Montreal-based orchestral indie pop group Groenland
Montreal-based orchestral indie pop group Groenland concluded their mini-tour of Ontario in Ottawa last night and it’s safe to say that the 6-piece band charmed Canada’s capital city.
The show, initially scheduled to take place at Cafe Dekcuf, was moved to Mavericks at the last-minute due to the size of the crowd that showed up at the downtown venue to catch the emerging Montreal group.
Performing live in the nation’s capital for the first time, Groenland was joined on stage by opening group Orienteers, an Ottawa-based folk group comprised of members Ben Wilson, Tom Thompson, Brennan Pilkington, and Laura Greenberg. Previously known as That’s The Spirit, the band performed material from their previous project along with some new tunes from their self-titled album which they completely recorded from home. Unfortunately, many people ended up talking during the Orienteers’ performance which took away from the mellow music. Regardless, the group seemed pleased with their performance and thanked the crowd on numerous occasions for their presence and support.
A short intermission followed the Orienteers’ set after which Groenland took to the stage. Comprised of members Jean-Vivier Lévesque on keys, melodica and vocals, Sabrina Halde on ukulele and vocals, Jonathan Charette on drums, Fanny C. Laurin on violon, Gabrielle Girard-Charest on cello and Simon Gosselin on bass, the group got right into their set and opened with The Chase, the title-track found on their debut album. They continued with Superhero, Daydreaming, Criminals, La pieuvre, 26 septembre, the popular Immune, The Things That I’ve Done, Our Last Shot and Our Hearts Like Gold. About half-way through the set, lead-singer Sabrina Halde joined the crowd with her ukulele to perform Some Of Us, a beautiful song recently composed during the group’s trip to Îles-de-la-Madeleine. It was a special intimate moment that the crowd was pleased to share with Halde as everyone snapped along to her song.
Groenland demonstrated great stage presence and projected a fun energy that quickly spread throughout the audience. The members share a strong group synergy that translated beautifully on stage and this made for a solid performance. They concluded their set with a new song and thanked the crowd for their cheers and applause, promising to be back soon in the National Capital Region.
If you aren’t familiar with Groenland, be sure to listen to their debut album The Chase via the group’s official website.
