Over the din of sound check, Grounders were informed they only had 20 minutes left to play at their CMW show last night. Eek! They had to hurry up. It didn’t help that the venue felt like a sauna. From across the room I could see front man Andrew Davis starting to sweat a little. Still, he took the time to give the audience and sound mixer an apology with the utmost sincerity, “Sorry, we fucked up.”

Tantalizing hooks, addictive riffs and ghostly vocals ensued. All was forgiven.

The crowd mainly clustered to the side of the stage as they bobbed to the synth-filled rhythms and melodies. There was one guy who got really into it, dancing front row centre like nobody was watching. He left after a couple of songs. My guess: he ran out of energy?

Unlike the tiny dancer, Grounders showed stamina. The five-member band continued playing after each song, leaving no breaks in between for banter. The guys were an unstoppable musical force. And despite the setbacks—guitarist Dan Busheikin also faced some technical difficulties with his amp—their momentum never faltered.

The set ended with Along The Line after Davis shouted instructions to “CRANK THAT SHIT”. Naturally, shit got cranked. Second guitarist Evan Lewis picked up the infectious synth hook on his six-string, bringing Along The Line to a whole new foot-stomping level. Honouring their time limit, the show ended with a descending crash on Busheikin’s keys. The venue filled with applause. Grounders packed up. I was out of beer.

Photos by Andrew Weir