The PreaturesPolish Club brought outstanding energy to the stage. The two-piece band warmed up the room with the stage presence of a much longer roll call. At the same time, their unusual configuration served to highlight the great on-stage connection between front man David Novak and drummer John-Henry Pajak. Combined with their lighthearted exchanges it served as a great way to draw in the audience to create a genuine familiarity between the band and listeners. The two played a fast-paced set, Novak accompanying his growly voice and his distorted electric guitar that added to fullness to the sound.
When The Preatures finally hit the stage, they treated the audience to a feel-good set. The only downfall was lead singer Manfredi’s apparent illness and subsequent struggle to get through some songs, though she put up a good fight. As The Preatures relaxed into the performance, the audience was treated to an increasingly fluid set, which varied in structure and mood, with longer intros and endings and stripped down songs like Cherry Ripe which made the set feel very well paced.
While The Preatures brought with them a very polished act, it felt that the set could have benefited from some adjustments to the mixing, which at times left their great harmonies inaudible, while the bass sound seemed to be competing with the lead singer’s strenuous vocals.
One of the highlights of the set was It Gets Better, which features an impressive instrumental bridge with a guitar solo that serves to remind the audience that vocals and great songwriting are not The Preatures’ only draw card. The night finished with one of their most known songs, the lively Is This How You Feel, which followed from a slower, solo piece by Manfredi. This paring is indicative of the range and diversity shown by The Preatures in a set that was no doubt played to an array of long time fans and soon-to-be-fans alike.
