Music

Ohbijou, Gentleman Reg collaboration 'Light Fires' play Pop Montreal

by Ciaran Thompson

“Do you wanna dance?” Gentleman Reg asked the crowd at the AUX venue during Pop Montreal last night. The packed, sweaty bar was definitely ready to abide as Toronto duo Light Fires, which consists of other member James Bunton (Ohbijou) on keyboards, performed a high paced set that had the crowd dancing from beginning to end.

“We don’t have anything you can buy,” Reg would later say. “We don’t have anything online either so there’s nothing you can steal. All I can give you is my sweat.” The sauna-like venue didn’t seem to care, content to see this newly formed band play some tracks and watch Reg dance and shake the sweat off his forehead.

Light Fires’ infectious music almost makes it impossible to sit still. Bunton handles all the electronic duties while Reg, no stranger to the music scene in and around Toronto, is as much a singer as he is a visual performer, drawing some comparisons to other burgeoning Toronto act Diamond Rings, albeit with a softer voice.

Having no album out yet or nothing online as previously mentioned almost works in the band’s favor. They’ve demonstrated being a solid live act and from here the anticipation only grows to hear them on record.

Photo by Ming Wu.