Gentleman Reg Goes After 'Record Deal' at Canadian Music Week

Posted on Mar 10th 2011 11:15AM by Jessica Lewis
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Chromewaves

Gentleman Reg kicked off Canadian Music Week's Canadian Music Fest with pride Wednesday night, giving festival-goers and fans in Toronto something to feast upon.

"You're hungry?" Reg Vermue answered to a fan's exclamation. "I'm going to feed you!"

Vermue, the Toronto-based melodramatic pop singer and half of dance band Light Fires, headlined the Proud FM showcase at the Gladstone Hotel in the city's west end. Just recently off a Western Canadian tour opening for Sarah Harmer, he closed out the night with a 40-minute set after performances by Kevin Wong, Chris Velan, Rouge and Creature.

Though he released his latest album, 'Jet Black,' back in 2009, the frontman and his band soared through a set comprised largely of 'Jet Black' tracks as if they were brand-new, bringing plenty of oomph to the tried-and-true material.

Vermue cracked a few jokes throughout the set, his most memorable quip being: "I hope all the labels are here, I can't wait to get home with a record deal!"

And it seems the musician was only half-joking, admitting to Spinner that he may indeed be on the lookout for a new label as it's not guaranteed that indie rock powerhouse Arts & Crafts (who put out both 'Jet Black' and his 2009 digital-only EP, 'Heavy Head') will release his upcoming album -- which is just three weeks into the recording with producer Chris Stringer (the studio wizard behind Timber Timbre's sophomore effort).

Fans were treated to a taste of the new record when Gentleman Reg lead his band through two new tracks, the slow, sentimental 'Declaration' and guitar-heavy 'Driving the Truth.'

While it likely won't appear on his new album, the calm cover of Sheryl Crow's 'If It Makes You Happy' was an unexpected treat for the audience, an audience that was indeed happy to be kicking off CMW with Gentleman Reg.

Watch Gentleman Reg Perform at CMW 2009