Recently the Pilot down on Cumberland has added a new space for music. They have been known for bringing high end jazz to the main floor. For the mature clientele that go to these relaxed events can now go to the upper floor for a more party atmosphere. This is where you can move and groove to some of the best party bands in the city.

Alarm Alarm

It’s a Thursday night and they decided to try out a new band to fill this space. The band filling this space is called Alarm Alarm. They are a band that gets together every once and a while to play their original music to an audience with a contemporary taste. They let me know that they would love to play more and build their own following. After what I sat through, that is not a tall order.

“What this world needs is love sweet love”. That is the opening line from singer, Mark Lalama. What followed was an earthy soul song that came from a rich filled era of 70’s singer/songwriters. They let us know this was going to be a night filled with all original songs. This is a risky move in today’s scene where all bands rely on a few cover songs to carry the show.

After a few songs, everyone knew this was going to be a special evening. What makes this band stand out is that each member brings his own special character to the stage and between the three of them they really knew how to conjure up uncommon compositions.

Rich Moore on Bass looked like he riding a smooth hoverboard and has the confidence to guide us through these trips.

The Singer/ Keyboardist looked like a cool beatnik that is constantly cold, but he knows how to write a hit song so he can pay for his heating bills,

The Drummer, Davide Di Renzo reminded me of the Big Lebowski mixed with a groove bear who lives for his honey. As a drummer, I really enjoyed his style of playing. You could really feel it when he was in the pocket. Nothing could stop him when he reaches those moments.

There are many reasons to love this band. The harmonies are well done not over the top, but just in the right zone. It is not there to show off, but to serve the song.

If you are a fan of Jackson Browne, Randy Newman, Steely Dan, Billy Joel, this is a band you should check out. They are very good at crafting genuine songs, but they take it in a new direction. They do not overpower you with over-the-top performances, their cunning adeptness searches out new ways of presenting their vision with new goggles.

Like the Moody Blues, they seem to be in search of the lost chord. The music they create sits in most everybody’s comfort zones, but you can feel this band thinking outside of the box with the notes they use or how they don’t follow traditional changes in the music. Many times, I found myself predicting where they will go next only to be off with my forecast.

They continued with this way of presenting their music. Mark pulled out an accordion and played another original called, “Shine On”.  With each song this band surprised me with their ingenuity.

For example, they started a new song with the phrase, Sha-la-la which felt like something the Beatles should have done in their career. It turned into a full blow out jam that was completely unpredictable but so much fun to ride.

Mark slowed down and gave a heartfelt song about health care workers. It was one of those pin drop moments you didn’t want to hear another sound. You could feel people trying to hold back the tears as the song came to a close.

My favourite moment came with a long and strange story about his son. The song turned into a song about a dog barking. This song stretched in many directions that it truly became musical journey, and I didn’t care where it took me. It eventually blew up into a mind-bending performance that you loved getting lost in.

This band is quirky, captivating and heartfelt. These songs truly come from within the band, and they freely hand it over to their audience to have a fulfilling experience. Some of it comes from traditional ideas and the rest come from that overused colouring book that children love to create in. I guess Alarm Alarm are really just three really big kids with a box of crayons.

Getting Alarmed:

If you want to stay in touch with what they are doing, you can go to their website ALARM ALARM

Or follow them on Instagram at www.instagram.com/alarmalarmtheband/

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