Live Review: Kue Varo and the Only Hopes Cast a Spell Alongside Daniel Romano’s Outfit at Block Heater 2024
Photo Credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)
Calgary Folk Festival brought their 2024 instalment of Block Heater back to the city, welcoming an otherworldly lineup of acts from Nico Paulo to Cat Clyde over the course of three days. The Palace Theatre showcase kicked off the weekend on Friday with prairie rockers Kue Varo and the Only Hopes, Daniel Romano’s Outfit, and The Devil Makes Three.
Playing to a packed room, Kue Varo set the tone with hits off their chart-topping album Cowboy Witchcraft, making their Palace Theatre debut. With their unique, genre-defying sound, the band eased into the show with “Alright” and exploded with energy on the attitude-driven “Just Don’t Care”. The band’s ability to mix a tongue-in-cheek country anthem with indie/rock flair shines bright on lead single “Yip Yip”, with numerous crowd-goers passionately singing along with Kue during the infectious chorus (shout-out to the person in the front row who tipped their cowboy hat, in Calgary style). Kue and the band let loose on tracks like “Gates of Hell” and “Feelin’ Lucky”, with Bob EQ utilizing a beautiful tone on the pedal steel guitar with Matt Doherty’s impeccable timing on drums. When it gets to the point of the show where Kue sheds their guitar and let’s the gleefully punchy dance moves take over, like a mix of Lorde with David Byrne, it’s impossible to deny the authentic synchronicity between Kue and the Only Hopes.
The set reached a crescendo on closer “Furthest Place” (which is ironically the album’s opener), showcasing Easy HD’s versatility, incorporating electronic instruments to achieve a distinct analog/synth sound, with Kue painting a cinematic picture on vocals. This won’t be the last time we see Kue Varo and the Only Hopes on a large stage like The Palace Theatre, as their sound is destined for big things.
Photo Credit: Shannon Johnston (@me_onlylouder)
Following Kue Varo was Daniel Romano’s Outfit, who stormed the stage in matching leather jackets, vintage washed jeans, and pure rock n’ roll enthusiasm. I heard murmurs in the crowd from people who didn’t quite know what to expect - Daniel Romano is prolific in the Canadian music scene and is known for his versatility - but the band originally launched at a troubling time in 2020. After responsibly cancelling a series of performances during COVID, Daniel is back presenting the Outfit in full force. From Daniel’s shredding power chords to Carson McHone’s Stevie Knicks’-esque tambourine skills - the band combines everything we love about the 70’s into a fresh modern package that leaves us wanting more. Luckily we will, as the band is gearing up to release their new album “Too Hot To Sleep” on March 1st via You’ve Changed Records and we are already feeling the heat.
Photo Credit: Jess Arcand (@jessarcand)