Everett

Dominion Tavern, Ottawa ON, February 3

Photo: Ming Wu

BY Michael RancicPublished Feb 4, 2016

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Two-piece Everett is one of Ottawa's most promising new bands, and even in their early slot on Wednesday night (February 3), they had one of the best and youngest turnouts of Megaphono.
 
Performing using a unique mix of voice, guitar and drum machine, Everett play an interesting take on '90s guitar pop that's hard to pin down. Grunge is a kind of obvious signpost — vocalist and guitarist Elsa Mirzaei wore a "Hervana" t-shirt on the night — but elsewhere the combination of guitar and drum machine felt more post-punky, and with Mirzaei's honest, affecting lyrics, felt more in line with a band like Helium.
 
Mirzaei was in the news recently for her part in advocating against U.S. punk band the Queers playing a show in Ottawa, an issue she raised during the band's set. She proposed that the audience help reclaim the word "queer" by yelling "queer is beautiful" on her mark, an opportunity that the audience welcomed and obliged. The band's positivity is one that resonates, both through their music and their politics.

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