MIRACLE FORTRESS: CURTAINS FLAMING |

Last Friday night at the Torn Curtain, it was not the lack of ventilation which made the audience sweat, but rather the stunning performance offered up by Miracle Fortress. Reminiscent of the much missed Friendship Cove, the Mile-end venue offered a cozy backdrop for what became a dance extravaganza. In this case, low means supplied high impact, creating a trance-like ambience.

A late arrival on our part caused us to miss the first opener Hear Hums, but we were fortunate enough to stumble in just in time to catch Mozart’s Sister.

Comprised solely of Caila Thompson, a member of Think About Life, and her loop pedals, this opening act was the perfect appetizer for what was to be the feast offered up by Graham Van Pelt. The loop effect which she employed really drew the audience in, forging a complicit relationship between the daisy-haired singer and the PBR-drinking public. What was most pleasing was the R&B and Dance vibes which characterized most of Thompson’s songs, the performance of which she delivered in an uninhibited manner. Mozart’s sister concluded her set with two pre-recorded tracks which set a much more electronic tone and set the stage for a dance party.

For what is of Miracle Fortress, Graham Van Pelt has evidently taken a more electronic route with his new album Was I the Wave which does away with the flowery melodies of his debut album. Having remixed Daft Punk’s song Digital Love a few years back, this departure does not come as too much of a surprise. The performance was essentially comprised of three phases; the first featured him playing solo with minimal lighting, easing the listener into his new sound, the second included a drummer who greatly contributed to the energy of the show, pushing the songs further into the electronic realm, and the third constituted a few songs from Five Roses, a musical night-cap for the audience. The lighting was appropriately assorted to these three phases, sometimes more dimmed and other times bright and frenetic. The disco-style lights which flashed multicoloured polka-dots around the stage evoked those teenage dance parties we had in our basements and captured the nostalgia of a Dance era which Van Pelt was clearly channelling. There’s also something to be said for the crowd who gave back as much energy as it received, and sweat out the music through their pores. These spectators were not curious onlookers, but rather actively engaged fans who knew what to expect from this sometimes timid performer.

By defying the standard format of an album launch, this show managed to present the new Miracle Fortress album in its best light. There was nothing contrived or gimmicky about this event which was simply delightful.