest album to fan favourites from their first album; including “Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)” and “You’re a God.” Matt Scannell (lead vocalist) kept the audience engaged with little antics and explanations between tracks. It was great to learn a little more about the meaning behind the songs. The set ended with fan-favourite (and their most successful single to date) “Everything You Want.” This may have been Vertical Horizon’s first time in Newfoundland, but I sure hope it isn’t their last.
Next up was Soul Asylum, an alternative rock band formed in Minnesota in 1981. They have been described throughout the years as having sounds that tie in with alternate rock, grunge, country rock, and pop rock just to name a few. As with most bands, Soul Asylum saw changes in their line-up over the years. The most current lineup consists of Dave Pirner (lead vocals, various instruments), Jeremy Tappero (bass, backing vocals), Ryan Smith (lead guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Bland (drums, backing vocals). Most people remember them from their Grammy Award Winning Best Rock Song ‘Runaway Train’ in 1993.
If you are like me there are many songs that sound familiar but none that you really knew. (I can honestly say I know some now!) But this wasn’t the case for the audience in the tent. These concertgoers cheered and sang along to almost every song. Soul Asylum played hits such as “Misery,” “Somebody to Shove,” “Without a Trace,” and “Black Gold” with energy that kept the audience dancing along to the rhythm. The band had great chemistry on the stage, complete with synchronized movements at times. This was a real crowd-pleaser.
Soul Asylum also played a hit that was released almost 30 years ago to the day. “Runaway Train,” the first track that I remember hearing from Soul Asylum. The video for this track helped find many missing children over the years, with many alternate versions. They finished off their set with “April Fools.” a track with all the sounds that transported you right back to the 90s rock/grunge era. A great, nostalgic way to end their set.
Sugar Ray, an alternative rock band hailing all the way from Los Angeles, California, was the headliner for the night, and what an impression they made on the audience. This band achieved mainstream popularity in 1997 with their hit single “Fly.” The current line-up includes two founding members Mark McGrath (lead vocals/rhythm guitar) and Rodney Sheppard (lead guitar/backing vocals/ukulele), along with Dean Butterwork (drums/percussion/backing vocals) and Kristian Attard (bass guitar/backing vocals/keyboards).
Fronted by Mark McGrath, Sugar Ray’s performance will always be remembered for McGrath’s dedication to appease the crowd when the tent went quiet. As fans cheered, Sugar Ray’s set began with “Words to Me” followed by “Every Morning.” The third song started with little issue just before the audience noticed that something was not quite right, as the sound levels decreased and the band quietly stopped playing the song. The guitars worked and the drummer tapped on. However, the mics had gone silent. McGrath continued to entertain by calling out jokes and going into the audience to meet and take selfies with those on the floor. The tech crew worked furiously to try to get everything up and running again.
Unfortunately, this ended up taking almost 40 minutes but alas, the mics began to work again. This did not leave enough time for the show they had planned. Nonetheless, we did get to hear a few more hits; a little more stripped down than planned without all equipment working. The audience cheered as the band checked their mics to make sure all worked before starting into our national anthem. The audience sang along and cheered. Then they played “Someday,” “When It’s Over” and finished up with “Fly.” The stage presence, the enthusiasm, the energy of this band is like no other. They took a less-than-ideal situation and ran with it. They did not pack it in when things went awol. Instead, they made the best of the situation and continued to entertain the best they could. It is a night many of us will not soon forget. Here’s to hoping they’ll make their way back to Newfoundland again soon!
With night one in the books and a memorable one at that, I cannot wait to see what the rest of the festival has in store for us.