Photo by Frank Yang
“Hello Toronto, how we doing? We’re Slow Pulp. We’ve got some songs for you.”
And with that unassuming introduction, Slow Pulp launched into their set, starting things off with “Slugs” and proving that yes, they did indeed have some songs for us. Some pretty good ones too.
Touring behind their latest album Yard, the Chicago-based indie rockers played a solid set for a sold out crowd at the Horseshoe Tavern, with tunes like “Cramp”, “Broadview” and the aforementioned “Slugs” standing out as highlights and showcasing the band’s songcraft.
Slow Pulp has a sound indebted to ’90s indie rock with a touch of country/folk influence, a trait they share with their tourmates Babehoven, whose singer Maya Bon joined them onstage for a song. For their part, Babehoven also put on an impressive performance which inspired me to delve deeper into their catalogue.
Slow Pulp singer Emily Massey took a moment later in their set to give a shout out to the venue, noting that it was fun to walk into the ‘Shoe earlier in the day as it reminded her a bit of Twin Peaks, describing it as being like a cross between The Red Room and The Roadhouse. An interesting observation, and one that, as a Twin Peaks fan, sent my mind off on a tangent at that moment, as I imagined a scene where the crowd fades away and The Man from Another Place appears on the Horseshoe’s famous checkerboard floor to do a weird little soft shoe for a bit to the sweet sounds of Slow Pulp.
Such thoughts, however, quickly passed and soon I came back to reality and was able to enjoy the rest of the show without any distractions. I was, however, left with a craving for a piece of pie and some damn good coffee …