Toronto’s Local Boy Band, Birds of Bellwoods, Has Our Hearts Melting

Recently, I’ve decided that I much prefer local concerts to big stadium concerts; it’s more intimate, the music is so creative and unique, and the bands are so friendly!

Birds of Bellwoods is an indie-folk band based in Toronto. The first time I saw them was at the CBC Music Festival 2017, and I am quite confident that they are going to be the next big indie boy band.

Last Thursday, I went to Indie88’s Back to School with Birds of Bellwoods and Goodnight, Sunrise at The Rec Room, and I can say that it was one of the best concerts I’ve been to this year. The venue was one of the coolest that I’d ever been to (it had pool tables and even a ping pong table), we got to meet the band members before the show, and there even was poutine!

The opener, Goodnight, Sunrise, can be summed up in one word: wild. The lead singer, Vanessa, was captivating, electric, and shredded on the keytar. Although I’d never heard their songs before, they were catchy and creative. They took indie-rock music to a whole new level by going to the middle of the floor and playing a crazy percussion feature in one of their songs.

After Goodnight, Sunrise played, Birds of Bellwoods took center stage. I love that they have such a unique look, even before they start playing, you immediately notice the double bass on stage. It’s extremely rare to see a rock band with a double bass and they take full advantage of this. Their bass player, Kintaro, is absolutely incredible and seeing him play is always a thrill.

The room was buzzing as Birds of Bellwoods came on stage. They started with their newest song, “Melatonin,” which features a magnificent trumpet fanfare before Stevie’s charming, penetrative vocals come in. One of my favorite lines from the song is, “Beside my bed, I keep a bottle of dreams. I wake up, then I go back to sleep.” Many of their songs also feature magnetic rhythms, including the intro to their song, “The Fifth.”

Many of their songs also feature four-part vocal harmony that creates texture and adds uniqueness to their songs. They combine a blend of folk and rock styles by using banjo and mandolin instrumentations. Their songs are written thoughtfully and crafted creatively. They tend towards anthem-style songs with exploding choruses.

They have so much energy on stage and they have a charm for connecting with the audience. They captured the heart of the room with many upbeat songs from their EP, The Fifth as well as songs from their upcoming album, Victoria.

Birds of Bellwoods is captivating, fun and extraordinarily magical.

Meeting them before the show was such an amazing opportunity. They were so friendly and chill. They even signed our arms!

Birds of Bellwoods’ first full-length album, Victoria, comes out on October 19, 2018.