Human Statues make music, too

Submitted

Toronto-based band the Human Statues play at Friday’s (July 3) ArtWalk opening reception and a free, one-hour set later that evening at Millennium Place. Resort guests can also catch their ‘statues’ act this weekend (July 4 and 5) along the Village Stroll.

It’s easily the most unconventional and quirky way to promote your band: stand motionless and stay silent when people try to find out what you’re doing. But strangely enough, the counterintuitive tactic seems to work for Jeff Bryant and Zach Stevenson — a.k.a. the Human Statues.

Making the effort to figure out what the Human Statues are all about is well worth it, and Whistler audiences will get the chance to see both sides of the duo when they come to town this weekend.

The Human Statues is actually the name for two acts in one — a musical duo that’s known for its lush vocal harmonies and playful onstage antics, and professional-grade human statue performances. Well, Bryant and Stevenson don’t usually do the two acts at the same time.

While they’ve both made a living performing as human statues in the past, the statue characters are now more of a tool to promote the band, Bryant said.

Instead of telling people about the music, or even performing snippets of songs, the two hit the streets, get deep into statue mode and freeze people out when they ask questions. They count on people to be so curious that they’ll go to the Human Statues website and discover the music themselves, then come check out a show.

“It really creates intrigue: ‘Who are these guys and what is the deal?’” Bryant said.

The statue performance speaks to both the unique qualities of the duo’s music, and both guys’ history in theatre and all kinds of performance art. The two originally met and struck up a friendship and musical affiliation while performing in a theatre production at the University of Victoria.

Though they’ve been singing together and writing music in snippets of free time since they met in 2002, it wasn’t until last year that they really started to pursue music full time.

Stevenson has been featured in theatrical productions across the country and has enjoyed success as a solo singer/songwriter and music producer. Bryant has written and produced short films and co-wrote and produced a musical comedy. Originally from Vancouver Island, they’re now both based in Toronto.

The two are comfortable onstage and incorporate comedic and theatrical aspects into their musical performance, and they often get attention because of their stage presence, Stevenson said. Audience members will laugh out loud at the cheesy choreography, but also be moved by the music, Bryant said.

“I think sometimes we’re songwriters second to performers,” Stevenson said.

But with comparisons to Simon and Garfunkel, the Barenaked Ladies, Moxy Fruvous and even the Beatles, the musical talent certainly doesn’t take a back seat. Catchy melodies, rich vocal harmonies, clever lyrics, silly and serious moments, and both folk and funk sensibilities — the Human Statues are worth at least a listen.

Better yet, discover them in full performance glory as part of Friday’s (July 3) ArtWalk opening reception. Starting at 6 p.m. the two will be roaming the Village Stroll doing their statue performance. Then, at 9 p.m. at Millennium Place, they’ll perform a free, one-hour musical set.

The Human Statues will also be out and about on the Village Stroll as part of street entertainment programming on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (July 4 and 5). For more info, visit www.thehumanstatues.com.

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