The Slice had a decent crowd, Aug. 21 for a solid night of indie pop and rock with the Darby and Joan Club, Open Channels and Winnipeg’s Heartbeat City. While I missed the Darby and Joan Club’s set, I arrived in time to catch a polished, more popish set from local indie rock band Open Channels, who I hadn’t seen for a while.

 They had strong melodies, subtle keyboards and  whole lot of fun, though they went darker and louder by the end of their set with a song called “He’s Got a Gun.”

 They showed some Clash influence with  “Change is Coming,”  as they made way for Heartbeat City.

 The Winnipeg trio Heartbeat City played slightly heavier  folk and pop with alt rock  influences.

 Their fast paced set went by very quickly with lots of jangling guitars and plaintive vocals, enhanced by excellent harmonies.