Banks

WayHome Stage, Oro-Medonte ON, July 30

Photo: Morgan Hotston

BY Corinne PrzybyslawskiPublished Jul 31, 2017

8
Jillian Banks is a singer-songwriter from Orange County, California, whose understated lyricism — especially paired with the smokiness of her voice and the passion of her performance — makes for an evocative live experience.
 
Banks opened her set with an extended rendition of "Fuck With Myself," an aggressive and bass-heavy take that affirmed she has reached a new level of artistic maturity. Despite addressing the crowd in a near-whisper, the confidence of her stage presence commanded attention. The singer-songwriter's voice carried over the clamour of the weekend's biggest stage, and its coarse raspiness enraptured everyone in the vicinity.
 
Despite her pop-leaning songs, she has enough grunge associated with her image that her performance could and did incorporate experimental embellishments. Two dancers performed an interpretive choreography that lent a physical counterpart to the emotional labour Banks sang of in her breakthrough hit "Waiting Game."
 
Her stage presence exuded confidence, resulting in a show that maintained the momentum she's garnered with the critical reception of her latest release, The Altar. Overall, the performance was mature and affecting.
 

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