Pancake Serves It Hot: A Debut Show

Ayeshah ‘Ice’ Somani

Pancake is officially on the menu, and Toronto’s indie scene just got a whole lot sweeter. Formed from the ashes of Sad Honey and the solo sparks of Julian Myers, Pancake played their debut show on August 14th at The Painted Lady. The room was boiling over, every inch packed with bodies already mouthing lyrics like these songs had been out for years. It shouldn’t be possible for a band this new to draw a crowd this rabid, but here we are.

The secret is no weak links, Sebastian Dalbello on guitar kills it with technique, but somehow every note lands heavy, none wasted. Julian Myers has vocals that cut through, ragged in the right spots, making every lyric sound intense. Keith Baigent stepped up for his first real shot at songwriting. And his tracks landed. Raw, unpolished, but you don’t forget the sound. Sometimes the new kid’s got the sharpest teeth. And Nico Gilbert-James: not just a drummer, but the reason the set never came apart at the seams. He hits hard, keeps harder. Producer, multi-instrumentalist, and no wasted movement. If there’s a backbone here, it’s his.

Most debuts feel like open mic night but this one felt like a headliner. Pancake’s sound is the trick, they land somewhere between the confessional grit of Front Porch Step and the anxious energy of Modern Baseball. Hooks you remember and lyrics that stick. It’s not an easy task, especially in Toronto’s indie scene, to step in and be able to play a set of originals that get people who don’t even know the band singing along. You don’t see a band win over a room this fast unless the songs and the sound can connect.

Instagram: @impancaked

Sebastian Dalbello — @seb_dalbello

Julian Myers — @julian_myers

Keith Baigent — @keithbaigent

Nico Gilbert-James — @nicolasgj_9

Sad Honey — Spotify | Apple Music

Julian Myers — Spotify | Apple Music