Canada’s famed multi-instrument indie-rock quintet, Walk Off The Earth, hit the stage at Toronto’s Sound Academy last Thursday for their final concert of the year, as part of the Edgefest Jingle Bell Concert Series. The band became a household name when their cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” went viral on YouTube. They took their act on the global road with their Gang of Rhythm tour and have most recently released their debut album, R.E.V.O.
Kytami and StereoKid opened the show, and both got the crowd revved up for Sarah, Ryan, Joel, Gianni and Mike to come onstage. They sang “Bring in the kick drum/it can back the beat” to start the show, then jumped right in with energetic songs—the title track, “R.E.V.O.,” then “Gang of Rhythm.”
They switched into songs with their uniquely famous flying instruments; throwing one instrument to their assistant offstage and having a different one thrown back. Ukuleles, theremins, banjos and melodicas swiftly flew overhead and landed in their waiting hands.
The crowd cheered when world-champion beatboxer KRNFX joined in on a cover of Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble,” then took over to treat the audience to a solo performance of his original beats.
Walk Off The Earth then came onstage again for an encore and ended the night with their performance of “Somebody that I used to know” as they all crowded around the one guitar. Before heading off stage, they lightened up the mood with “Summer Vibe” as colourful confetti and balloons fell down on the crowd and everyone joined in with the chorus and echoes of EH-OH and BOP-BOP-AWAY-OH.
One thing is for sure, after this year, Walk Off The Earth won’t become just some band that we used to know and will be ringing in the new year with even more fans.
Words & Photo: Celina Ip