(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Aug. 19, 2009.)
Three young, dynamic, local musicians will be onstage at the Algonquin Theatre on Friday, Aug. 21, for what will undoubtedly be an eclectic evening of music. Headlining the show will be Karl Mohr, who, along with Eric Reid, opened for Hawksley Workman during his 2008 summer show.
Mohr grew up in Chisholm, a small town located north of Huntsville, and attended Almaguin Highlands Secondary School before heading off to Queen’s University. He later worked as a sound editor in Vienna, lived in Huntsville from 2005 to 2008, and is now working as a film sound editor in Toronto. His love of music, both playing and creating, has resulted in the creation of his band The Fallen Angels.
“We are self-proclaimed dark wave or goth rock,” says Mohr, adding that the band’s music has evolved from industrial sounds to be more intelligent, searching and creative. “It’s heavy and moody and explores different areas. It wants to know and asks questions like, ‘Are you aware? Are you sexual? Are you happy with your life?’ It’s one hour of very intense music.” He says his music hopes to explore new territory and is not easily relegated into slots.
Joining Mohr and the Angels on drums for this show will be another well-known Huntsville artist, Jeremy Munce. Opening for The Fallen Angels will be Huntsville songstress Ruth Cassie and her band Ivan Blackbird.
Cassie has toured with Hawksley Workman and created a lot of buzz on her own with her powerhouse ethereal vocals, plunky percussive and delicate piano playing, as well as poetically crafted lyrics. In addition to performing at venues throughout the area and in Toronto, Cassie has been involved in a number of smaller, intimate house concerts at private residences throughout Huntsville. Although, at times, her music is at a polar opposite to Mohr’s darker techno beats, the two have collaborated on a number of CDs and recordings.
Kicking off the evening will be another local boy, Eric Reid, and his musical muse, Laugh Out Loud, which can include up to six musicians. The group’s music is indie pop, with catchy beats and both insightful and irreverent lyrics. His listing on MySpace suggests he writes songs about “goats and parchment and oil on ducks,” so it’s apparent that Reid does not take himself too seriously. His music, however, has a growing following and wide appeal.
A presentation of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, the evening may seem like quite a break from their more conventional offerings. General manager Rob Saunders acknowledges this but adds, “We often talk about encouraging young artists, to both give them a voice and to encourage new patrons for both the theatre and the festival. However, in practice our focus is normally on more conventional artistic streams, such as through the high school music department or the local music and dance organizations. These three artists all have local ties and deserve a chance to perform in their home theatre. I think it will be a unique evening of excellent music and I challenge the 18 to 35-year-olds who have never been in the theatre to come out to the show. We would love a full house.”
Tickets are available at the Main Street box office, by calling 789-4975 or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.
