A rainbow of lights dance across the stage as the thundering guitars and riotous bass-lines fill the room, causing patrons young and old to flock to the dance floor.
That’s what happened when Aviator Shades first took the Vernon stage in May with their hard, fast and analytical rock and roll. And, with some luck, bassist, vocalist and founding member Dave Gorman hopes it will happen again when they come back for more Sept. 15 at Status Nightclub.
“It was such a great night,” Gorman said. “We got great feedback, and we got to hang out with the mayor. Everyone seems to be into it here.”
With a sound reminiscent of Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy and The Eagles, Gorman has found Vernon, and B.C. as a whole, to be receptive of his dream of a classic rock and roll revival.
“I started out with a vision,” Gorman said. “I wanted to create a classic style rock band.”
Though, while living in his native Ireland, Gorman discovered that his hometown wasn’t conducive to his brand of tunes.
It wasn’t until Gorman vacationed in Vancouver that he knew his dream would be a reality. He eventually relocated to the coast, and started scraping the Lower Mainland’s hard music scene for like-minded folk.
Soon thereafter, Gorman cultivated a lineup, and they began playing in Vancouver as Aviator Shades.
And it’s a lineup that has been tweaked along the way, with the newest addition in the form of guitarist Daniel James who will rock the stage for the band’s extensive Canadian tour.
“He’s a super guitar player,” Gorman said of the Aviator Shades rookie. ” It hasn’t changed anything. If anything, he’s enhanced it. The band has moved into another zone.”
Aviator Shade’s tour reaches from their coastal home to Montreal and back — with Vernon as the second stop — in support of their new EP, This Is What We Do, which drops the same night as their Status Nightclub show.
“I think it will be kind of a celebratory mood to that one,” Gorman said of the Status Nightclub show. “It will be nice to let it out in its entirety.”
The tour and EP release come on the heels of Aviator Shades’ new video single, Freedom Lies Bleeding.
Written during the time of the U.S. presidential election, the single discusses the uncertainties surrounding America’s political well-being, Gorman said.
“The song was a byproduct of how we felt about it,” he said.
And it’s a song, along with the rest of the offerings on This Is What We Do, that Gorman is excited to bring back to the Vernon stage.
“Our band plays with general passion, it’s not contrived in any way,” Gorman said of playing live. “It’s a drug like no other.”
With the new release, new guitar player and the same infectious energy, the show will be a full-throttle classic rock revival on the Vernon stage, Gorman said. But it definitely won’t be their last.
“This is the second trip of many to Vernon.”
Aviator Shades rocks the Status Nightclub stage Sept. 15. $7 cover. Doors at 9 p.m.