The Cat Empire

October 13 at the Opera House

With the lights down and the trumpet blaring, a funked-up salsa beat on the bongos induces the mass of sweaty bodies to move rhythmically to the summery vibes. These are not the usual too cool T.O. hipsters at the Opera House tonight. This crowd is made up of Aussie expats and Canucks who have recently been to Australia and fallen for the intoxicating party sound of The Cat Empire.

The six-piece band, whose expanding Canadian fan base was built purely by word of mouth, are playing songs off their ARIA award nominated Australian release, “Two Shoes.” Vocalist Felix Reibl is joined by the fanatical punters as he sings in his conversational Aussie drawl, “It’s days like these that make us happy like a puppy getting lucky with Lassie.” Later on, trumpeter Harry Angus cheekily smiles and then sticks out his tongue before lashing out with a bum shaking trumpet solo in “Sol y Sombra.”

Although their larrikin humour is lost in translation (what are lamingtons, anyway?), the band entertains the crowd by turning an improv section into the Lion King’s theme song and singing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” during “Nothing.”  The fans loved it. They were the happiest non-chemically influenced punters ever.