Barrymore’s comes alive with the sound of local as The Lionyls release their new album

It was a packed house at Barrymore’s last Saturday as a couple of local bands held a dual CD Release Party – The Lionyls and Wise, Young & King. The two were joined by fellow locals Tribe Royal and Lemon Cash for an entertaining musical evening.

First up for the evening was Tribe Royal. The quartet brought an energetic mix of folk and rock. I’ve been seeing the band’s name quite a bit recently, so I was eager to catch their set. Unfortunately they were well into their set by the time I arrived. I did however manage to catch the last 4 songs and thoroughly enjoyed what I heard. Hopefully I’ll be able to take in a full performance sometime in the near future.

Hitting the stage next was Lemon Cash. The last time I saw them, they were competing in finals of the LiVE 88.5 Big Money Shot competition in 2014. You could tell they had a good following with them, as the crowd pushed up to the stage once they started to play. The band has refined their sound since 2014 and has a knack for writing catchy hooks.

After a short intermission, The Lionyls got started with their engaging brand of soul and rock. I also discovered them through the Big Money Shot competition when they won back in 2014. The band has definite stage presence and I learned early on that you’re going to get an energetic performance every time. I always enjoy hearing them play and they never fail to deliver plenty of opportunities for a photographer.

The last band to take the stage was Wise, Young & King, another group I first heard in the Big Money Shot. Though they disbanded a few years ago, I was excited to find out they had reformed at the start of the year. The group always bangs out a hard hitting set of rock ‘n roll goodness. I’ll never tire of vocalist Alan Charlton’s voice. I still don’t understand how he doesn’t blow out his voice half way through a set.

It was great to 4 excellent local bands entertain a sold crowd at Barrymore’s. Make sure you check out all of them. It’s evenings like this that prove there is no shortage of musical talent in Ottawa!