Painted Palms
@ The Garrison, Toronto
November 8th, 2015
The Garrison may have been the venue, but there were clearly no prisoners in the house when Painted Palms took over on one of a small handful of Canadian stops of their current North American tour. The band played to a full house at The Garrison, and it was clear they made a huge impression on the crowd.
Cousins Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme grew up together in Lafayette, Louisiana. It wasn’t until Donohue moved to San Francisco that the duo decided to take up a long distance musical relationship with the help of the internet. Prudhomme eventually joined Donohue on the west coast, but they continued to create the musical magic electronically, exchanging 15 to 20 second loops back and forth by email, reworking the piece until they had transformed it into a complete song. That first psychedelic synth-pop loop eventually grew into their debut EP — 2011’s Canopy. They have since released two more EPs – 2013’s Carousel and Nothing Lasts Long , as well as two full length albums – 2014’s Forever and 2015’s Horizons. This latest release actually marks the first time they have been able to work together in a studio at the same time.
SCROLL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOBBY SINGH
Live, Painted Palms’ sound gives the impression of being larger than life – it’s hard to believe that all that sound comes out of just three instruments! Their studio performance translates well live, with Donohue’s lulling vocals right on point. Though the band usually tours as a four piece band, their current tour sees Donohue exchanging his six string guitar at times for a bass. Prudhomme on synths is a mesmerizing character – a Weird Al look-alike bopping around to his own beats. Touring drummer Shaun maintains a consistent and catchy beat, with a unique drumming style; as one Twitter-versian once observed, he “plays traditional grip with the WRONG HAND”. Whatever, it works! “Spinning Signs” was a definite crowd pleaser, and “Hypnotic”made for a grand finale! The performance breathes light, energy and sunshine and leaves
After the set it was clear that Painted Palms had made a lasting impression on the audience. Even by the end of the evening, after headlining act Small Black, audience members were still buzzing about the “awesome” and “mind-blowing” Painted Palms performance. They are taking root in the hearts of their fans, and the word is spreading. This band is a must-see.
– Trish Melanson
PHOTOGRAPHY:
– Bobby Singh
PHOTOS:
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Painted Palms Links:
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VISHTÈN – HORIZONS
