[…continued from last post]

NIGHT TAPES

We didn’t have to wait a long time for the breakdown between sets for Night Tapes to take their place on the stage. And it was immediately apparent that Ms. Vesik was another soprano vocalist on the stage this evening. But her phrasing was of the girlish variety…which gives me pause. The recent trend for this type of singing voice has been a tough row for me to hoe in the last decade or so. But as it soon became apparent when she spoke to the audience, that was simply her voice. She was not putting on any affectations.

The band proffered pillow-soft Dreampop as promised. As the show began I thought that this band just might be Kate Bush VS Cocteau Twins X Yacht Rock. It was an almost hyper-mellow vibe. Mr Richards guitar was exploring the Robin Guthrie school of tone and the tempos were never anything but relaxed. But it is telling that Kate Bush and Cocteau Twins were artists that once populated my Record Cell very deeply fortyish years ago, but are now entirely absent from the space.

The two gents onstage would occasionally shift to synths and by the same token, Ms. Vesik would pick up her guitars for a bit here and there. Yet I have to say that her flute playing added a delicate melodic counterpoint to several of the songs that conjured up a sun-dappled lakeside and that was the point where this mellow vibe worked for me best.

Where is really didn’t work for me were on the thread of songs that brought to mind the dreaded Fleetwood Mac! Yes, it’s true. I’m that guy who hates Fleetwood Mac like The Dude hates The Eagles! Ever since I first heard them in the mid 70s as they were inesacpable ont he Top 40 radio that was my constant companion at the time. And as much as I was not entranced by the vocals of Ms. Vesik, at least she was miles better than the dreaded bleating of Stevie Nicks! But the sad fact was there were at least three songs here this evening that reminded me of that Fleetwood Mac song that had the lyric “thunder only happens when it’s raining.” Brrrrr.

And yet two friends of mine obviously thought quite highly of Night Tapes, so while I was not actively repelled by the sounds onstage, nor was I exactly drawn in, either. I could have left, but I wanted to see the whole show. On occasion, Sam Doohan would sing lead or duet with Ms. Vesik and that changed the complexion of the music a little more to my liking. It also helped that the band were completely sincere in their approach. While this music was not connecting much with me, it was obviously making the crowd at The Grey Eagle happy this evening.

As we certainly saw near the end of the show where Iiris left the stage for the floor to dance with several members of the audience for one song. The young guy in front of me the whole show in the red shirt was most obviously a big fan of Night Tapes and the look on his face when Iiris beckoned to him from the floor was priceless. I often see musicians descend into the audience to play among the revelers, but what better way would there be to break down performer/audience barriers than to simply dance with the audience while the band played on?

So this evening had been a stab at two acts completely off of my radar. I really liked Cult Of Venus, and given the chance, would probably see them again if they passed through. Night Tapes were pleasant and they obviously meant well, but their style was just not in my wheelhouse. I gave it my best shot as I attempted to focus on the pretty surfaces inherent in their music. But in the end, the girlish tone of their lead singer and the propensity to encroach on Fleetwood Mac territory would have me give them a pass on any future shows. But if readers think otherwise, know that Night Tapes may have ended their US tour last week, but they now are playing across Europe and the UK currently through the next month. Tonight they are in the hallowed Paradisio in Amsterdam. No doubt playing to crowds far larger than the 550 capacity that The Grey Eagle holds.

NIGHT TAPES | EUROPEAN/UK TOUR | FALL 2025

• Nov. 12 | Paradiso | Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Nov. 13 | Vera | Groningen, Netherlands
• Nov. 15 | Cafe Glocksee | Hannover, Germany
• Nov. 16 | Urban Spree | Berlin, Germany
• Nov. 18 | Point Éphémere | Paris, France
• Nov. 19 | EKKO | Utrecht, Netherlands
• Nov. 20 | Rotwon | Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Nov. 21 | Linecheck Festival | Base Milano, Italy
• Nov. 30 | Village Underground | London, England
• Dec. 2 | Exchange | Bristol, England
• Dec. 3 | District | Liverpool, England
• Dec. 4 | Belgrave Music Hall | Leeds, England
• Dec. 5 | YES (The Pink Room) | Manchester, England
• Dec. 11 | Salon | Istanbul, Turkey

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