The Grates opening for We are Scientists @ The Red Room Vancouver BC 29 Mar 2006

Flinging herself around with reckless abandon Patience Hodgson is a performer with a mission. Zany aerobics instructor or throwback to a 1920’s Flapper dance perhaps. Possibly so irrepressibly energetic and happy that she can only articulate her artistic vision if she spends 75% of her time onstage actually partly above the stage. She proceeds to bounce around, arms and legs waving madly as if she literally has to express the youthful energy racing around her blood vessels.

Much to my consternation she’s at all times coordinated in her ‘dancing’ although legs and arms and body may be doing different things while throwing kooky angular shadow shapes. First time seeing “The Grates” at SXSW 2005 edition they just made me smile, second time around, it took all my energy trying to figure out how she managed to dance and then sing into the microphone without sounding completely breathless.

The appeal of "The Grates" is timeless, they represent the boundless energy of youth/good times and joy of three friends enjoying themselves while at the same time creating catchy/hooky pop songs full of sing-a-long potential. Patience’s stage chatter is ad-lib, she’s thinking it up as she goes along and some of her quips provoked outright laughter from guitarist John. Drummer Alana’s grin and self-evident sparkling smile is further evidence that a dose of “The Grates” is guaranteed to put some pep into the creaking joints of even the most jaded/cynical music fan and bound to send an already contented and well adjusted fan into a state of over-excitement.

Let Patience be your guide.

Coming soon some thoughts on Headliners "We are Scientists"
Grates Red Room We are Scientists