Heavy Medicine Band

House of Common, Ottawa ON, February 4

Photo: Ming Wu

BY Michael RancicPublished Feb 5, 2016

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Concert goers who traversed the driveway of sheer ice that led to House of Common this Thursday night must've known that Heavy Medicine Band would be worth the risk, since the venue was bursting at the seams by the time the group picked up their instruments.
 
With a name that tells you everything you need to know, Heavy Medicine Band make heavy rock informed by the blues and are wont to push themselves to psychedelic heights. Unlike some of their stylistic contemporaries, they have a tight rhythm section holding things down, helping the band reach those highs without ever making the songs feel like endless jams.
 
It was surprising to see how often their surreal soundscapes would sync up with the projections behind them, featuring cuts of samurai films, Samsara and Eyes Wide Shut.
 
Vocalist/guitarist Keturah Johnson's vocal melodies were revelatory, which was especially the case on "Speak Light (Dear One)," where she held little back, flooring everyone in the room in the process.

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