Get ready for Vancouver’s power-pop event of the year!
Pop music is alive and well. And no, we’re not talking about the Justin Bieber/Rihanna set, the kind played by folks who can afford million-dollar Hollywood Hills song doctors (not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course).
We’re talking about power pop—songs played with guitar/drums/bass, with plentiful melodic hooks and harmonies. In other words, the kind of pop music that pretty much became a commercial kiss-of-death following the break-up of the Beatles.
Every year, the International Pop Overthrow brings together purveyors of this wondrous sound, and sets up in different cities with different lineups. This year, the Vancouver edition runs Aug. 30-Sept. 2 at the Fairview Pub (898 West Broadway). If you’re looking for a (cheap—only $10!) night out that will leave you tapping your toe and humming a new favourite song, check out one of these shows. To help, we’ve highlighted a few of the bands playing.
Aug. 30 (Wednesday):
8:15 Leisure McCorkle
9:00 elle-ectric
9:45 NOT Mentally Prepared
10:30 Pill Squad
12:00 Siobhan DuVall—Glittery dresses and nods towards one of the greatest new wave bands of them all, Blondie. Duvall also has a story to tell about the first time Nirvana came to Vancouver, which you can read here.
Aug. 31 (Thursday)
8:15 Amelie Patterson
9:00 Jody Quine
9:45 Paul Gibbons
10:30 Scott Perry
11:15 The Burn Ins—From their Facebook page: “The Burn Ins are an award-winning female-fronted Canadian Indie Blues Rock Band from Elkford BC/Camrose AB. Their music will take you on a delightfully dark journey into a foot-stomping good time.” Also, they were the winner of the 2016 Fraser Valley Music Awards—What’s On! Magazine Artist of the Year award.
12:00 2 Days and Counting
Sept. 1 (Friday)
8:15 Edmonton Block Heater—From their bio: “Vancouver, BC’s stalwart purveyor of New Wave Americana and a local secret too well kept. All the jangle and spank you’d expect from a power pop trio – big guitars, hooks, wit, harmonies and handclaps – but with a broader palette and bigger ambitions. Taking excursions into folk, country, R&B, and even Latin sounds, the band’s unpredictability stems from one simple goal: do what’s right for the song.”
9:00 Preston & Fletcher
9:45 The Top Boost
10:30 Wrestling Emma
11:15 Graham Brown Band
12:00 RE/GEN
12:45 Gold Stars Are For Suckers
Sept. 2 (Saturday)
8:15 Morty Shallman
9:00 We Found A Lovebird—A Vancouver pop band with a solid grasp of songwriting, We Found a Lovebird released a solid album last year called Lobby.
The Burn Ins bring a blues-rock component to this year’s International Pop Overthrow. No shouting “Dwight Twilley!” at inopportune moments.
9:45 Danny Echo
10:30 Rocky Milino Jr.
11:15 Star Collector
12:00 Cass King & The Next Right Thing—One of the city’s most dynamic performers, King could recently be seen tearing into some David Bowie covers at two local-band tribute nights to the recently deceased performer. She was also one of the masterminds behind the burlesque musical Shine. Wherever King is involved, a fun, exciting show is sure to follow.
12:45 IPO All Stars
Visit internationalpopoverthrow.com for more info.