July Talk takes over Nest

by | Oct 15, 2015 | Arts & Life, Uncategorized

Keep your eyes peeled NAIT students, sometimes a little local fame drops by the campus.

A successful performance by Canadian band July Talk took place at the Nest on Oct. 9 with Peter Dreimanis, Leah Fay (lead singers and guitar), Ian Docherty (guitar), Josh Warburton (bass) and Danny Miles (drums). The Nest itself was completely packed with people.

A long line of people eager to get in to see the show wrapped around the side of the building, with hardly an end in sight. A couple of security guards yelled out instructions to those waiting in line against the use of bags and backpacks as well as to make sure students had both their NAIT ID and their government ID when entering.

A student could purchase tickets for the show at the NAITSA office for $15 or $20 at the door, however the first thing a person could see when entering the venue was a sign stating “July Talk sold out” so the latter option was not available. The blues/alternative rock band originated from Toronto and officially became a group on Oct. 16, 2012, however lead singer Peter Dreimanis comes straight from Edmonton.

And who else to open their show with than Edmonton’s Velveteins, with Spencer Morphy (vocals, guitar), Addison Hiller (percussion), Dean Kheroufi (bass) and Dylan Greenhough (keys, guitar, vocals).

They put on a fantastic performance with a great stage presence to accompany their own songs and their covers of more famous pieces such as “Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf, which had the crowd roaring and singing along. Wellknown artists were also played such as Foo Fighters and Weezer.

Soon after the Velveteins had finished, July Talk prepared for their show and the crowd slowly fought their way to get close to the stage and photographers ran about, attempting to get the best shot of them all. Smoke begins to fill the air and the stage lights danced about in long columns over the crowd with anticipation. Finally, July Talk entered the stage and they announced the progress of the recording of their new album being similar to “being stuck in solitary confinement for two months, and now [they] are finally out again.”

As the performance went on, July Talk played 14 songs, including “Summer Dress,” “Guns and Ammunition,” “Blood and Honey,” and ending with “Paper Girl.” For lead singer Dreimanis, the Edmonton show was a return home and often during the show he would comment how “great it [was] to be back.”

Leah Fay the lead female vocalist, was often seen climbing around on the stage speakers and scaling the walls, while brushing her fingers across the ceiling during her crowd surfing. The event ended with the band members joining the crowds and sharing some drinks with their audience. In the end, it was an eventful evening worth attending and, without a doubt, something I would attend again.

Gier Buterman

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