Not many people can say they’ve been to a concert in a grocery store, but on Sep . 5, the Kitchener Market hosted Shop Sounds: DTK’s grocery store concerts.
Shop Sounds is a free intimate three-part concert series organized by the DTK team, Good Company Production and hosted at grocery stores across downtown Kitchener.
The third and final installment location, Kitchener Market, was announced the day before the concert via email for ticket-holders.
The first two events were hosted in June and July at Full Circle Foods and Legacy Greens, respectively.
Being that the event was hosted in a market, those attending were given paper bags and were invited to pick vegetables and fruits from a local produce stand.
All snacks and produce were “pay-what-you-can,” with the leftovers being donated locally.
The Kitchener Market is coming up on its 150th anniversary this Fall, and to celebrate the venue’s longstanding-history, the Marketplace was transformed into a modern concert space.
Brightly coloured chairs and tables lined the room, and an array of quilts and pillows were smartly arranged on the floor for attendees.
The local musical acts were kept a secret until the doors opened at 7p.m. that day.
The first act set to play was 12 Mile Island, a Kitchener-based Indie-Rock band. Right away, I was struck by their unique sound.
As someone who is very into concerts but doesn’t often listen to live bands (most of the music I listen to is produced by a DJ or digital software), I found their set to be unique and refreshing.
Their opening song was lead by a strong bass guitar, drawing all attention to the stage.
The set was arranged very smartly, with each original song bleeding into the next, creating an overall cohesive set.
My favourite song of the night was “Lioness,” a song with a catchy trumpet tune that incorporated some elements of jazz music.
I feel as though their music had a refined, yet diverse vision. Their blending of genres including rock, indie, and blues works in their favour because it appeals to a large audience.
This was clear to me by observing the audience, most of whom were swaying or bobbing their heads to the tunes, some were even dancing.
I attended the show with my friend, and even though we both have different tastes in music, we both walked away satisfied with what we heard.
Next up was Conor Gains, another local act who hails from Cambridge.
Gains had a much smaller set up than the previous act, as it was only himself on stage with his instruments.
This minimalist set served to create an even more intimate experience. The dancing and movement from the crowd had stopped and all eyes were on stage.
With only a guitar, a kick drum and the use of “live looping” —a software that instantly records and repeats tunes— Gains put on a well-executed one man show.
His sound was very soulful and blues-inspired while still being modern and fresh. He played all original songs during his set, even going a cappella for the length of a song, getting the crowd to snap and clap along with him.
While I’ve been to the Kitchener Market before, going there for a concert was an experience I wasn’t expecting to have.
This event opened my eyes to local talent and the unique events that are constantly happening in the region.
Being that I’m not originally from the KW region, this event made me feel more intimate with the community and I’ll definitely be on the look out for any of the DTK team’s upcoming events.
