The fifth and final night of this year's Rose Festival RoZone concert series was spectacular indeed. Beginning with amazing weather, it was the recipe for a perfect day filled with friends and great music on our waterfront.
Opening the day's music was The Wind and The Wave (Dwight Baker and Patricia Lynn—Dwight is “The Wind” and Patty is “The Wave”). Along with Nick on drums, the trio provided a great opening set that included everything from indie folk to alt-country and some rock, offering a little something for everyone. Their songs were clearly written and played from the heart featuring Lynn’s emotion-filled vocals, great melodies and insightful lyrics. Overall, it was a great performance that definitely won the crowd over.
Next up came the indie rock of Kopecky, the six-piece evolution of the Kopecky Family Band featuring vocalist/guitarist Gabe Simon, who co-founded the group with vocalist/keyboardist Kelsey Kopecky, alongside guitarist Steven Holmes, bassist Corey Oxendine, cellist Markus Midkiff, and drummer David Krohn. Their set was filled with catchy pop melodies, kick drum rhythms and fun—a highly energetic and entertaining performance that was just awesome.
Returning for the second year in a row of KINK on the Waterfront were personal favorites Scars on 45. Danny Bemrose (vocals/guitar), Aimee Driver (vocals), David “Nova” Nowakowski (keys), and Chris Durling (drums) are hands down some of the nicest, humble and most sincere people you will ever meet, and their songs and harmonies are beautifully crafted for Bemrose and Driver's voices, which seem to mesh together flawlessly. Their set was perfectly curated for the festival atmosphere, and fans definitely enjoyed their performance along with the band’s onstage banter. Scars on 45 are absolutely at their best live, and in person, Bemrose and Driver share something quite special each time they step up to a microphone—catch them when they return in this fall.
Headlining the night were Toronto's Walk Off The Earth, who brought down the house with their great music. On stage, this band is something to behold—with their wide range of musical talent combined with their amazing stage presence and showmanship, all of which is only topped by their harmonies. From their opening song "Gang of Rhythm" (watch the video below) to their covers of "Happy," "Material Girl" and "Little Boxes" to the closing "Summer Vibe," they delivered a fantastic set that had fans (including many families) from ages 6 to 60-plus singing and dancing along. This band has the feel of a modern-day Grateful Dead, from the families and dogs running around backstage to their dedicated fan base, many of whom traveled to Portland specifically to see the last show of their tour. This was a great show, and if there were a roof on this night, they certainly would have blown it off. Walk Off The Earth live in concert were one of the most exciting shows of the year!
