Dear Rouge brought their Black to Gold tour to the Mansion in Kingston on Friday night and they along with special guests Rah Rah and Caveboy were solid gold!
Montreal based Caveboy kicked off the show, and take it from me these three gals wasted no time getting the crowd pumped up for the main course. I had not heard of the trio before Friday night but they definitely made an impression. Far too often when you go to a show with 3 artists the first act is forgettable, not Caveboy. Not only was their performance memorable their music is actually worth listening to. Fresh off the release of their self titled EP these girls gave me enough for me to add them to my personal, and professional watch list. Also cool was the fact that all three ladies hung out at the merch tent for the entire evening immediately following their set. If you haven't had a chance to catch the Black to Gold tour yet you can catch Caveboy along with Rah Rah and Dear Rouge at their show at the Mod Club in Toronto on November 5, you won't be disappointed. Michelle, Isabelle, & Lana thanks for a memorable night you got my attention I'll be watching...and listening. I have no doubt we'll be hearing much more from you in the near future! If you want a preview of their music check out Caveboy on Spotify!
Regina's own Rah Rah kept the party and energy flowing picking up where Caveboy left off, almost without missing a beat. Currently promoting their album Vessels which was released in September Rah Rah is likely one of the most versatile bands I have been lucky enough to see live. The five members effortlessly switch positions on the stage, and, on occasion, instruments and continue to make it sound good. The stage at the Mansion in Kingston was almost too small to contain the energy and personalities of the quintet but I think they simply pushed some of that energy into the audience to compensate. If you are unfamiliar with this group I encourage you to listen to Rah Rah on Spotify, without a doubt after listening to tracks like "Be Your Man", "Chip off the Heart" and "Prairie Girl" you'll be hooked too!
I have to say that indie pop/rock hasn't been a genre that I've been doing a great job of keeping up with over the last few years, especially with the success we've had with the Canadian country music community. The downside to that is that groups like Rah Rah and Caveboy almost managed to slip past my radar. In my college years you'd regularly catch me at indie shows. I think it's time that we start to promote some of the incredible indie talent that Canada has to offer as well.
It's no secret that my favourite discovery of 2015 was Friday's headliner, Dear Rouge. Having interviewed them, finally met them at Bluesfest this summer it was the perfect setting to see them again at the Mansion in Kingston. Their show in July was a tad bit damp with a steady rain falling through much of their set but that didn't make it any less spectacular, I knew that Friday night's show would be even more over the top. I actually spotted Danielle in the crowd during Caveboy's set and had to get in there to say hello. It's been an exciting journey to watch Drew and Danielle achieve so much success over the past year. The moment they hit the stage Dear Rouge blew the walls and roof off the venue and kept the crowd jumping and dancing for their entire set. The energy that Danielle brings to the stage is unreal. Most bands wish they could maintain that level of energy for a show, Danielle makes it look easy. The packed room at the Mansion loved every minute of the show with fans stretched from the edge of the stage all the way to the merch table on one side and the bar, which at one point Danielle climbed on top of to engage with fans at the back of the room, at the other side.
The Black to Gold tour resumes on Tuesday night in Kitchener and continues it's Ontario leg with shows in Hamilton, Toronto, Guelph and London then heads south of the border for a week before returning to Canada to wrap up the North American leg of the tour with shows in Regina, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria. The tour will then jet off to Europe for the month of December.
Do yourself a favour and if any of these three bands are playing near you sometime soon go and check them out! You won't regret it! For more details, and tour dates on the Black to Gold Tour visit Dear Rouge online!
Field Service Tech by day, Live Music Nut by night! My family and I call the Thousand Islands region of Ontario home. I'm a blogger, social media geek, tech, and live music fanatic. I founded Sound Check Entertainment in 2010 to help promote festivals and emerging artists from across Canada and the world! I now act as festivals liaison, manage media relations and, of course, cover events in the National Capital region. I'm also a diehard Habs fan but Sens fans fear not; as long as they aren't playing against my Habs I cheer just as loud for the Sens.
