When you walk into the Kingston Grand Theatre, and the stage is set up with more drum kits than guitars, you know you’re in for quite an evening.

Oshawa prog-rock duo Crown Lands have been to Kingston before, but always in supporting roles. I was interested to see not only what they would do with a solo set, but who their audience might be for this Grand OnStage presentation. Turns out their fans vary quite a bit in age and gender. What united them was their almost cult-like fervor for the band (I overheard one fellow say he came from New York state just to see them).

The show consisted of three distinct sets with intermissions in between. The first featured the band and musical guests disguised in cloaks performing an atmospheric instrumental suite.

The second set featured the duo more as we would expect them, opening with “Starlifter”, a dramatic, high-energy twenty-minute piece. They went on to play fan favourites like “Context: Fearless Pt I”, “Lady of the Lake”, as well as “End of the Road” (dedicated to murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls).

What’s most striking about the band is not just its ability to create such exciting and eclectic rock music with only two people, but its level of musicianship overall.

Guitarist Kevin Comeau’s guitar parts are not only technically challenging and complex, he’s also juggling bass, keys, taurus pedals, and occasional backing vocals.

Singer and drummer Cody Bowles is equally impressive. Their vocals are not only high and resonant, but extremely powerful (think Robert Plant). That would be enough for any band, but Bowles somehow also juggles complex, high-energy drumming.

This level of multi-tasking would be near impossible for most musicians. For Bowles and Comeau it seems to be almost second nature.

The final set showcased music from their upcoming album Apocalypse. This involved not only costume changes, but also additional musicians. The band was joined by bass player Dan Walton and drummer/keyboardist Adam Inrig. Dual drum kits are always exciting, but they also allowed singer Cody Bowles to occasionally leave the kit and get more interactive with fans. This set was even more grand and high-energy than the one before, featuring complex mood, theme, and time signature changes, as well as a brief pterodactyl visit. They capped off the evening with the crowd-pleasing “White Buffalo”.

I was surprised to later learn that Kingston was the first stop of the tour. Despite a couple of minor technical challenges at the start, all band members were tight, locked-in, and completely at one with the music. Fans attending subsequent tour stops are in for one hell of a show.