Date: June 25, 2008
Venue: Soundscapes

Soundscapes in-stores really are a beautiful thing. I’ve been to more than my fair share and have caught excellent performances by heralded Canadian outfits as well as the odd highly sought-after international act.  That said, none have been quite as unique as the performance by Toronto’s own Feuermusik from a few weeks ago.

Showing up with an assortment of buckets and a couple woodwinds, the experimental/jazz duo delivered an empassioned five-song set as eager onlookers filled the store.

Being someone with a very limited budget and no room for a proper drum kit (I just gave away 2 floor toms and a kick drum due to lack of space) it was especially encouraging to see just how expertly Gus Weinkauf was able to pound away on three upturned buckets (he was sitting on a fourth). Don’t worry, I’m not about to start banging around on pots and pans in my apartment (I don’t have room for buckets either…), but it was refreshing to see someone make a DIY approach work so damn well.  In fact, the last time I’d seen someone playing a bucket it was a homeless guy on Yonge street who would sing a song about you for a quarter…

Of course, don’t let that take away from the expert woodwinds of Jeremy Strachan. In fact, I left the gig half-tempted to get out my old alto saxophone that hasn’t been touched since the eighth grade.

That said, you can check out the entire set for yourself, as it was filmed for Zunior.tv. To start you off, here’s Feuermusik performing “Full of Grace”:

Head to Zunior.tv to catch the rest of the set on video. In the meantime, here’s the very same tune performed above, as taken from Feuermusik’s recently released sophomore album, No Contest (about which I previously mused here):

Feuermusik - Full of Grace

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page or grab digital copies of both their albums from Zunior.