Flashback to the 20s with Colin Perry and Blind

It’s Wednesday night and the Barfly on St. Laurent is packed. The crowd is mostly in their twenties. They dance, and cheer wildly between, and sometimes during, songs. But this isn’t the latest indie band to come out of the Plateau. Instead it’s something completely different. Colin Perry, who fronts the band, Colin Perry and Blind describes their sound as “early jazz from the 20s and 30s. I guess because I play electric guitar in this band it’s more late 30s early 40s jazz. But we draw from earlier traditions, swing and early blues.” Most of the songs they play were written in the 20s.
While traditional music like this is usually found in concert halls, played for older crowds. But Perry prefers the bars, “it’s nice to play music like this in a place like this, as opposed to a concert hall. That could be nice too, the sound is great but nobody is dancing.” He also has an idea why so many younger people are attracted to his band. “I think more and more young people are getting in to traditional kinds of music maybe they’re getting tired of synthetic forms of music. It seems like young people are into it, they don’t necessarily know about it or know where to find it.” The band itself ranges in age from 26 to 60.
In addition to the 20s sound the band has a look reminiscent of the fist half of the century, complete with suits and fedoras. As well they play instruments true to the era; violin, stand up bass, upright piano and vintage drums.
Wednesday Oct. 31 marks the bands nine year anniversary. The band started as a duo and has slowly grown to the current five piece line-up. The band will mark the anniversary by playing a special show and are encouraging people to come dressed in 1920s costumes.
Colin Perry and Blind play at Barfly at 4062A St-Laurent blvd every Wednesday.