REVIEW & PHOTOS: Cyndi Lauper @ PNE Amphitheatre | September 3rd 2018
September 5, 2018PHOTOS: Clutch Book of Bad Decisions Tour 2018 @ The Commodore Ballroom | October 8th 2018
October 12, 2018
Wardruna + Eivor @ The Vogue Theatre Vancouver | September 18th, 2018
The beat of the drum, the hum of the horn. Moments where you felt your heart beat the centuries of your past. These were just a few of the emotional feelings I experienced while having the pleasure of hearing artists of such heart.
The first artist was Eivor, where her voice was haunting and yet crystal clear; with ease, she hit notes higher than C and drew you into the music. She used a drum and an electric guitar, bringing the past and the present together within the beats. Both bands had no English to the music and yet none was really needed to convey the feelings of each song.
The second band was Wardruna. They with their low hums of the horns and the beating of what appeared to be a period style drum brought us back to a culture that was rich in music and traditions. They too, evoked emotions of power, curiosity, wonderings of the afterlife.
The audience members were decked out in costume of various styles and props. Some had deer horns, some had Viking robes and beards, and some dressed in the traditional clothes of the period showing their reflection of Wardruna’s wardrobe and appreciation.
As a photographer having been to many concerts, there was something that struck me about these musicians; they had captured the audience, so much so, the audience felt no need for their cellphones. In most concerts, it is hard to see one without thousands upon thousands of phones, flashlights, and screen bars lighting up the theatre. Not in this case, where I sat, there was perhaps 3 or 4 people that used their cellphones to record or take pictures, the rest were hypnotized with the music. The harmony, the rich thrum of the deep voices of the men and the crystal clear voices of the women, left you wondering if you had stepped over the threshold to another time and place.
Wardruna used a number of instruments that looked wonderfully made. The horns that rose above their heads, the ram horns, the trumpeting horns, then I believe some type of lyre may have been used and a violin type instrument reminding me of a flattened hurdy-gurdy. So many options for them to use to create the music that they did.
The audience loved them and gave both sets of performers, standing ovation’s, which was very much deserved. The power of these musicians and artists have collected another fan, and more music will be added to my iTunes list.
Sarah Diamond is a local artist here in Vancouver who loves taking photos. Interested in the field since she was 7, she has loved the challenges that Photography brings with each shot and environment she interacts with.