EVENTIDE MUSIC SERIES
Where: Centennial Square
When: Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, 6 p.m.
Admission: Free
Victoria’s Immaculate Machine played its first shows as a group in 2001, when founders Brooke Gallupe, Kathryn Calder and Luke Kozlowski were barely out of high school.
The three friends from Vic High had their share of success as a unit, including four well-regarded albums and a spot as the opening act for Arcade Fire’s legendary performance in 2004 at Lucky Bar in Victoria. Everything appeared to be going well for the group — from a recording contract with Vancouver’s Mint Records, positive reviews in Pitchfork, and an impromptu recording session with Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand — but long-term success was not to be.
The band was effectively over by 2010, although their achievements during the decade prior were significant, and came at a time when a number of indie acts from Vancouver Island, from Hot Hot Heat to Frog Eyes, were making headway in North America. A reunion is long overdue, to put it simply.
Which explains why the members, now in their early 40s, were in rehearsals at Gallupe’s home on Monday, prepping for a comeback performance on Wednesday — their first show as Immaculate Machine in more than a decade. The band performed briefly on New Year’s Eve, at a house party among friends, but that is the only occasion since 2012 they have played together in any capacity.
“It was really fun,” Calder said of the Dec. 31 performance, which spurred talk of a reunion.
The group is trying to take things at a measured pace, as music is no longer the only thing on their plates. “[The upcoming performance] just kind of came together. My daughter is a bit too young, but the guys have kids who are into music, and we talked about having a show for them. Luke and Brooke have been playing music consistently [since the split] but definitely family has been the priority. Life, basically.”
Rehearsals have been sporadic, but Calder said the band feels ready for its performance with Energy Slime, Teenage Art Scene and Luna Land at the 11th annual Eventide Music Series in Centennial Square, held each Wednesday through July and August. “We’re tweaking things a little bit,” Calder said. “There’s sounds we’re playing around with. But the songs have a sort of nostalgic feel.”
The finer details have not yet been worked out, but the free show will includes songs from the trio’s four full-length albums, Transporter (2004), Ones and Zeros (2005), Immaculate Machine’s Fables (2007), and High on Jackson Hill (2009). “We’re going back into the catalogue, and picking ones that are favourites of ours, and also for people who might remember us. But we also want to go with songs that had a great live feel.”
Calder, who was the City of Victoria’s artist-in-residence from 2019 until 2021, said her skills are up to speed, having recently returned from a two-and-half-week tour of the U.S. with the New Pornographers, the Juno Award-winning group she joined in 2005. She flexes a different set of muscles in Immaculate Machine, however.
“I really grew up playing music with those two. I really learned to sing and play in that band, as we did so much touring together. Getting back together has been really easy and fun. The songs are right there, even though we haven’t played them in a long time. It didn’t take very long for them to come back.”
Speaking of a comeback…
“This show is this show,” Calder said with a laugh. “I don‘t know what else there may or may not be in the future. At this point it is what it is. But you never know.”
