Favourite local album

1. Jamboree - Life in the Dome
2. Yes We Mystic - Trust Fall
3. JayWood - Slingshot / Living Hour - Someday is Today (tie)

Favourite local live performance

1. Jamboree as Oasis (Bands as Bands)
2. Paul Rabliauskas at Rumors
3. Three-way tie

Anyone worried about the future of Winnipeg’s music scene can rest assured, as the kids are more than alright.

Jamboree’s second full-length release, Life in the Dome, has garnered acclaim from fans, critics and Uniter readers alike.

“I think the last two albums that we’ve made have been a lot more focused than when we were just releasing EPs,” Nick Lavich, Jamboree’s singer and bassist says, referring to their newest release as well as their debut studio album, 2018’s A Beautiful Place.

“I think we feel a lot more confident and comfortable now, too,” drummer and guitarist Alex Braun says.

The group attributes the cohesiveness of the project to a long gestation period protracted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a greater focus on live recordings in the studio rather than overdubbing.

“It’s more of a band-type sounding record, I think, and with that, I think the sound is a bit more focused. It’s all rock songs, good rock songs,” Braun says.

Like most concept albums in rock music, the thematic essence of the project was only realized once the group finished recording.

“But that’s something we always do. We’ll record everything, and then, after the fact, we’ll create some sort of concept,” Lavich says.

“I think it’s just kind of funny to have that bombast, high concept aspect to it,” Braun says.

Equally accomplished as a live act, the group won favourite live performance as the British rock group Oasis in Bands as Bands. The group was inspired to do a full set of Oasis songs after daily listens of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? at the youth drop-in centre where all three members are employed.

“It was just fun to act like these douchey British guys, and we had a lot of fun with that set. The crowd as well played a huge role in us having fun, because the crowd was quite into it,” Lavich says.

“Oasis as a band has this really funny ... confidence. From the minute they started, they were like, ‘we’re the greatest band in the world.’ Putting on that costume of confidence feels really good,” Braun says.

“It was nice to sneak in a couple of personal favourites, too.”

Published in Volume 77, Number 12 of The Uniter (December 1, 2022)