Concert Review: Looking For Alaska, Albi & The Wolves & Kendall Elise – Anthology Lounge November 6, 2020

It was another excellent lineup of Kiwi music, this time at Anthology Lounge on K’Rd as Looking For Alaska celebrated the release of their album, Light And Shadow with a few of their friends.

Looking For Alaska, the Hamilton-based folk-pop duo of Amy Maynard and Aaron Gott recorded the album with Ben Edwards at his Sitting Room Studio, so it comes highly recommended.

Last night fans were not only treated to live performances of songs from the album, but wonderful opening sets by Kendall Elise and Albi & The Wolves.

Kendall was solo and featured a group of new songs. She may have been suffering some “back to the stage” jitters but her new material sounds promising and old faves such as Heartful Of Dirt got the party started.

Up next were Albi & The Wolves…always a treat to hear them, especially the virtuosity of Pascal Roggen and some sharp dressing from Chris Dent. Looking For Alaska’s Amy Maynard sat in for a tune or two and the good vibes continued.

The headliners finally took the stage themselves and proved worth the wait, By then everyone was in good spirits with a communal buzz filling the venue.

Things got communal on stage as well, with the Albis joining in and the crowd dancing up a storm.

Pandemic and elections be damned! Nothing takes the place of a night of shimmering live music made by people so obviously in love with what they are doing.

Marty Duda