Review by Shannon Farrell
“Heyyy Ocean!”
I thought it’d be fitting to start off this article in the same way Vancouver-native, pop-alternative band, Hey Ocean started off their concert at Lee’s Palace late Friday night (or should I say early Saturday morning). Too bad I don’t have two talented guitarists to chant it along with me, like lead singer and flutist Ashleigh Ball did, but the effects still kind of the same, right? No? OK, moving on…
Who’s Hey Ocean? Well, beyond being “that band with the girl who plays the flute in it,” they’ve been described as one of Canada’s best up-in-coming acts. With the combined talents of Ashleigh Ball, lead guitarist, David Beckingham and bass guitarist, David Vertesi, Hey Ocean has created a loyal following from their uniquely recognized sound. A sound which has led them to produce their soon-to-be-released full length studio album “IS,” available May 15th.
On Friday night, they gave Toronto fans an experience they’d been waiting for, since the cancellation of their previous show due to issues with Ashleigh’s vocal cords. The set started off upbeat and high-energy with each member bouncing around the stage to the music. It was clear from the get-go that these three musicians have some serious talent. Not only did Ashleigh’s playing of the flute add a pleasant, yet unexpected element to the music, the shared vocals between all three members created a harmonious, lively tone that I couldn’t get out of my head.
The band played past hits as well as new favourites, met with an overall positive reception from the concert hall audience. As the show went on the band took a break from the upbeat vibe to showcase their mellower sound. The break in the lively, movement-inducing beat kept those who knew their music well interested. On the other hand, I did notice a few people head upstairs to the Dance Cave once the songs got slower.
Not that the songs were bad, but at 1 a.m. on a Friday night, mellow probably wasn’t the way to go for a pre-St. Patrick’s Day downtown audience. The many who did stick around to enjoy the show however, sang along and even did a little dancing. So I won’t hold a late show time against them. I know that I, along with many others, will be singing along to a few of their songs on at least one summer playlist this year. Hopefully they’ll come around for another show to play outdoors in the summer. Their music mixed with a warm day would be a great combination.
