Fresh sounds from up and coming local musicians were the focus of Saturday’s show at Kops Records in downtown Oshawa.
The show was put together by Lucky Barracuda, a “DIY music series” produced by Pickering’s Luca Capone and Andrika De Lanerolle, who goes by Andie D.
Whitby’s Karl Escape was up first, showing off its latest single, “Hey, Where’s My Phone Charger?” from its upcoming album Songs About Nothing.
They were followed by Small Orbit from Hamilton showcasing its indie and folk-rock originals.
The last band of the evening was Toronto’s One Hundred Moons, who brought a trippy, dreamy shoegaze – an ethereal wall of sound – to the stage.
Will McGuirk, manager of Kops and a well-known name in the local music community, said the store has a “community space” to create an accessible venue for live music.
McGuirk says this is also a chance for newer acts to cut their teeth playing in front of an audience.
“I see kids come in, I see kids floating around. They don’t have a space, I have a space. I just hand it to them, and it’s as simple as that,” he says.
Saturday was Lucky Barracuda’s second show at Kops Records, following a show in August featuring Rat Penat (Valencia, Spain via Whitby-Oshawa), Jump Coven (Hamilton), and the progressive psychedelic rock band Wizards of Osgoode (Toronto).
McGuirk says he was “really impressed” with how Lucky Barracuda promoted that show and the bands on their bill, which is why he got on board for a second one.
“It’s important to the owners of this record shop that they are part of the community. I’ve been working here six years, and I was hired because I am a community builder. I can take spaces and make them happen,” says McGuirk, who was recently honoured at the DREAMS! Awards for his many contributions to the local music industry.
He says this is “hilarious,” seeing himself as an “old punk rocker” and a “complete outsider” to the industry.
McGuirk said Durham Region has “always had loud, angry bands,” and Karl Escape showed “the music is getting louder and angrier” ever since the pandemic lockdowns ended.
“Now that things have opened up and kids are out in spaces, they can yell,” says McGuirk.
Sofia Quinonez-Hernandez from Durham College’s Music Business Management program volunteered at the event.
In an email, Hernandez said she volunteered to earn practicum hours in her program and to be involved with “something fun like local live music.”
“The best part about Saturday was getting to meet so many people and listen to artists express themselves through music,” she says. “I’ve learned how important it is to network with people in the music industry.”
Supporting independent music in Durham
Capone and Andie D. approach the music scene with a desire to discover outsiders and outliers with an authentic sound. They both have a background in radio and broadcasting.
When curating shows, they look for the music they love and ensure that at least one artist is from Durham Region.
When they moved to Pickering in 2022, they thought the region lacked the kind of shows they were used to checking out in Toronto and other cities.
“We just weren’t seeing any shows happening for genres that we dig,” they said.
When they noticed their favourite artists were passing through Durham on their southern Ontario tours, the duo took matters into their own hands and created Lucky Barracuda, inspired by the Wavelength concert series in Toronto.
McGuirk says small shows like these are needed to infuse fresh blood into the scene.
He says venues have incentives and limitations, which can lead to “the same people making the same stuff, you know, and you don’t have any room for fresh voices, new voices, diverse voices.”
Lucky Barracuda is planning its next show for December.