Spotlight Carnival

The Bourbon, Vancouver, BC
October 18, 2008

Annalee Kornelsen, Johnathon Vanderby, Nicholas Jones, Cole Mackinnon and Matt Williams are Spotlight Carnival and on Saturday night they headlined a show at The Bourbon. The young East Vancouver quintet demonstrated some creative and moving instrumentation while also delivering a pulsating and powerful pace in an energized set. The band impressed me with their versatility as it related to their ever-changing sound. At times ambient and progressive, at others sounding pop/folk and at others sounding like a metal band. Think Death Cab For Cutie Meets Sarah McLachlan meets Cowboy Junkies meets Evanescence. Basically their sound while being a bit scattered showed a lot of their skills and a lot of the bands personality too. If the purpose of music is to evoke a wide range of emotional, spiritual and physical reactions out of the listener, then that is what this young band has going for it. Their rich blend of psychedelic, folk and alternative sound layers make Spotlight Carnival an appetizing musical entree on a sometimes bland and flavorless musical buffet line.

The band recently finished mixing its first record with Shawn Cole who also worked with local Indie punk group You Say Party! We Say Die!. It is obvious to me from seeing and listening to their show, Spotlight Carnival are still defining their sound. What was on display Saturday night was vast and rich and powerful but it did feel unbalanced at times. Like adding flavors in a long recipe, you have to continue adding and subtracting and experimenting until it tastes right. On the band's Myspace page they describe their vibe as "atmospheric and pop....and loud too" "At times it is textured and full sounding, other time it is stripped down." Whether it be the majestic vocal harmonies of Kornelsen and others or the clever back and forth guitar interaction between Mackinnon and Vanderby or the driving bass/drum crescendo of Jones and Williams they are all pieces that have to mesh together in harmony on each song and then balance for an overall flow that carries through a set or on an album. There were instances on Saturday night where I questioned the placement of some songs in their set and thus felt the consistency and momentum suffered even though the musicianship and raw talent remained clear.

Overall Spotlight Carnival made a lasting impression on me with their organic sounding set. More than anything else their music is moving. Thanks to the band's dexterity at changing instruments and their intricate instrumentation, the journey is long, the scenery vast and ever-changing and the experience ultimately memorable. Check them out next at The Astoria on November 7th. You will be glad you did.

+Gavin Reid