Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

A little about Closing Iris:

Closing Iris is ‘Alternative Soul-Rock’ originating from Vancouver, British Columbia. With influences
like Nirvana, The Doors, Nine Inch Nails, and The Beatles it’s always hard to predict what Closing Iris’ next
song will sound like. Towering walls of distorted sound, overlapping layers of eerie melody, deep grooving
rhythms, and stripped down acoustic ballads all come together to form their own experimental fingerprint.
The group’s diverse sound has been described by onlookers as raw, soulful, progressive and captivating.
At a Closing Iris concert it is not unusual to hear whole sections of song transform into spontaneous
performances that no audience will witness again. The 6-song debut EP entitled ‘Another Reason (to lie to
yourself)’ was released independently on iTunes in August of 2008 and has since received glowing reviews.
The album appeals to music fans who care about lyrics, enjoy variety, and prefer music that is unusual while
still remaining accessible.
The basic underlying concept of Closing Iris is Zen-like: ‘Songs for the Universe’.
Perhaps you are familiar with Yin and Yang or Good in Evil (and vice-versa). With Closing Iris it’s Binge & Purge. At one show fans may encounter Binge – an unpredictable, high energy performance that manifests itself with thick
amplification, pounding drums, and guttural vocal expressions. These crushing, arena-sized rock anthems
boldly remind us that nothing lasts forever. On another night, concert-goers might discover Purge – a
separate set of stripped down songs; elegant, intimate and melodic. These songs are the other side of the
same coin, different, yet retaining all of the edge and soul that defines Closing Iris’ sound.

In February of 2008 Closing Iris singer/songwriter Shaun Funk was joined by Aaron Archibald and Don
Mutter on bass and drums. Closing Iris has since been building momentum by garnering the support and
admiration of industry professionals, promoters and radio personalities across western Canada. The band has
an immense work ethic, an out of the ordinary approach, and a considerate nature. Combine that with
regular tours, memorable songs, frequent media exposure, and you can imagine for yourself what the future will bring Closing Iris.

A little about Sleeps with Matches:

Sleeps With Matches consists of:
Rob landers- Vocals, guitar
Jason Riozzi - Guitar, vocals
Jake Daly - Bass
A.J Macknee - Drums

Sleeps With Matches are an energetic alt rock band originally from Kamloops, but now reside in Vancouver British Columbia. The Original line up was Rob Landers, Jason Riozzi, Aj.Mackne, and Joel Haugen who left the band shortly after recording. The band found bassist Jake Daly and this totally changed the sound and direction of the project. Loud/ quite and tricky time changes soon then followed.

In the summer of 2008 Sir Jakob took a short break from the band to hang out in the forest, and Mr.Kristopher Ruston of bands such as The Squish, And Stowaway filled his place. He also produced their 2008 release. So with the whole band down in Vancouver they are booking shows and playing in pubs near you.

Sleeps With Matches aimes to connect with people through great music and insightfull messages. "We gotta find a way to connect An honest message that we want to reflect But first we got to gain your respect Don't write us off as an artistic defect"