COLA w/ NUTRIENTS
@ THE BABY G, TORONTO
APRIL 19, 2023
Cola kicked off the start of its 2023 tour with an intimate sold out show at The Baby G. As people poured into the venue you could sense that the newly-formed band already has a cult following, one that consists of new fans but also fans of the recently dissolved post-punk band Ought, which Tim Darcy and Ben Stidworthy were a part of.
To start the night off, Toronto band Nutrients performed a fun set of jangle pop music off of their latest album Different Bridges along with some older material.
The Montreal trio took to the stage shortly after. They opened with “At Pace”, and Darcy’s distinctive vocals instantly brought back warm memories of his past performances.
The band and their fans fed off of each other the entire night. In between songs, Darcy’s stage banter had the audience cracking up, the energy matched that of a family reunion of sorts. Fans young and old danced along to the music as if they were at a night club, it was a refreshing sight to see compared to the usual head nodding or moshing that accompanies a lot of shows for similar artists. This was especially true during the song “Mint” where Stidworthy’s bass playing and Evan Cartwright’s motorik drumming provided the perfect beat to get down to.
Darcy sings slowly on “Fulton Park” before the song is transformed into a late 70’s-inspired punk frenzy. Another major highlight of the night was the fan favourite “Water Table” where the crowd erupted in an enthusiastic sing-along.
The band closed the set with their latest single “Keys Down If You Stay” but as they played their final notes and humbly thanked their devoted audience. The venue exploded with chants for an encore, nobody was ready for the night to end.
(Photography by Cory Barter)
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