For Esmé

Silver Dollar, Toronto ON, May 7

Photo: Shane Parent

BY Max MohenuPublished May 8, 2016

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There's something to be said about For Esmé, a band who refused to let technical difficulties stop them from playing their set. Last night at the Silver Dollar, the Toronto electro-pop trio did their best to keep the crowd focused, all while dealing with every sound issue known to musicians.
 
Unfortunately, the stress of handling tech issues may have gotten the best of them in the early going, because with the exception of a few catchy songs, their set switched from good, to mediocre, to unbearable throughout the course of the night.
 
For Esmé's energetic lead singer Martha Meredith's friendly demeanour and stage presence kept the crowd on their side for most of the night, as she delivered upbeat pop tunes with grungy guitar licks and seamless bass lines. Some of the songs hit all the right notes, while others saw Meredith's vocals fall flat in the midst of some issues with her drum pad, which was barely making any sounds during a few of their bigger pop tunes.
 
The failed electronics took a lot away from the set, but the band continued to make due with a bad situation, turning things around for a moment in the latter half, once they fixed a few sound issues. The up-and-down performance ended with a cover of Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Gold Lion," a rendition of the indie rock classic that lacked originality, but Meredith managed to hit enough of Karen O's signature shrieks in the chorus to save them by the end of their set.

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