This Sunday, rock band The Glorious Sons filled Gasa Gasa with raucous soul and foot-tapping enthusiasm. Currently touring following the release of the band’s second album, “Young Beauties and Fools” and riding the positive reviews of musical authorities from all over Canada, The Glorious Sons certainly lived up to the transcontinental hype. 

Opening band The Head was decent in comparison. Taking the stage almost half an hour after the concert was meant to start, the band belted out a series of polished post-punk indie rock tunes. Near the end of the set, The Head was forced to forego performing one of its songs after two successive false starts.

An indie rock trio from Atlanta, Georgia, The Head is perhaps best described in terms of the vibes its music evokes. Featuring distinctly retro vocals, straightforward drumming and roving guitar licks, The Head exuded the stage presence of a middle-of-the-road 90’s-era garage band.

Despite an undeniably meager turnout, even for a Sunday, The Glorious Sons delivered a highly memorable performance. The crowd consisted of 20 people, maximum, something frontman Brett Emmons addressed before beginning the set.

“There’s nothing more beautiful than pouring out your heart to an empty bar,” Emmons said.

And pour their collective heart out, they did. Emmons and company played a rollicking set featuring songs from both of the band’s critically-acclaimed albums, even incorporating a guitar riff-laden cover of Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You.”

As far as live acts go, The Glorious Sons leave little to be desired. In terms of both stage presence and audience engagement, the band was, well, glorious. Though limited in number, members of the audience danced, tapped feet and visibly jammed out to each and every song. Quality over quantity, eh?

That said, especially avid Glorious Sons fans were likely very surprised by the fact that the band performed neither their chart-topping radio hit “Everything is Alright” — by far the band’s most recognized song—nor other fan-favorite “Heavy.”

Live standouts included radio hit and setlist closer “Kill the Lights,” the raw but not-too-edgy “Sawed Off Shotgun” and throwback singalong “Mama.” The combination of these songs’ clever lyrics and overpowering energy left audience members wishing for nothing, if not a bigger stage for the band to perform on.

If you’re a fan of music videos, check out the video for “Mama.” A delightfully low-budget production depicting a bunch of Canadian dudes chilling on a lake, the video is endearing in its simplicity. The sheer catchiness of the accompanying song only makes the home-made genuineness of the video that much more refreshing.

The Glorious Sons’ Sunday performance at Gasa Gasa was not one to miss. Expect to see the Canadian rockers playing bigger gigs in the future — it’s only a matter of time before they achieve mainstream popularity in the U.S.