Live Review: Tora w/ Seavera & YATES @ Black Bear Lodge

Brisbane’s Black Bear Lodge filled up well before the beginning of the first set as electronic quintet Tora prepared for a sold-out show. Melbourne duo Tori Zietsch and Daniel Pinkerton a.k.a. Seavera stepped up first, immediately drawing a crowd thanks to Zietsch’s strong, passionate high range. Audible even when she stepped away from the microphone, her voice and her loop pedal proved equally invaluable assets throughout the set, enabling her to create a thick tapestry of sound just as easily as a hushed acapella moment.

The pair stared out into the crowd with a rare intensity as the synth melodies blossomed and burned beneath their vocals, exercising natural harmonic telepathy that could only be the result of a few thousand hours of practice. As Pinkerton worked away at the synth and vocal harmonies, Zietsch’s performance became a balancing act between Vera Blue’s subtle expressiveness and Wafia’s electro-pop sensibility. Although there was no safety net, the crowd knew they were in safe hands.

Next up was Yates, a promising Aussie producer with the indie look down to a fine art, his long hair scraped together behind his head. Guitar laid over heavy synth melodies became a set staple for this one-man band, complete with well-conditioned electro-pop vocals. Helped by the venue’s improved sound system, synthesisers shook the floorboards and the walls, gathering the crowd closer to the stage.

 Zietsch’s performance became a balancing act between Vera Blue’s subtle expressiveness and Wafia’s electro-pop sensibility.

Despite having many facets of sound to juggle, Yates looked incredibly composed and relaxed on stage. With both hands working overtime, the set should have taken all of his concentration, but each song went off without a hitch. The rhythm came through in his movement as much as the music, and the crowd couldn’t resist the pull of his funk-infused tunes.

After a half-hour break, anticipation was at a peak when Tora appeared on the stage. The capacity crowd craned their necks and jumped up on chairs to catch a glimpse, screaming when called upon and dancing in time. The band did their part just as well, swaying and bending to the sound of the bass and filling the spaces between songs with seamless instrumental transitions. Armed with a set described as “a bunch of old stuff, a bunch of new stuff and a bunch of random jams all jumbled together”, it seemed that nothing these guys did could displease their Brisbane fans.

Frontman Jo Loewenthal’s falsetto shone against shimmering guitar melodies as the heavy beat kept the floor shaking and the energy flowing through the room. The dreamy, Mansionair-esque electronic melodies of Get Like It had the crowd swaying, trancelike, and the band hopping around the stage.The combination of electric bass, synthesisers, and Loewenthal’s wail was unforgettable. He whipped out some of his most charismatic dance moves – raising his hands, shaking his hair, and hopping around all while pulling off one impressively technically difficult piece of music after another.

Possibly one of the only full halts of the night, a brief sound malfunction during Poly Amor left Loewenthal looking thrown, but only seconds later they were back on track thanks to the smooth touch of glassy synth melodies. Sweat appeared in a sheen on each of their foreheads, visible evidence of exertion and adrenaline, but the set was far from over.

Synth explosions in their final song Never With Me left eardrums humming and a still-packed room buzzing, complete with thick acapella harmonies and a killer freestyle rap.

Jaigantic had the whole room singing along, just a small glimpse into the band’s quirky side, and their unreleased track Mercury proved that steady drum beats and heavy bass lines are more than enough to grab an audience by the ears.  Of course, they couldn’t play Overcome without featured vocalist Merryn Jean, and the crowd showed her plenty of love when she surfaced dressed in a sparkling sequin jacket. Synth explosions in their final song Never With Me left eardrums humming and a still-packed room buzzing, complete with thick acapella harmonies and a killer freestyle rap.

Tora had no opportunity to leave the stage before the crowd called out for an encore, and they happily obliged, launching straight into Calming Her for a strong finish before Loewenthal whipped out his phone for an obligatory crowd photo. If you missed the action, you can still live vicariously through the clip below.