Kicking off Spring with New Releases from Rae Spoon, Kue Varo and the Only Hopes, and pinksnail
Photo credit: Daman Singh
Loophole Coffee Bars' intimate atmosphere was the perfect venue for Reverie Magazine's spring release show featuring performances from Rae Spoon, Kue Varo and The Only Hopes, and pinksnail. Celebrating a stream of new releases from Canadian artists deeply rooted in indie, folk, and country sounds, the audience seated in chairs, closely packed around the stage, supported by moody lighting and warm conversation, created an evening that felt both deeply personal and shared as a collective.
Coming in hot from Montreal, pinksnail opened up the evening with a solo performance full of Indie-folk sounds reminding me of Alex G. The acoustics combined with their unfiltered and conversational vocals sounded captivating, setting a very longing and almost melancholic atmosphere, drawing the crowd in instantly. The lyrics had a sense of dark noted humour mixed with raw emotion that had the crowd fully engaged throughout the whole set. Playing songs from their new album ‘’this mess is more blessed with u in it’’ with a notable favourite of mine “triple triple’’ singing about a loaded Timmies gift card and donuts that never tasted so good, making the crowd laugh before settling back into a more vulnerable and emotional tone. Their performance was full of comedic moments paired with authentic lyricism that kicked the evening off perfectly.
Photo credit: Daman Singh - pinksnail
Next up we had Calgary's very own Kue Varo and The Only Hopes. They opened with a slower song before shifting into a more energetic performance, showcasing the softness and strength of Kue's voice and the pure instrumental talent of their band. Varo's warmth was something you could feel all across the room, the crowd was beaming with smiles on their faces and maybe even a few joyful tears. At one point, they opened up to the audience saying "I've now had the honour of crying twice today because of music” - reminding the room the emotional weight that live music can truly have over us all. They debuted their new song “The Death of Good Advice” revealing it was the first time being played outside of the studio. Kue's ethereal stage presence and relatable authentic banter kept the audience engaged from start to finish.
Photo credit: Daman Singh - Kue Varo and the Only Hopes
Finally, closing out the night with Rae Spoon from Calgary alongside pinksnail who joined them on tour. Their performance was well balanced combining story telling and larger social reflections. Spoon opened up about personal health struggles, life as a non-binary trans artist and sang about the importance of safe consumption sites creating a warm and open atmosphere you could feel throughout the room. They performed their new song ‘’Assigned Country Singer At Birth’’ from their latest album - telling a story of authenticity and the freedom of self acceptance. Rae's riveting performance filled the room with a mix of electronic elements, complimentary to their use of guitar and powerful voice. With twelve solo albums under their belt and multiple awards, I was not even slightly surprised by the excitement that radiated amongst listener’s who could experience these new songs for the first time.
Photo credit: Daman Singh - Rae Spoon
Overall the evening felt incredibly intimate and driven by the community. The show highlighted genuine connection among the audience and the artists, full of deeply felt performances and witty stage banter- It truly captured the closeness of the local music scene here in Calgary.
Photo credit: Daman Singh - Rae Spoon
Photo credit: Daman Singh - Friends at the Loophole Show