On May 6th, The Orchid Highway played a fabulous show at The Lamplighter in Vancouver , BC with Shukov, Cinderpop and Whitfield. They were third on the bill. The time when the crowd is well-lubricated and ready to rock. The sweet spot. The climax of the evening.

Of course, The Orchids opted for an atmospheric opening. “Ballad on Plain E,” with its oscillating organ intro, pulsing rhythm, spine-tingling, brain-tickling licks and the blatant chorus of, “All the world is trying to make me high, ” made it clear the band intended to take the audience along on this trip. And all were eager to turn on, tune in, and shake their asses!

Next, “I Don’t Know What You’re Trying to Hide” came on as an assault of aural adrenaline.

“Can you give me more vocals in the monitor?” Rory asked the sound man at this point. “I need to sound sexy in the verse...” he said flashing a sly grin, “ and cock rock in the chorus!” Thus, they splashed into “Sofa Surfer Girl,” clearly a fan favourite with its washes of organ, waves of riffs and surging swells of sonic splendour.

Then, “Let Forever Be” got everyone, who wasn’t already up, on their feet.

Another highlight of the night was a cover of Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times,” which showcased Adrian making John Bonham proud, Scott doing his best Pagey, and Rory actually improving on Plant’s original vocal performance, while the Orchids made the song entirely their own.

They closed with “Time For A Change,” which is quite possibly the catchiest lyric ever with 27 different rhymes for “rain.” It’s all too normal now, where once it seemed so strange!