Recent Reviews

• Music Movie • Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me - Read it • Music Movie • 20 Feet From Stardom - Read it • Sci-Fi Movie • Avatar - Read it • Alternative Music • Everclear - In A Different Light Read it • CD Music • The Bushpilots - Seven Ways To Broadway Read it • Live Music • Craig Cardiff, Matthew Barber, Julie Fader - Live at Black Sheep Inn, Wakefield Quebec Read it • Drama Movie • Capote - Read it • Drama Movie • Brokeback Mountain - Read it • Drama Movie • Syriana - Read it • Live Music • Jim Bryson, Justin Rutledge - Live at the Black Sheep Inn, Wakefield QC Read it Browse the Review Archives

• MUSIC REVIEW (Live) •

The Empiricals Empiricals Live @ The Manx & Irene's, Ottawa Philip Shaw Bova's Studio - Bova Sound

Date: Sunday January 26, 2003

The Empiricals dub themselves as Peloponnesian Pop. Or something like that. I'm not sure what that means, since the only references to Peloponnesian I could find on the web referred to a certain war in Greece in 400BC or thereabouts. What we do know is that The Empiricals play a certain brand of instrumental music which could be called "surf" yet is so much more, with songs running the gamut from spaghetti-western soundtrack material to twisted bossanovas to hyper-active jazz with some of the fastest picking this side of Dick Dale. The Empiricals shared their twisted vision of music with us Saturday January 18, 2003 at Irene's Pub as well as The Manx Pub on one of their traditional Sundays of music. While the Irene's has always featured music, at least during the week, a revamped stage layout and renewed interest in local music thanks to booking by "Goat Boy" Bruce, Irene's has featured Sawdogs and The Empiricals and Rude Boy recently, with an upcoming show Feb. 1 2003 featuring Andrew Vincent, Chris Page and The Banditas. Irene's should give some welcome competition to Zaphod's in the "cozy bar featuring live music yet with a post right in front of the stage" arena.

If you missed both Empiricals shows, put aside any reservations you may have about instrumental music and how entertaining you may think it can be, and check out The Empiricals at their next show, you will not be disappointed. They are currently riding high at number 5 on the CKCU-FM charts so the secret may be out...

Featuring Paul Hogan (Polaris!) on guitar, Mike Dubue on keyboard and Philip Shaw Bova (Clark, Janice Hall) on drums, the trio also appear as The Hi Lo Trons with Phil Bova Sr. on bass and Mike Dubue on vocals and keyboards, so check them out if you like a little singing with their tuneage.

Photos/layout ©2003 Stephen K. Donnelly, All Rights Reserved, not to be reproduced without permission.

Back

Recent Reviews