REVIEW: Purple City Music Festival brings full indie credibility back to Hawrelak Park

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Day three of the Purple City Music Festival felt like the hangover ghost of Interstellar Rodeo in Hawrelak Park: smaller, vaguely dystopian in a way, but thankfully familiar.

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On the first day of burn-free weather in some time, the cool wind swirled yellow aspen leaves across the cement dance floor as the day’s opening act, Edmonton psych quartet Tebby & the Heavy, entered this great heritage amphitheater.

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Behind his white sunglasses, Tebby Sputnik sang most of the songs, although Alex Bates took the lead on Particulate’s soaring run. The band went from sludgy to Devo-quirky thanks to their foot tapping game to a few dozen early risers, many of whom are surely still sleeping on the incredible wall of their A Place to Bury Strangers delivered to Starlite the night before.

Biboye Onanuga, Connell Stinnissen and Lukas Kuru form the jagged, free-form trio Good Information, and played a quick half-hour set in front of the big screen with Evan Pearce’s wicked, melting visuals rolling behind them. .

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Onanuga stayed on stage playing drums for Motorbike James when they arrived around 3pm, such a great, easy-listening pop band led by Michael Werbiki with Julie Adams on the keys.

« I think it’s time to turn this party up a bit, » Werbiki announced as the dance floor filled with a dozen people, eventually doubling. « If you have mushrooms, eat them now! »

An excellent cover of Haddaways’ What Is Love (Baby Don’t Hurt Me) then the quintet with Daniel Sedmak and Conor Snell became six when Mitch Davis joined the saxophone for the sweet finale, I’m a Leo — the first of the show band in six years, ps If you don’t know this perfect little pop band yet, take the time.

Davis was fourth in the lineup, singing sweet soul, playing guitar, keyboards, sampling and of course bringing his saxophone to life, which he noted he just kept on his case because the two times he used a support, he fell. Davis hasn’t played in Edmonton since moving to Montreal five years ago, and his off-kilter delivery, tempo changes, and truly beautiful sounds are testament to a musician who always pushes the limit. innovation.

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« Has anyone ever seen us play in Edmonton? » Davis asked. « Because we’re about to do the exact same thing, don’t even worry, » he joked before returning to rapping Mitchmatic form.

Switching between dreamy love songs and his agonizing hip-hop like Stay, he made me wish these buffet sets were a little longer, but such is the game of the outdoor festival.

Michael Rault, meanwhile, brought in his formidable band with long hair from Los Angeles, playing songs inspired by Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, with a touch of Southern rock. « For those of you who don’t know, Edmonton is my hometown, » he noted, playing the catchy Want for Nothing, his voice reaching for beautiful Beach Boys highs. Who will you call? was another goodie, as was his song All Night Long, which keyboardist Pearl Charles harmonized to. His band plays the same 5 p.m. slot on Sunday, don’t miss it. Rault’s set ended with some incredible guitar shredding on his new song Exactly What I Needed, and it was cute to see his dad Lionel Rault running around taking pictures up front. Dads!

More soon …

fgriwkowsky@postmedia.com

@fisheyefoto