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Amplify preps for The Show 7.0, a live battle between bands

"We need an excited audience to cheer on the performers," said Kathleen Bell
0510 Amplify - MarcChalifoux-0421 sup CC
The Ampliflies, four musicians from the Amplify Youth Committee, performed at the 2022 International Children's Festival. They return to reprise their positive pop-rock vibe at The Show 7.0, a battle of the bands on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. MARC CHALIFOUX/Photo

Who will win the most votes at Amplify’s live battle of the bands on Friday, Oct. 14 at St. Albert Performing Arts Centre? It’s anybody’s guess. 

In this ultimate showcase of local talent, where junior high school to garage bands let their energetic sound rip, Kingfisher, Bad Mojo, The Ampliflies, and Revera are on a level playing field. 

Unlike most pre-COVID competitions that boasted different levels of talent, The Show 7.0’s band musicians formed their respective bands in 2022.  

“Things are different this year. COVID really affected the ability of bands to practice, whereas solo artists could still practice their craft. When we put out a call for bands, we discovered a lot of bands didn’t survive and it’s been a difficult struggle for bands to come back. But thankfully The Show 7.0 provided some motivation for musicians to return,” said Kathleen Bell, a City of St. Albert liaison with the Amplify Youth Committee. 

The opportunity to perform is not one that up-and-coming musicians take lightly. For many it’s a privilege to find a venue that allows them to perform songs as they please. And for many aspiring artists, it’s been two years since they’ve wrestled a gig.

As a bonus, the winning band takes home a $500 gift certificate to Long & McQuade Music Store as well as the opportunity for a professional band photo shoot. 

Revera, a hard-rock grunge band, is a product of Tristan Fehr's (lead guitarist), Matteo Sicolo's (lead singer/guitar), Ethan Gilbert's (drums), and Cassius Devlin's (bass) hard-won skills. 

“We’re a '90s grunge-rock borderline metal band. We found there are a lot of metal bands, and we want to stand out and do other stuff,” said Fehr.  

When asked about the origins of the name Revera, he added, “Revera is a Latin word that means non-fake. We wanted our music to be non-fake. We don’t have Auto-Tune. We don’t quantize the drum. It’s a digital way to line up the drum with a metronome. We want to keep the human elements in music. We want to keep the feel in the music. When you line everything up in a grid, it loses the feel. We want to keep it almost raw.” 

The band’s set list will cover Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters, and Mad Season along with two originals. 

Bad Mojo instead brings together the talents of Savanah Hill (lead singer), Cole Park (guitarist/vocals), Luke Hesse (drums/vocals), and Emily Nikiforuk (bass/vocals). 

Hill was the initial driving force behind Bad Mojo’s incarnation as a classic rock and pop cocktail heightened with rap elements. 

“I was in another band, King Casserole, and I wanted to perform at the show. But all the others in the band had mid-terms and they couldn’t. So, I asked different friends, and we came up with Bad Mojo. We all seem like a good match,” Hill said. 

The band battle will be Bad Mojo’s inaugural performance. And while it would be nice to win, said Hill, performing and getting a chance to see other bands is top of her list. 

On the other hand, The Ampliflies have a few months more experience. The foursome originally came together at the 2022 International Children’s Festival of the Arts outdoor stage. The Children’s Festival needed a children’s band. Since four musicians were involved in the Amplify Youth Committee, they were plucked to perform, said lead singer Ange Caroline, a 2020 graduate of École Alexander Taché. 

“We played What’s New Scoobie-Doo. It was fun, upbeat rock. It worked for the kids, and it gets audiences excited,” Caroline said. The other three musicians are Asher Halinda (bass), Amy Polczer (drums), and Ayla Chin (guitar). 

“After we formed the children’s band, we found we like to play as a band. We’re trying to branch out and do more indie pop rock. All four of us are individual musicians who play different types of music, but our music intersects.” 

Additional artistry will be showcased as flow artist Todd Coverdale and his prop bag make an appearance. And Dance Co will funk up the evening with a hip hop crew and a contemporary dance routine. 

“This is Dance Co’s third time back,” said Bell. “They really love to perform on our stage. Dancers’ performances are often adjudicated, but here they’re not judged. They enjoy it so much. You can see it in their faces and how the audience claps, cheers, and roars.” 

The Show 7.0 is on Friday, Oct. 14 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., at 125 Carleton Dr. Unit 105. Tickets are $7 until Oct. 7 and $10 after Oct. 8. To purchase tickets, visit www.amplifystalbert.ca.   

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