“I hope you girls like to dance!” The woman in front of us exclaims as she and her friend tumble into their seats at Vancouver’s iconic Queen Elizabeth Theatre. With a small stack of Half Moon Run vinyl’s in her hand, it’s obvious these two are mega fans. As it turns out, one is an artist who travelled all the way from Montana for the show, and the other is drummer and keyboardist Dylan Phillips’ mom.
The theatre is filling up despite the intense snowfall outside, and it seems there isn’t much that would keep Half Moon Run fans from seeing their live performance. True to form, the four multi-instrumentalists made sure the journey downtown was well worth it for everyone.
Their stop in Vancouver is part of the North American leg of their tour following the release of their most recent full-length album, A Blemish in the Great Light. As the title suggests, the thoughtful nine track creation is a thematic follow up to their hugely successful sophomore album, Sun Leads Me On. It delves into the existential realm with a breadth and depth we’ve yet to see from these fine gentlemen in terms of both musicianship and song writing.
Like their previous work it’s an intense sonic journey, but it’s delivered with a gentleness that lulls the listener into feeling a sense of peace through songs of loneliness, lust, and contemplation over the meaning of life. It’s a very well conceived and produced album.
Winnipeg based singer-songwriter Taylor Janzen warms everyone up with a delightfully alt-country flavoured folk-pop set. Which, if it isn’t a thing, Janzen has the chops to make it one. The red-haired musician from Canada’s heartland delivers a powerful performance, complete with wry storytelling and a voice with the potential to make her a future icon.
Halfmoon Run open with “21 Gun Salute” a deep cut from their debut album Dark Eyes that feels very relevant given the current events of our times. Their live performance is every bit as mindful as their recorded works, meaning the decision to close the night with “Full Circle” had as much weight as did the opening track.
The crowd is with them right from the start, with fans rushing to the front of the stage before they finish the first song. I’m a huge fan, but I admit that I’m always surprised at how high energy their live show is. What isn’t surprising is that radio faves “Turn Your Love” and “Call Me in the Afternoon” are obvious highlights for the audience. “Sun Leads Me On” is also well received, with all four band members gathered around a single microphone at centre stage, highlighting the vocal harmonies that define their sound.
The performance is nearly as visually impressive as it is acoustically. Dylan Phillips and Isaac Symonds are both seated behind drumkits perched on risers a few feet off the ground behind lead vocalists Devon Portielje and Connor Molander. Molander is sporting his signature fedora and dances his way from behind a keyboard to front of stage for a guitar solo during songs. Portielje’s energy is much more contained and seems to seep out of him as the night goes on. He does most of the lead vocals and rhythm guitar duties, but he also plays keys and percussion.
They fill the vast stage of Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre well. The quartet wraps up this leg of their tour in Ottawa on January 31st before heading a string of shows in Europe mid February. Check out their webpage for more info.
Photo Gallery
click for full size
