Rio Theatre

Join us at the Rio Theatre on Friday, September 1 for a special event featuring The History of Gunpowder‘s (the six-piece freak out orchestra that tight ropes the delicate balance between order and chaos) premiere of their new film SWALLOWS, followed by a live performance from the band and special guests Gordon Grdina’s Haram.

Friday, September 1
Doors 6:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Film 7:00 pm | Music 8:15 pm

Advance tickets $35+ s/c HERE | $40 at the door

*Must be 19+ w/ID for entry bar service.
*Sorry, Rio Theatre Groupons and passes n/a for this event. All Rio Theatre Tickets are final sale. Online sales end an hour before any given showtime. Unless otherwise noted, tickets for all shows are always available for purchase at the box office on the day of the show.
*All seating is General Admission.

This film is a cohesive combination of songs recorded live-off-the-floor in a church converted into a studio and a series of short films.

The result is a behemoth project that follows the creative process and documents the characters involved in the album with a tonal tendency towards the psychedelic and shamanistic. Come support indie film making, live music and one of Vancouver’s staple live bands in an endeavor that took a whole community to create. After the premiere, the film is set to tour film festivals and indie theatres.

If that was not enough, the evening continues with live music. It is with absolute pleasure to announce that Gordon Grdina’s Haram will be gracing the Rio Theatre’s stage in a rare live performance. Haram is a critically-acclaimed large ensemble lead by Juno Award winner Gordon Grdina that blends Iraqi folk music with avant-garde improvisation. They are truly one of the most inspiring and innovative groups playing music today.To end the night, The History of Gunpowder will perform new repertoire with a 10-piece band. The History will be on a high, showcasing their new set that is tearing up the B.C festival scene. This new, expanded line up is not to be missed and is the buzz-about-town for promoters and fans alike.

The brooding uncertainty of our times coupled with a palpable need to connect is answered with a series of utterly unique live-off-the-floor performances by The History of Gunpowder that have been captured on video in a beautiful, engrossing film. Balancing the band’s beloved sense of shambolic character with the natural energy of their live shows, this new documentary truly highlights performances that are bound to resonate.

Recorded during an intimate seven-day residency at the Weird Church in Cumberland BC, The History of Gunpowder pulls out all the stops to bring forth a rare showcase – shifting their style towards an acoustic sensibility; trading distortion for velvet texture and chaotic growls for deep-felt howls. The new works capitalize on the acoustic properties of the church using its famed pipe organ from the 19th century coupled with choral vocal additions to the core musicians. The result? An intimate yet behemoth work of art with deep forays into community, music and art.

The film not only presents the group’s newest, unreleased material, but weaving between these powerful live performances are video vignettes; short films acting as interludes with original soundtrack from the band. This innovative and uncommon format acts as an ode to the creative process and the community in which these songs were written and performed, with the video materials being captured throughout the week in documentarian style. The History of Gunpowder has created a truly mesmerizing, singular work of art that entices the onlooker, encapsulating the experience of being there, being part of the community, and indulging in the glorious feeling of creating sound in a graceful, cavernous space.

Critical Praise for Swallows:

Drawing rightful focus to the beauty and blissful escapism of music in its purest form, The History Of Gunpowder release a sublime and captivating long-form live series and documentary, relaying their unrivaled abilities as songwriters and musicians united amidst a common goal. Uniquely captured during an intimate seven-day residency at the Weird Church of Cumberland, BC, the live show depicts a band committed to the organic sound for a performance that feels like an extension of the human soul. (Stereo Stickman)

Gordon Grdina’s Haram
Juno Award winner Gordon Grdina formed Haram in 2008 as a large ensemble vehicle to interpret classic Arabic repertoire. The group started with Iraqifolk music and the great era of Egyptian radio music in which Oum Khalsoum and Farid Al Atrash reigned. It has since expanded to incorporate. The classic Sudanese and Persian repertoire. These pieces are lovingly reinterpreted with an ensemble half studied in the tradition and half in avant-garde improvisation. This blend of traditions is what gives Haram its unique sound.

Through improvisation and arrangement, the band keeps alive the spirit and Tarab inherent within the compositions. These time-tested pieces are blown wide open by the ensemble mixing elements of noise, electronic soundscape, and free improvisation. The music has developed to the state of effortless cohesion mixed with wild abandon conjuring up a sense of respect and homage while being explosively self expressive. Haram is a powerhouse ensemble playing a repertoire that has been revered by millions.

The History of Gunpowder
A staple of the Canadian live scene, The History of Gunpowder is devoted to constantly pushing the envelope on stage and in the studio and has built a community around them that consists of some of the best musicians in Canada. The group has garnered an exciting international presence through their unique compositions and gritty vocals with fan bases worldwide who are entranced by their ambitious take of the musical arts, which is always expanding and reaching new (and often chaotic) heights.

Critical praise for The History of Gunpowder:

The genre of The History is a little hard to describe, with Morison’s (vocals, composer) background as a composer of big ensembles and symphonies, inclination towards loud rock, and past as a blues singer. With this in mind, we will allow the Press to speak in lieu of us trying to self-describe:

“…Gunpowder delves into the Blues as well but it’s more with a rocking enthusiasm they share with other groups like England’s The Heavy. This is by no way or form a comparison, but the ability to move a crowd differently, with a blues base and rock’s heaviness for an unadulterated good time!” (GhettoBlaster Magazine)

“I spent the evening at Divan Orange listening to quite the articulate, tight, and dynamic performance. Their energy did not waiver as the band moved as a solid unit through their music, making for a perfect balance between technical skill and creativity.” (Mila Ghorayeb, Graphite Publications)

“Using a throat that would make Tom Waits and Nick Cave jealous, Morison kicked off the show with a stomp-and-howl number that made me scribble two words in a notebook: “holy shit”. A 6-piece lineup featuring drums, guitar, fiddle, synth, and upright bass, The History of Gunpowder plays a genre of music that might be described as “roots-rock”, but only if those roots reach down into Hell. Face-melting and head-banging, Gunpowder’s controlled chaos hypnotizes crowds into a sludgy dancing fever, like a hoedown at the Apocalypse.” (Dan Corber, Montreal Rocks)

“There may be a conventional rock-blues number at the heart of “The Ostrich” but it is wrapped up tight in a very peculiar package of jazz, funk, and odd noises.” (Mark Anthony Brennan, Ride the Tempo)

The History of Gunpowder: Film + Music Event

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