The Concordia indie band put on a classic rock-inspired show at the Blue Dog.
Montreal-based indie rock band Tulipface performed for a packed bar at the Blue Dog Motel on St. Laurent Blvd on Oct. 24.
The show had free admission, making it more accessible for students. The group was in good spirits before the show.
“Everytime we play a show we’re a little better, so it’s exciting to just get out there again,” said Oliver King, the main vocalist and one of the guitarists in the band.
King is a third-year music major at Concordia. He said he was most looking forward to gathering with his band to perform for a live audience.
King mentioned being worried about the sound — all the music went directly through on-stage amps, rather than being hooked up to loudspeakers.
“It’s all just coming from the stage, which is pretty rock-and-roll, but it means that we’re sort of flying by the seat of our pants,” said King.
Vaughn Newey, 20, is the group’s drummer. He works at Thomson House on the McGill University Campus. He’s been playing with Tulipface for the roughly year-and-a-half they’ve been active.
“I’m just looking forward to playing live. It’s a great feeling,” said Newey.
The band has done around a dozen shows so far. They got started in Ottawa but later moved to Montreal. It was here where they incorporated their fourth member, Emile Côté, a third-year film production major at Concordia and the other guitarist for the band. He is responsible for the atmospheric qualities of the music.
“I have a lot of effects and pedals to create the soundscape of the band,” he said.
Even though there were concerns about the sound, everyone was excited to play at the bar. Côté linked the Blue Dog Motel’s appeal to its minimalist aesthetic. Some bars, he said, put a lot of pressure on the bands that play to make more money. Since this was a free show, they don’t have that incentive.
Christopher Colaco, 20, plays the bass and provides vocals for some of Tulipface’s songs. As a former music instructor at the Nepean School of Music in Ottawa, he has experience with numerous instruments.
He explained that the size of the venue is a double-edged sword. According to Colaco, it is very small but that “gives an element of closeness.”
Two bands performed alongside Tulipface: The Satisfactory and Mr Patterson. They all had a very classic rock feel with their gritty vocals and occasional mic feedback sounding through the cramped bar.
King’s vocals were loud and powerful. His lung capacity was on full display as he sustained intense notes for long periods of time.
Their manager, Sophia Godoy, organized this event. She is a third-year communications major at Concordia. Taking over Tulipface’s management in the summer of 2024 became her first band management gig. From booking all their appearances to networking, she describes her job as “trying to make them something.”
Though the instrumentals were blaring, they also had a sort of romantic, emotional quality. It is evident that Tulipface’s songs are a product of the group’s passion for music and the community it brings.
“We just wanted to take the opportunity to gather and have a good time,” said King. “That’s one of the things that music does; one of the reasons why we do it.”
