It was a Monday night in Victoria and I was walking through the ghostly downtown streets wondering where the heck everybody was. Next thing I knew I was in the Royal Theatre, surrounded by the warmth of friends and families awaiting their island icons, Mother Mother, playing their first of two nights in town.
The lights went down and a spotlight fell on guitarist/vocalist Ryan Guldemond. They started the show with the opening track of their new album Dance and Cry, “I Must Cry Out Loud.” It, honestly, felt slightly anticlimactic and the audience was mostly in their seats. The next song, the title track of Dance and Cry, felt a bit premature while the audience was still working up the nerve to stand.
But then “O My Heart” brought people to their feet and picked up the energy of the room. Mother Mother’s set was a healthy mix of classic and new tracks; they’re clearly not afraid to play the hits. The subtle choreography of all members showed how much fun they have when they perform.
Guldemond and his sister, keyboardist/vocalist Molly, were joined by keyboardist/vocalist Jasmin Parkin at centre stage to play an ode to their acoustic beginnings with “Dirty Town.” They held down a rhythmically complicated song with nothing but acoustic guitar and vocals.
Molly and Parkin wove sweet vocal harmonies throughout the show, in songs like “Get Out the Way.” Molly took the stage to do a spine-tingling rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep,” and Parkin started the band’s three-song encore with power ballad “Biting on a Rose.”
When the house lights came on there was no denying the mutual gratitude between the band and their fans. At first I craved the atmosphere of a dance floor, but by the end I didn’t care. They sounded fucking great.
Mother Mother
8 pm Tuesday, January 29
$57 and up
rmts.bc.ca