You can add Zoo Riots to the list of great shows nobody saw.
The Victoria based psychedelic rock band plus hip hop duo Euphorik and Iroh wound down their latest tour by stopping by the Slice, April 20 to sprinkle some sweat and good vibes onto an intimate audience.
I arrived in the middle of Euphorik And Iroh’s set.
Euphoric aka Jesse Karakai and multi-instrumentalist Miles McLaren had Zoo Riots dancing as well a couple of the more exuberant Slice patrons dancing and cheering.
While Euphorik strode across the stage rapping with rapid fire delivery, Iroh worked up a sweat on keyboards, percussion and drums and tapped at his computer.
For variety they invited Zoo Riot bassist Cayman Burke on stage to add a funky groove for a song and frontman Justin Campbell to add extra vocal melodies on another before winding up their set and letting Zoo Riots do their thing.
“It’s nice to have a nice intimate little show,” quipped Zoo Riots frontman Justin Campbell, wielding drum sticks to add extra drums.
The band, Liam McLaren (guitar/vocals); Cayman Burke (bass guitar); Justin Campbell (vocals/ percussion); Liam Moes (drums) and Kevin McKay (guitar), laid down a groove chock full of big bass, sweet vocal harmonies, quick guitar solos plus catchy guitar hooks. They punctuated their laid back groove with bursts of guitar and melody.
One of many highlights as “Separate Pages.” They alternated between more mellow, laid back grooves full of chiming guitars, with blasts of energy and fits of funk.
They played the title track of their new EP “Arbutus Skin Lady” as Campbell joked they would accept credit cards plus plasma and blood donations for it.
To fulfill an audience request for some rapper Biggie Smalls, they invited Euphorik back on stage to rap a verse in the middle of one of their groovy originals and finished their set with a hot version of the Killers’ “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” ending the show around 11 p.m.
