Holiday Hideout w/ Spell, Shoe Blog, & more @ K Hole
I saw a lot of smiles plastered on people’s faces as I walked into the K-Hole for the Holiday Hideout show on December 18th. The house show, hosted by Pancake and Debaser, doubled as a fundraiser for the Ottawa Food Bank. Patrons were encouraged to bring an non-perishable food item for a deal on entry. Despite the switch in times and venue, the show was at capacity within an hour.
The night started off with Soft Drugs, a band that blew the crowd away with their melodic, high-energy sound. People began dancing and having so much fun, and before I knew it the set was over. Followed up was The Institute of Mental Orgiastic Experiences, fronted by Trails. It was wild. Contrasting Trail’s soft coffee house-sque love songs, The Institute of Mental Orgiastic Experiences sound was loud and vibrant. This music matched the dazzling projections shown on the walls behind stage.
At this point in the night the crowd was moshing and things began getting a bit rowdy. The next band, Shoe Blog, was setting up. As people began filing in, the band began to play. Shoe Blog’s sound was very soft although they fit in well with the latter band’s music. They had an enormous, beautiful cello that was used around the end of their set which was very interesting and new to see.
Unfortunately after Shoe Blog the crowd was so disruptive that the headliner, Spell, was unable to go on. Slowly people began to leave upon instruction. It’s such a shame that a few disrespectful folks had to spoil everyone’s fun. Here’s a post-show note from one of the organizers:
Regardless, the Holiday Hideout show for me was a success. Throughout the night all I could hear was positive comments, some even claiming that this was the best they’ve felt in months – not to mention all the food donations. My holiday wish is to see all these bands perform again soon, and that the few who were disruptive learn to respect the space around them. All in all, great show and a huge thanks to all the organizers!