Real Live Action

Enon and Helio Sequence

w/

Picadilly Pub; October 15, 2002

Review by Blique


ENON
HELIO SEQUENCE
Tuesday, October 15
Piccadilly Pub

Something has to be done about the scourge of annoying baby boomers at local clubs. I mean, let’s consider the boisterous, barrel-chested fool with a misguided loyalty to CCR. This yahoo (who no doubt dwells in high school sport-hero glory) yakked-up everyone that made eye contact, flirted with the Pic staff and extolled the virtues of classic rock. So now I’m setting aside some time for a personal business venture. I’ll set up something like a 911 number that you can call and a member of my team will speed to the scene of the crime and begin cutting out tongues. Send your resumes.
Helio Sequence fuzzed the club with reverb-heavy, shoegaze pop. Nice sound, really. I’ve always been a sucker for that guitar “Bwawawawawaw” sound since it’s the closest I ever come to illicit drug use.

Reports from scenesters all over Vancouver tell that this Tuesday night after Thanks-giving day was a dull one and few were out to do much of anything that night. Too bad: ENON gave a good show. John Schmersal led the band through much of their new material while handling a load of small electronic devices and showing a penchant for hammy showmanship. Recent ENON and former Lapse member Toko Yasuda has added her very yummy and gifted new presence on bass, keyboard and occasional vocals. Both she and John made their way into the audience, singing into our faces—you know, “keepin’ it real,” as you kids say.

In many ways ENON is primarily a studio band, a goulash of pop genres colliding with found sounds and unusual instruments, so I wondered what they would do to present this mix in a live performance. Of course, through the miracles of digital recording, they were able to bring some of the studio to us—you know, “keepin’ it fake.”
Would I see ENON again? Hell yes. For those that missed it, find yourself some ENON and a pair of headphones. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Blique