On September 15th, Rum Runners at the London Music Hall presented the first in a 3 show, multi venue, local music showcase called “London Local Series”. The first show featured a variety of different music genres including performances by Softcult, Basic White, Bella Rosa, The Pairs, and Jordan McDonald of Texas King.
Jordan McDonald always puts on a hell of a show as the front man for the band Texas King. This is the first time I’ve seen him as a solo act. He put on a great solo acoustic set, and was a fantastic start to the night
The Pairs are a 4 piece folk act featuring s Hilary Watson, and twin sisters Renee and Noelle Coughlin, as well as friend and drummer Steve Plimmer. The band is not really in my musical wheelhouse, but they really are talented and put on a great show. You can tell they enjoy being up there and the crowd feels it. They’re certainly
Bella Nova was next up. The singer performed a set with a drummer and backing instrumental tracks. It would fall under rock/heavy rock, but definitely had some pop influence. The girl is 16 and she puts on a great show. There was clearly local support and love from fans there to see her perform.
Basic White was probably the best surprise of the night. The band knows how to work a stage. They were really entertaining to watch and sounded fantastic. Their sound would best be described as 70’s classic rock with a bit of a southern vibe to them. They clearly enjoy themselves when they’re performing and the crowd seemed to react really well to them.
Softcult, from Kitchener, Ontario, had a definite alternative/shoegaze vibe to them. The songs are extremely well crafted and their sound is great. They are a band with a tight, cohesive sound and great stage presence. Based on the fact that they’re playing the Royal Albert Hall next week opening for Incubus; they are well on their way to big things.
The 519 area has phenomenal local talent and I’m looking forward to more of it being highlighted in the next two shows.
London Local Series
Rum Runners
London, ON
September 15, 2022
All photos by David Booth
