A regular old Saturday night at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. Only this particular Saturday played host to Epidemic Music Groups launch party and the buzz-worthy headliners Future History. The capacity crowd at Horseshoe Tavern could have easily drowned out any band with the usual persistent uninterested chatter, but this crowd was anxiously awaiting and anticipating a spectacle.
Enter Future History, a relatively young band in the Toronto scene, but a band that seems to be covering a lot of ground rather quickly, a band that more and more people seem to be talking about, a band you want to say you know.
My immediate reaction to the band was disbelief. There was no drum kit on stage, the would-be drummer sat on a tiny box in the middle of the stage and began to produce one of the most intense tribal drum beats, the guitar/vocalist built a swirly, ethereal trance loop with an ancient well-used acoustic guitar. The bass was massive, the sound was massive, the crowd was silent and completely mesmerized.
If it wasn’t obvious enough when listening to their music Future History puts copious amounts of effort and energy into their work. Although no comparison can do them justice, their sound could be compared to Radiohead meets Dave Matthews though it’s clear, it’s an amalgamation of styles and influences that makes Future History fail to fall into a stereotype. This makes their music instantly recognizable and leaves much space for improvisation.
When they are live, this energy comes unhinged and the band lets it loose on the audience. While the other members of the band pound out their respective melodies, Kevin Ker goes into a trancelike state which can only be described as a near-religious experience.