Wild Rivers Showcase Folk-Pop at its Finest

WILD RIVERS

Energetic and bursting with charisma, Toronto’s Wild Rivers radiate an unbeat sound that’s been quick to capture the hearts and ears of listeners around the world. And with an impressive tally of 30+ million Spotify streams stemming from the release of a single studio album and EP alone, Khalid Yassein (vocals/guitar), Devan Glover (vocals), Andrew Oliver (guitar/bass), and Julien Laferriere (drums) clearly demonstrate a strong knowledge of what makes a good track.

Yet, while we’ve all enjoyed the transportive experience of rocking out to a good tune via our trusty headphones, eager fans at the San Diego House of Blues were even more excited for the opportunity to witness the folk-pop quartet bring this same recorded talent to life with an intimate live performance.

Joining indie-darlings, The Paper Kites, on their “Where You Live” North American Tour, Wild Rivers began the night with tracks off their debut 2016 album before transitioning into new music. The emotional yet melodic, “A Week Ago” and “Already Gone” were clear fan favorites, and attendees especially enjoyed the addition of co-lead vocalist, Yassein’s, acoustic guitar segments incorporated throughout the set.

Overall, it’s safe to say that between the band’s soaring lyric harmonies and inviting presence, Wild Rivers gained many fans that night. And as the foursome wrapped up the opening performance with their 2018 hit single, “Howling”, smiles could be seen all throughout the venue; an indication of a successful evening of music and fun.

PAPER KITES

Following Wild Rivers and claiming the headline spotlight on stage was indie-folk quintet, The Paper Kites. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, 2018 proved to be a prolific and productive time for Sam Bentley (vocals/guitar/keyboard), Christina Lacy (vocals/guitar/keyboard), David Powys (vocals/guitar/banjo), Josh Bentley (drums/percussion), and Sam Rasmussen (bass/synth). With not one, but two separate albums released in April and September of this year, The Paper Kites had a plethora of new material to draw from when crafting the perfect setlist. Tracks such as “Only One” and “Deep Burn Blue” from their latest collections gave the show a fresh and fun feel, while songs such as “Revelator Eyes” and “Too Late” reminded fans of the classic Paper Kites material they had loved from the very beginning.     

Coverage by Jessica Nakamoto

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