27 August 2009 12am - 12am

Music in Alternative Spaces: Pony Da Look

Thursday 27 August 2009, 8PM

Mercer Union

FREE

The Night:

The sorcerer reclines in the tender grasses under the forlorn willow tree. It stands strong of heart, rooted deep within the layers of fermenting generations. Upon each lonesome leaf hangs a Magpie’s tear that reflects the moon in it’s quartered state. This man who carries the weight of his potential offerings and disruptions absorbs the earths vibrations; it can be seen in his eyes in the form of a becalmed contemplation. He slowly raises his left hand to eye level and as if in trance he recoils his digits leaving but one extended. With his right hand he grasps the extended finger and rips it clear from whence it was homed. With a face calm and with the expression of a potent listener, he places the now solitary finger between his parting wizened lips. A beautifully formed sphere of flames levitates from his palm to light the cigar that is now gripped within his mouth that draws in and in again. The satisfying crackle of bone and tissue fill the air as a sweet perfume emanates from the wisps of smoke that escape from the edges of his lips. He sharply fills his lungs while his eyes protrude and with a forceful exhale he lets forth an all enveloping cloud of writhing smoke filled with the silhouettes of satyrs maniacally dancing to the awkward rhythm of Thor’s staff.

Come and join us in the celebration of the fear, the hell and the lies.

Pony Da Look is Temple Bates (composer/keyboards/vocals), Amy Bowles (lyrics/vocals/keyboards), Rob Gordon (drums) and Catherine Stockhausen (keyboards/vocals). This Toronto band’s unusual sound has been described as “Medieval ghost pop,” “Sexy robot make-out music” and “ABBA and the B-52s meets a history of organ music.” The band prefers “4 gargoyles spewing juices from our throats.”

Pony Da Look released their first self-titled album in 2001, followed by The Forcefield Weakens (2003). These two releases attracted the attention of Polaris Music Prize winner Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, Joel Gibb of The Hidden Cameras and Sloan. In 2007 Sloan signed Pony Da Look to their label Murderecords and released Shattered Dimensions (2008).