Ohbijou @ Soundscapes (In Store Performance)

As rain poured upon the city and NXNE unfolded around me, me and my trusty umbrella strolled on down to the right up the street from my house location of Soundscapes to take in the bewildering Ohbijou as they performed songs from their latest Last Gang release Beacons. Shamefully, I have not yet listened to the album, but from what I hear, it's a delightful companion to their debut Swift Feet For Troubling Times; an album that was pretty dang near perfect, if you ask me. Although I can only go by what I heard on Wednesday night, I'd be willing to bet that the album is even more cherubic than it's predecessor, since the songs that they showcased in this intimate setting on that rainy night were filled with uplifting crescendos and all of the beautiful harmonies that you could expect from the sister team of Casey and Jennifer Mecija. The instrumentation was also of the gentle build, as each song progressed through a subtle start that would continue to build until the soaring melodies reached that perfectly executed apex.

This was possibly one of the more reserved crowds I've ever been a part of, but it all seemed to be a perfect fit with the rain outside and the ambiance of the store, combined with the tranquility of their music. Still, Casey commented on the uncomfortableness of it all on a couple of occasions, although never in a way that sounded condemnatory or sarcastic, but in a pleasantly comical way that was very endearing. She even invited us all over to their place for a barbecue before making some comment about how the faulty device may possibly blow us all up. Or something like that. Amyways, it was funny. Another humourous moment was when her cell phone alarm went off during the last song, as well as her after-comments as to why she would ever set her alarm for 7:25 in the evening. As you can tell, the whole atmosphere was that of a big happy family, and this made for an exceptional show that you can experience on a much grander level when Ohbijou plays The Opera House on Thursday June 25th. Tix are only $13 which is an awesome deal.

Photos: My shots of Ohbijou @ Soundscapes are on flickr.
Myspace: Ohbijou
Download: Black Ice mp3


Tomorrow, I start in on my carefully planned yet heartily reserved NXNE experiences. Fun!