Never Shout Never With Hayley Kiyoko & Me Like Bees – The Mod Club, Toronto – March 4, 2015

By Kat Harlton
Photos of NeverShoutNever by Aaron Tamachi (taken at Van’s Warped Tour 2013)

Never Shout Never who just released their latest album Recycled Youth Vol. 1 on March 3rd brought their tour to Toronto’s Mod Club this past Wednesday evening as an all ages event.   Frontman Christofer Drew and his band played a relaxed, fun, toned down set, to the delight of their fans.

For a band I’d never heard of before, they put on an enjoyable show. Throughout their performance Never Shout Never played a range of genres, switching from pop/rock to funk, to drawn out romantic ballads.  Drew, who played in his bare feet for the majority of the set, and looked like a modern day ‘Where’s Waldo’ complete with red glasses, had a knack for interacting with the crowd.  It was clear that it was a mutual energy relationship.

NeverShoutNever

Supporting act singer/songwriter/actress Hayley Kiyoko (who you may recognize from Season One of ABC’s The Fosters)  was a glitzy, synth driven Lorde/Lights combination. Having just released her debut EP This Side Of Paradise,  Kiyoko was passionate and showed true spirit for her craft.

To be honest my favourite performance of the night was openers Me Like Bees.  As the support to NeverShoutNever, Bees gave the band a run for its money. As an indie/rock band out of Joplin, Missouri, they put on roots-driven performance that delighted the crowd . It was their first show outside of the US, which I’m sure is only the first of many to come. I particularly enjoyed their live version of ‘Ra Ra Etc’.

Overall, it was a good show for a Wednesday night and I give a huge shout out to AnchorShop for continuing to support new local and international talent.

www.nevershoutnever.com
www.hayleykiyokoofficial.com
www.melikebees.com