I arrived back late, Thursday, Aug. 22, from my Mulegrimmage to Billings, just in time to miss the Julian Taylor band at Whoop Up Days in Exhibition Park, who I really wanted to see and Scenic Route to Alaska, who play here a lot, but I was glad I caught Walk Off The Earth who I was intrigued by after interviewing them.
They are all about showmanship, though they are all stellar musicians and multi-instrumentalists and singers. They opened with a video clip, one of many, this one with the story that half the band thought the night’s gig was in Drumheller instead of Lethbridge.
So they had visuals of police cars chasing them as they tried to get down here in time. There was also another clip following the misadventures of one of the band members, who got into a plate of “special” brownies supplied by an excited fan.
Musically, they were way too much on the pop side for my tastes, and laid heavy on WOTEified cover songs, ranging from ’60s pop to more modern hits. Sarah Blackwell sat on the stage to begin a great cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya.” on ukulele before being joined by her bandmates. They also played a cool folky version of Wheatus’ pop punk hit Teenage Dirtbag.
They sang gorgeous multi-part vocal harmonies.
Fortunately their covers had their own unique twist.
They played a medley of pop hits including their career making cover of Gotye’s “Somebody I Used To Know,” which they played on a set of colourful PVC pipes instead of the band members playing one guitar like in the viral video. That also featured the five main members playing a set of kazoos attached to a pipe. That medley also showed their breadth of influences, including “Stand By Me,” and Come On Eileen.” to name a few.
There was a plethora of weird instruments, kazoos, percussion and a lot of ukuleles, most of which they tossed to the hardest working roadies in show business, who easily caught them as they scurried on and off stage with new instruments, usually in the dark during video clips , or while the band moved to different parts of the stage.
The key members got together over their custom built GuitHarpUlele. One original highlight was their own “ Red Hands,” which had the audience singing along.”
After a set of hits, both others and their own, they played a video tribute to Mike “Beard Guy” Taylor, who passed away in December.
The band left the stage as the video of Taylor playing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody on piano” as well as some of their other favourite moments with him. Though a couple members stood at the side of the stage in the shadows playing the guitar solo to the song.
They were still called back for an encore.