By: Scott Martin
As the sun began to set on Rideau street, the entire block seemed to come alive with a buzz of anticipation for what was to come. Gathered on the sidewalk below the second-floor venue of Cafe Dekcuf, grew a whirlwind of excited chatter, laughter and cigarette smoke. It was time for the show to begin.
Once you climb the narrow staircase towards the venue, you’re greeted with warm, dim yet cozy lighting. Having been recently renovated, it was quite exciting for many guests to become reacquainted with this local favourite, home of so many musical memories.
The audience made their way to the front, as the night’s first performer took the stage. We watched in curiosity as we saw a laptop being set up and quickly grew curious as to what we were about to witness. What followed was an incredible performance of beautiful, haunting and exciting pop tunes performed by Montreal’s very own CARLYN. The audience was quickly enamoured with her delicate yet powerful vocal performance. It was clear that CARLYN had made an instant connection with the crowd when she said “this is my mosh song” and without missing a beat, a small moshpit formed on command.
The next act to take the stage was Tarbox. This grunge-inspired powerhouse of a band made quite the statement by incorporating a cover of the popular Beatles song “Dear Prudence” early into their set. Tarbox shook the very foundation of Cafe Dekcuf with their heavy-hitting riffs, extremely catchy vocal melodies and the emotional screams that seemed to echo throughout the venue. Watching this group perform live, it is undeniable that they have a clear passion for their craft and this was evident in their tightness as a live act.
Finally, it was time for the headlining act to take the stage. It was time for Family Man.
Exploding into their first song, singer Connor Root began with a manic barrage of lyrics accompanied by the band playing at a fever pitch. Within seconds they were already impossible to ignore and seemed to exude an aura that demanded your attention. As they continued their set of energetic, sporadic, and exciting alt-rock, we were met with a few surprises. Around the halfway point of the set, CARLYN returned to the stage to join Family Man for a fantastic cover of Avril Lavigne’s classic song “Sk8er Boi” which had the entire bar on their feet dancing along. A few songs later they invited me (Scott Martin) onstage for a cover of the hit Weezer song “Buddy Holly”. These surprise collaborations really gave the entire set a sense of unpredictability that was very endearing and exciting.
Family Man wrapped up their set by returning to the stage for an encore of their new hit single and title track of their new EP, What’s New
I was able to sit down with the drummer of Family Man, Bryan Thomas, to share a few words on their recent signing to Indica Records and their new EP
“We’re all extremely excited about signing to Indica Records, it’s a bit of a dream come true,” said Thomas.
“Our new EP ‘What’s New”, it’s titled that, obviously, because of the title track… but it is also meant to be a reintroduction. We’re here, we have a new polished sound, we have new members and new energy, so what’s new, world? Here’s family man”.
Family Man certainly made a successful reintroduction to Ottawa, and with a live show that felt like nothing less than a party with your best friends, you can truly tell that this is one genuinely happy Family…Man.
