Eternal Summers @ The Garrison – August 7, 2012

Photo by Wini Lo

After playing in Toronto for the first time back in June during NXNE, Eternal Summers returned to play the Garrison, in support of their new album, Correct Behavior. For a band that is oft described as “lo-fi” and “dream pop,” seeing Eternal Summers play live proves they are far beyond these pigeonholing labels.

The three-piece band consisting of Nicole Yun (vocals/guitar), Daniel Cundiff (drums/vocals) and Jonathan Woods (bass), Eternal Summers brings an impressive array of influences to their sound – including power pop without the schmaltz, a touch of punk and 80’s guitar tone. All in all, Eternal Summers is a band that unapologetically rocks out, gets loud and isn’t afraid to get sweaty. And sweaty did they get!

Cundiff’s drumming at times seemed like just a blur of drumsticks and hands – and sounded so perfect and impossibly fast that you could swear it was a drum machine and not a human playing. Yun’s vocals were always spot-on, despite the amount of fast-paced songs – both in guitar playing and singing. The bulk of their setlist contained songs from the new record – upbeat tunes that included “Millions,” “Disappear” and “Wonder.” Cundiff took over vocals for “Girls in the City,” a very 80’s-tinged mid-tempo track also from Correct Behavior. The band slowed it down with “Good As You” (from the new album) and “Bully in Disguise” (from their debut album, Silver), both showcasing the loveliness and softness of Yun’s voice (both are also personal favourites of mine).

With an hour-long set, Eternal Summers was able to surpass their NXNE performance in that they could better exhibit their talents and range with the longer set. On stage, they look like they’re having fun while doing it well. Though the audience turnout was modest (understandable for a Tuesday night after a long weekend and somewhat late set times), those who were there danced enthusiastically and looked to be converted fans if they weren’t already.