Live Review: Pale Waves - Venue, Vancouver 01/12/2018

This past Saturday we caught Pale Waves on their second return to Vancouver this year, playing at Venue Nightclub with support from The Candescents and Kailee Morgue.

Dirty Hit label-mates and indie-rock group, The Candescents opened up the evening with their entire eight-song repertoire, including three as-yet-unreleased songs (High, Wet Tuesday, and Grass). The Ohio-based quad were a lovely start to the evening, chatting to the crowd that had shown up early as if they were all friends, albeit new ones, in between songs. The two Alex’s (von Lehmden on guitars/backing vocals, and Harris on lead vocals/guitar) made up most of the band's stage presence, carrying the conversations and sharing anecdotes, while Cody von Lehmden (bass) and Miguel Alfredo Acero III (drums) focused mostly on the music. That isn’t to say that they aren’t all extremely good at what they do, in fact they’re wonderful at what they do and between the banter, Harris’ vocals seem to not differ at all from their recorded state and their summer-y, bubblegum brand of rock translates brilliantly to the live stage.

Next up was LA-based Kailee Morgue with her sleepy goth-pop sound. Also playing an eight-song set, including a Metric cover, she seemed to float around the stage, just getting through the set as her mic cut in and out with technical difficulties. She seemed to start truly enjoying herself as she started Metric’s Black Sheep (from Scott Pilgrim vs The World), seemingly preferring the change to a heavier, more upbeat tune. Her stage presence is very reminiscent of the manic pixie dream girls seen in movies, specifically Ramona Flowers (Scott Pilgrim vs The World) and Clementine (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), and it’s yet to be determined whether this is good or bad. Her sad-pop has started to carve her a place in the music industry, and it’ll be interesting to see where she goes with it in the future.

Finally, it was time for Pale Waves’ triumphant return! At almost exactly eight months and one album release since the last show, fans both new and old were eager to see the indie-pop band in their biggest headline venue yet. After an anxiety-building intro, they kicked off the set with hits, Television Romance, Eighteen, and New Year's Eve. Right from the get-go the room was dancing and singing along to all the lyrics, which is right on par with most Pale Waves shows, as they’re always a lot of fun, despite Heather Baron-Gracie’s (lead vocals/guitar) slightly depressing lyricism.

The full 13 song set was not a disappointment, including all of the band's hits like The Tide, My Obsession, and There’s a Honey, which have always been a super-emo-fun-time to see live and are sure to get a room excited. The show was also filled out with new songs from My Mind Makes Noises, including Came In Close, Red, and She. It’s safe to say that this band is meant to be seen live. The lighting design, Heather’s stage presence and dance moves, and the band’s ability to translate their music from the studio to the live stage effectively create a wonderful show. And add in the band’s truly delightful fans? It’s a good time. If you haven’t already gone to a Pale Waves show, you need to get on that.

Words and Photography by Kelli Anne Lane