Winnipeg band Apollo Suns provided a cavalcade of horns to kick of their new tour at the Slice, Thursday, May 11. I rushed over as soon as I got off stage from Hatrix Theatre’s production of the Foreigner.

 So I missed Makiisma’s set, but arrived in the middle of the sweaty as promised set from Apollo Suns who were caught in the groove and a chorus of cheerful saxophone and trombone.

 They’re an all instrumental band, so they just let the music flow with guitarist Ed Durocher a saying a few words to the sweatily dancing crowd in front of the stage.

I arrived as he was introducing their new single “ Pluto.”

 They sounded like a trimmed down Five Alarm Funk minus lyrics and  one drummer and the crazy costumes. But they  had a few moves.

 The six piece band featured alto saxophone player Aaron Bartel and trombonist  Benjamin Hill on trombone, Ed Durocher on guitar, keyboardist Anatol Rennie , bassist Fred Warner and drummer Tim Iskierski.

 Durocher grinned as he set down wah wah soaked rhythms and the occasional solo letting the horns shine. 

The band knelt down to build tension and leaped up wave style.

 Anatol Rennie set down Herbie Hancock style avant jazz textures on keyboards. 

 Durochers ended the show by saying ‘ this is a new song, so be kind,” as they ended with another upbeat number which had some ’70s style funky bass and sounded like the theme to a spy thriller movie. 

They were called back for an encore.

Rennie broke out a keytar to take centre stage. 

He danced on top of one of the speakers and lead most of the band, other than bassist Fred Warner and drummer Tim Iskierski who were keeping the rhythm on stage into the middle of the dancing crowd as if they were in New Orleans  in the French Quarter on a Friday night instead of the Slice oin a Thursday, to wind down their hot and tight show.

 They opened their Tour  in Lethbridge and are going to tour the West coast of the United States. 

— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor