On first thought, a strip club might seem to be an unusual venue for a rock and roll show. But on second look the Top Hat was just perfect, June 1 with Calgary duos Miesha and the Spanks, HighKicks and local duo Cope. After all, all of the seats face the stage, there were flashing lights everywhere and a big sound system. I was half-way expecting someone to swing from one of the trapezes hanging above the stage.
There was a decent sized, enthusiastic crowd for a Wednesday night who completely embraced the music.
Unfortunately I missed Cope (Tyson Wiebe and Mick Hayward), but caught pretty much all of drums and guitar duo Miesha and the Spanks set. Miesha Louie thrashed away on her Gibson Explorer and ably channeled the spirit of the mid ’90s Riot Grrrrl movement along the lines of Hole/ Courtney Love. Who needs a bassist right? She and drummer Sean Hamilton made enough noise to bring down airliners and shatter a few eardrums with a solid set of post-grunge, scrappy punk and alternative rock while still maintaining some catchy melodies. Hamilton’s arms were a blur as he gleefully grinned while bashing away at his kit.
If Miesha and the Spanks were loud. HighKicks outdid them. And who needs a guitarist right? The Dudes’ Danny Vacon crushed it on his bass while drummer Matt Doherty got a workout on the skins. Vacon told a story about accompanying his uncle to Peelers when he was just 15 and being asked to judge the best chest in the west contest. That was pretty much the extent of his audience interaction. It was all about the music and how much sound you could eek out of a bass and a set of drums.
You didn’t notice the lack of guitar as Vacon supplied a huge groove on his bass with a bone crushingly huge, Motorhead heavy distorted tone with tons of energy. His piercing voice could peel paint, but you left with a smile. I had to leave early because I felt like the flashing lights were about to give me a seizure.
As always his heartfelt cover of Jennifer Rush’s ’80s pop hit “The Power of Love” was a highlight.
