Alvvays

Over the past year or so pop rockers Alvvays have begun to make the rounds in Toronto playing some pretty exciting opening slots for the likes of Colleen Green and Palma Violets. As they demonstrated at their Silver Dollar NXNE showcase, it doesn't take very long into one of their sets for an audience to begin to understand the band's unmistakable appeal. The set began somewhat unsuspectingly as singer Molly Rankin decided not to bother with the formality of an introduction. After just a couple remarkably catchy pop numbers, however, the crowd's interest had been sparked. At one point Rankin asked the sound guy if she could "come up" in the monitors. A large portion of the audience mistook themselves as the recipients of this request and responded by moving forward, crowding around the stage and solidifying the show's well-deserved tight atmosphere. It was certainly a serendipitous misunderstanding. Rankin finally remembered to say "we're Alvvays by the way" at some point during the set. Yet, that understated introduction was probably enough, I don't think the Silver Dollar's attendants are going to forget about this band.