NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
If there was a band that exemplifies lo-fi dream pop, Afternoon Bike Ride would be that band. Their soothing sounds are perfect for coffee in the morning while looking out the window, a quiet evening by the fireplace, or perhaps a nice afternoon bike ride!! While their songs are not all chill, there do seem to be those times when I feel like I should be listening to them. The band’s second studio album “Glossover”, released less than a month ago, preceded their first tour ever. Toronto’s show at the Drake Underground was the penultimate stop on this tour and I was lucky enough to be there.
Toronto based singer/songwriter Caitlin Woelfle-O’Brien (AKA Blunt Chunks) opened the evening. Her music exudes a vulnerability that is also evident in her stage presence. She talked a little about how we all need to come together because Toronto can be depressing sometimes and, while we’re still all going to die at some point, it could be worse. Then she smiled! She played an all too brief set but indicated she was working on new music to release. Keep an eye out!
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For a band on its first tour, Afternoon Bike Ride did not seem nervous or disorganized. The band was introduced as Éloi Le Blanc-Ringuette, the one in charge of all things electronic (keyboards and percussion), and David Tanton, the one in charge of all stringy things! They mostly stayed in the shadows during the show. Lead vocalist Lia Kurihara was a perfect frontman, explaining the driver and meaning behind several songs. “Nothing in Particular”, written about taking care of her father with Alzheimer’s is especially hard hitting. Kurihara wears her heart on her sleeve and draws the audience into her emotional performance. The only kink I noticed was that it wasn’t always clear when a song was over and the audience didn’t know whether to clap or not. That was probably especially true of some of the newer tracks. The title track off the latest record “Glossover” was a highlight, with a catchy melody, vivid imagery, exquisite harmonies and a wonderful vocal from Tanton, who has a lovely voice. As the band completed their set and thanked everyone for coming, the crowd started to leave and I noticed that the setlist had two songs listed in the encore. I did start yelling “One More Song” but was met with confusion and silence. Oh well. We all missed out. But it was still a wonderful show and I look forward to seeing them live soon in the future.
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