Tripping West

Tripping West is fun. I have liked their music since discovering them on Project Opus almost a year ago and for different reasons, I have never been able to catch them live (which is surprising because they play a lot around here). I am really glad I made it this time. Expecting a typically low Vancouver mid-week turnout, I was surprised to see about 100+ people when I walked in the door, just before the band went on. On a Wednesday night it seems bands are lucky to bring in 50 in this city.
They start off with Inside Myself and Head in the Sand. Wow - these guys rock a little more than I thought they would. Maybe it was just the buzz of being live, but the radio friendly pop that I expected was on a bit of a bender, and it was coming at me loud and strong. Cool. I notice something else: every head in the place is watching the stage. No exaggeration - every head! I never see that. Three songs in they throw in a cover of Tenacious D, which clearly rocks the room (and the guy in charge of the lights!).
Up next is the Drinking Love Song. When I first heard the recorded version I commented that it would likely be awesome live. I was right. With a drink in each hand, this song is a blast. It was over way too soon.

» More music from this artist ...
A couple more songs from the recent CD release, Scene From Our Lives, are next, including the title track. The studio versions of these songs have some rich layers, and the five member band do a great job of bringing the right elements to a live show. No artsy pretention, no multi track sequences. Just honest, melodic rock delivered straight up with a healthy dose of fun.
A couple more covers: a kind of obscure rendition of Foo Fighters' Everlong, and then a bang on version of The Cranberries' Zombie.
They close the show with a smokin' hot Pass You By and a new one, Turn Off Your Mind. I defintely won't be waiting another whole year to see them again.
Tripping West plays a lot of different venues: from clubs to family friendly outdoor festivals. When you get the chance, catch them in a live show. It's a ton of fun.

www.projectopus.com
- Stephen Abbott/Projectopus.com

Artist: Tripping West
Website: http://www.soundclick.com/
Track Name: Pass You By (see player at bottom of post)
Playback: flash
Download?: No

After all the hardcore angst from yesterday’s post on Uncle Fritz I thought a bit of straight ahead, uncomplicated pop/rock would fit the bill and “Tripping West” fit the bill perfectly. Pass You By is a rather tasty uptempo rocker. Perfect.

Tripping West have all the things a good pop/rock band should have, good strong riffs, a good singer and stuck in your brain melodies. They are another of these wonderful Canadian bands that I keep finding. (What is it with this country?) Tripping West have been working the live Vancouver music scene and honing their craft for the last couple of years and it shows. They have just released their new CD last month and it seems to be going well for them.

There is a rather nifty interview with the band over at
www.projectopus.com/trippingwest-interview and the ubiquitous mypace site at www.myspace.com/trippingwest

If you like indie pop music, you are sure to like these guys.

- DUGGUP

Tripping West

Vancouver-based Tripping West is a hard-charging group fronted by Tricia Kelly, who sings with best of them; Natalie Merchant and Blondie come to mind through the ears at the sound of her voice.

The band, smooth, solid and sound, plays a wide and interesting mix of styles; jazz, rock, blues, pop, Gaelic drinking ... On "Scenes From our Lives" and Kelly's distinctive sound ties it all together nicely.

The group has been together for 3 years and this is their first CD. The work ethic that comes through in the music is evidenced in real life; three members work in the airline industry where the hours are exhausting, erratic, and unpredictable in the not-always friendly skies. Still, the band plays live regularly and they have developed a devoted following in the Vancouver area.

I contacted the band through their website and e-chatted with Orlando Kutic, the bass player. When asked about their motivation and the sacrifices required of an independent band, he replied:

We are all motivated by the music that we make, the response we get to our live shows and most of all, by one another. In a little over three years, we have managed to finance, write, record and release a full length CD. We have also managed to build a fairly devoted following.

In terms of sacrifice, we have had to make some in order to get to where we are. Some of us sacrificed a career in law, some sacrificed a higher position at work and some just sacrificed their free time. But in the end, we are all very happy with where we've ended up and we also know that more sacrifices await us further down the road.

"Scenes From Our Lives" is a collection of 11 bouncy, catchy songs that insist you join the fun and sing along. I was reading about them recently and came across this response to what's next for the band from Tricia, "You know, a lot of crying, and napping, and drinking out of bottles." Funny.

She continued, "But seriously, I am really looking forward to playing more. Not just shows, but rehearsals, jamming, composing, getting back to why we were doing this in the first place. It's easy as an independent band to get caught up in all the other aspects of the music industry ... recording, promoting, managing all the other little details that require your attention if you want to be serious about it. But we're really doing this because we love playing music," and the love shines through. - Kevin Somers-Raise The Hammer(Hamilton Ont)