Saturday night found us rushing to get to the Mohawk for their after show. As we were heading towards Red River, we could hear The Octopus Project playing “Music is Happiness” (my favorite of their songs) and as it turns out they only had three songs left in them. As late as it was, the line still went out the door and by the time we got in they were playing their last song. I was disappointed because they’re a fantastic to see live, but at least I got to see Yvonne in her plum sequined frock, looking like a tight rope walker.
Even though we missed all of the opening bands, I was happy that we made it for all of Voxtrot’s set. The band rarely plays live shows these days and I’d never had the chance to see them. I knew I would have a good time after the band came on stage to set up. They were in a great mood and ready to interact with the audience. When lead singer Ramesh Srivastava walked onto the stage, a girl behind me said, “OK. I still think he’s cute”, which seemed to be the consensus of the women in the room. At first sight Srivastava doesn’t look like a heartthrob, but with his soulful eyes, endearing dance moves (think a combination of Elvis, Stuart Murdoch and James Brown), soft voice and romantic lyrics it’s no surprise that indie girls swoon for him.
All of Voxtrot’s songs are catchy, with easy-to-learn lyrics and an infectious dance beat, but a few stood out that night. “The Start of Something” is one of their more popular tunes and the one the audience, including me, reacted to the most. It’s a sweet song and almost nobody in the audience was standing still when they played it. I even let myself go and dance with a woman who had been invading my personal space during the entire set. When they played their cover of The The’s “This Is the Day”, my feelings of being back in the 1980s (in a good way) were crystallized. Srivastava seemed nervous about the song, but he put his unique brand on it. That is why I like Voxtrot–they take elements from past musical eras (mainly the 1980s with a little 1960s sprinkled in), but they still make their own sound. Their piano ballads, particularly “Soft and Warm”, stood out for me, probably because I’m a huge fan of power pop.
Overall, I was impressed with Voxtrot’s performance. They have great chemistry, with each other and the audience. They obviously love what they do, which always makes for a great show.
