On September 15, Stabilo and The Kitchen played SFU as part of the Highland Pub Concert Series. This Friday, September 29, Black Halos and Exit This Side will take the stage.
Local boys Stabilo — humbled by dropping the ‘Boss’ on the end of their name — came together in high school when Christopher John (then Chris Moerman) and Jesse Dryfhout united. They added Nathan Wylie and Karl Williaume on drums and bass, respectively. The dynamic has stayed true, as both Dryfhout and John write songs and do lead vocals.
Their big break came with “Everybody,” first played on the now-defunct XFM. The single spread across Canada, followed by “One More Pill.” They grew a cult which has now matured into critical praise from across the nation, in addition to moderate plays of their new music videos on MuchMusic. They recently signed to EMI, and their album is on store shelves now.
Their first fans were loyal friends from high school. The next were the friends of those friends. And so it continued, word of mouth spreading across the nation, cemented by intimate shows and frequent cross-country tours. Stabilo’s sound has matured with their first fans, but still keeping excellent vocals and rhythm. Their meandering melodic phrasing reflects their attitudes, calm but driven.
Stabilo’s set at SFU contained a number of fan favourites, including the expected singles. The band played around with a new song on stage, not from the album. “Kidding Ourselves” kept people swaying, while every word of “Flawed Design” was sung by most of the audience, apart from the few ladies enthralled by John’s curly locks and Dryfhout’s chiselled physique.
“Everybody” threw a flurry of “hands up in the air” at the appropriate cue, the song ingrained after frequent radio play. Discernibly one of the peaks, Stabilo took things up and down with the crowd again on edge with “Thing.” Stabilo has never lost their reverberating tempo, accelerating from slow head-nodding to fist-clenching, eye-closing highs that pull you towards the stage with every chord.
The crowd was visibly excited with cheers before they came on, and well after they left. The clamour even got the band to come back for one more song, although the show seemed incomplete when they left, leaving the exit feeling a little rehearsed.
Despite being from Vancouver, Stabilo had never played at SFU. Their tour continues with another gig in Vancouver: September 28 they play the Commodore. They continue across the nation to Halifax, but we get the edge, knowing they will always be back home.