 Photo by Marcos Colón
 Photo by Marcos Colón
 Photo by Chris Gordon
 Photo by Chris Gordon
The Dears
Featuring the Annuals
Studio A
January 24th
Miami, FL
By Marcos Colón
The distance from Ontario to Miami is roughly 1,175 miles. This could be a major reason why Canadian indie rock band The Dears hadn’t played anywhere near Miami.
But on January 24th, they were finally drawn into town by Studio A to perform songs off of their newly released album, Gang of Losers. The venue has increased in popularity since its opening, attracting big names in the independent music scene.
The doors were set to open at 8 p.m., but the crowd of about 30 in line had to wait an additional 30 minutes to enter. Harris Lewis, Talent Buyer and Production Manager for Studio A, went along the line apologizing to the fans for the delay.
“I expect about 250 to 300 fans to come out tonight,” Lewis said. “The Dears have been drawing in about 800 in previous shows.”
Miami-Dade student Michelle Castanaza didn’t mind, since she was able to watch her favorite band perform for the first time without having to travel the 1,175 miles.
“I was going to fly to Canada to see them,” she said. “I love The Dears!”
First to take the stage was supporting band Annuals from North Carolina. This twenty-something ragtag-looking quintet pleased the crowd with their keyboard-driven melodies and occasional use of two drum sets. Lead singer Adam Baker led the way with strong vocals that mimicked Guillemots singer Fyfe Dangerfield. Guitarist Zack Oden sporadically jumped on an extra set of drums on certain songs adding to the rhythm permeated. The sound they produced wasn’t too impressive, especially since their sound check was done using The Dears instruments so they had to put up with what they got.
Once The Dears took the stage the venue had reached the number to which Lewis had expected. They greeted the band with strong cheers as they began their first number.
Lead singer Murray Lightburn had a strong presence on stage, sporting a brown suit with a black handkerchief tied around his neck. His vocals were on point as he crooned from song to song and were backed nicely by keyboardists Valerie Jodoin-Keaton and Natalia Yanchak. Some of the songs that they performed came off of their recent release, Gang of Losers while others came from older work such as their 2005 EP Lost in the Plot.
The Dears have a unique sound that mixes keyboards, synthesizers, acoustic guitar and yes…even a keyboard guitar! Their transition from song to song was enjoyable, never letting the audience wait.
The venue that was once sparse with 25 to 30 bodies filled up because of the exceptional and entrancing sound that The Dears created. The show was an overall achievement for the band and a fantastic treat to a fan base that was distant but faithful.
Email Marcos your thoughts: outloud@outloud.com
 Photo by Marcos Colón
 Photo by Marcos Colón
 Photo by Chris Gordon
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