sebastian troen

Following a rather in-depth and pleasantly explicit interview with the boisterous members of Hey Ocean I hung around the Media Club to watch them hit the stage. The event was a fundraiser to replace some guitars that were stolen in Toronto recently and featured a long list of friends, including a very pleasantly surprising rap act called DNA6.

How best to describe Hey Ocean? Fun, charismatic, effervescent… yes,’effervescent’ works!

HO (someone really should have thought through that acronym) is fronted by Ashleigh Ball, a ray of dazzling sunshine who exudes a raw but powerful confidence on stage, as well as a voice that ranges from sweet n’ seductive to full throttle with effortless ease. She’s like an early Emily Haines, but sweeter and less pained!

David Beckingham, her long-standing writing partner (and apparently ‘middle-school stalker’) plays guitar and sings in a very controlled way. With the 3 other characters on stage it’s easy to forget he’s there but it’s his steadfast melodies that form the backbone of HO.

On the other side of the stage we find the Ashton Kutcher stand-in, Dave Vertesi, flinging his body and his 5-string bass around the tiny stage with wild abandon. And of course, behind them sits the newest member of the band, Flea-on-drums, Benny Schutze, whose closed-eye, tongue-out manic drumming was a sight (and sound) to behold!

There was a groovy vibe to the show, from start to finish, and given the circumstances, it felt more like a private party in someone’s basement than a concert. And I think that’s the vibe Hey Ocean (ok, enough with the HOs) is going for. They told me they feel fortunate with their rapid rise but I think it’s clear that their open-arms approach to their shows is appreciated by their fans and by newcomers to their music. Their music is hard to categorize though they’re strongly reminiscent of early Frente.

Their music is infectious and the band is fun to watch. Check out Hey Ocean when they come to town, I guarantee a good time. And for those in Vancouver, don’t forget their 3rd annual Pirate Party is at Richards on August 23rd with Current Swell. See you there, mateys!

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