One Awesome Night

It was my best friend's birthday and we wanted enjoy the night! So, we grabbed a few friends and made our way down to Joe's Apartment for the finals of the Best In Vancouver contest! Three bands, The Faceplants, Little India and Dear Adeline with a special headliner, Aviator Shades. For my friend's birthday, we gave him some cashola as well as a gift certificate for "One Awesome Night". Hopefully it lived up to it!

Surprisingly, up first was The Faceplants. Starting their set at 7:45 to a small crowd, they played a tight set. Perhaps it was the lack of crowd, or maybe they just had a big night on Friday, but it almost seemed a bit dull. It lacked the usual Faceplants punch! That being said, they actually had more crowd involvement than some of the later bands. Packing a ton of songs into their 45 minute set, as well as throwing in a cover of "Bad Touch" by the Bloodhound gang, they really kept things interesting on stage. Overall, a solid set, but I wish they had more of a crowd like the last weekend we saw them. Check them out on Facebook HERE.

Little India took the stage next and just laid down the groove. This three piece rocked hard and impressed us with their prog-indie sound. Great use of dynamics for a three piece. Bass laid down the foundation which the drums locked in with, allowing the guitar to almost be an accent piece. The vocals ranged from catchy hooks to atmospheric sounds. Some great tunes that were interesting to the ear but also melodically pleasing. Go check them out on Facebook HERE.

Dear Adeline was the last Top 3 band to play the stage, once all the judges votes were in they were also proclaimed the winner of the Best In Vancouver contest. We can see why they won, out of all three bands they were actually probably the most commercial. Having a very pop rock sound, they would fit right onto the radio with a well produced single. With a marketable image as well, these good looking guys played their way to victory. The crowd seemed engaged but I didn't catch much interaction between the band and audience. They just played their tunes and the crowd just listened. Be sure to check them out on Facebook HERE.

Closing the night was Aviator Shades, which was a total 180 degree flip musically from Dear Adeline. As usual, these boys brought the thunder and laid into their rock and roll tunes with gusto! Some great banter with the audience and great stage work ensured that all eyes were on the band. Finishing the night up with the crowd demanding an encore is always a great feeling. Very excited for their new EP to be released in the new year! Check them out on Facebook HERE.

To see all the photos go HERE.