Sled Island 2024: Verttigo and Cherry Glazerr Show Review
By Daman Singh, June 25 2024—
Closing off the second night of the festival, the ConnectFirst x Sled Island showcase at a sold-out Royal Canadian Legion didn’t disappoint. The headliner act, Cherry Glazerr, gave a masterclass on how to pack a show, create an atmosphere unlike any and make 12 degrees feel like 30 all while performing one of the best sets you would see at the festival.
The lineup at the main floor of the legion was packed with excellence. From the psychedelic soundscapes of Calgary’s own Lushings to the hazy fuzz of Cherry Glazerr, it was a night to remember.
Verttigo, from Edmonton, took the stage after Lushings and from their opening notes of their set they had the place under control. Their synth driven dream-pop sound beautifully complemented their journey through a world of love and despair. Their first Sled Island performance promised a night of excellence and they delivered.
Lead vocalist Karímah showcased their brilliance of delivering emotionally charged lyrics with some of the most theatrical performances the festival would see. Over on the synthesiser, Lauren ensured the atmospheric foundation of the band’s sound of nothing less than perfect. Not only amazing sonically, Verttigo were also one of the best dressed acts at the festival. The highlight from their set was “Fade Into You”, unreleased at the time of the performance but it is officially out on streaming services.
After their set was over, people rushed to the merch table to meet the band and one fan was seen getting a signature on their forehead.
As the the third act of the night knitting ended and it hit midnight, Cherry Glazerr took the stage and groups of people pushed to the front to see the glory of the band’s guitarist and lead singer, Clementine Creevy.
From the very first track, the crowd was moving with the band. The overdrive bass tone and fuzzy guitars provided an atmospheric foundation for Creevy’s almost grunge-like dreamy vocals. The venue was packed to the point you couldn’t step back to breathe, but that did not stop the audience from enjoying the show. As the band played tracks from their last release, I Don’t Want You Anymore, the main highlight was “Touched You With My Chaos”. The sludgy guitar riff led the track with powerful heartbeat-like drums backing the repeated chorus of “I said that I loved you” where people in audience had their shower rockstar moment with Creevy.
As the band came close to the end of their set with their faster tracks, the crowd started moshing and the suffocating heat of the Legion did not stop any one. At the end, the crowd cheered “One more song, one more song” over and over till the band came back for two more songs. Cherry Glazerr’s music feels like a soundtrack and their live performance proved that it was a set to fall in love with. The same has to be said about their merch — Cherry Glazerr had some of the coolest merch in the festival including underwear with their logo on it.
Day two of Sled Island had one of the most packed lineups through the city and you were always missing out on a good act for another good one, but Verttigo and Cherry Glazerr were arguably two of the most fulfilling acts at the festival.