The first official night of the Summerworks Musical Series started off with a bang. Playing before a packed house at the ridiculously cool Theatre Centre venue, indie pop act The Magic put on an impressive show that also doubled as their record release party for their upcoming debut album Ragged Gold.
Featuring both Geordie Gordon and the leggy Sylvie Smith on vocals, the group’s music can best be described as fun infectious music that can inspire some hand claps and serious waspy dancing. I first saw The Magic in 2009 at the Wrongbar, and at the time I wrote that they sounded like Yacht Rock, I think that still kind of holds true, and that’s a good thing. Being Summerworks, the concert also featured theatrics with Keith Cole playing the role of the MC in what can only be described as a twisted cross dressing re-imagination of classic 70’s show The Midnight Special. Interviews, dance contests and the like kept the 90 minute show moving along at a rapid pace accumulating in the crowd and band dancing under a pitch black sky of glitter and balloons.
Opening for the Magic was the new Maylee Todd/Dan Werb collaboration Ark Analog. Fans of Woodhands would know that they have previously worked together on the Woodhands track Dancer and probably some other tunes as well. While the premise of the band seems promising (dance beats balanced out by a female vocals), the group has some work to do as Ark Analog seem to quickly lose momentum after an impressive first track. Given that the collaboration is relatively new and both Dan Werb and Maylee Todd put on good shows on a regular basis, I’m sure things will work out over time.