No matter how ill I feel, I always catch Winnipeg blues rock trio Perpetrators when they visit the Slice as they did April 30.
You know the band has the groove down when even the smokers are dancing outside as they were by the second set.
I missed the first set and they didn’t have nearly as many people as they deserved, but things picked up by the end of the third set with half of the audience dancing and the other half cheering. The audience pretty much doubled by the end of the show including Kalle Mattson, Jason Collett and his band who were playing the Geomatic Attic earlier.
As Always the Perpetrators, frontman Jay Nowicki channeled the spirit of Hound Dog Taylor with gritty, bluesy guitar licks.
Rhythm section, bassist John Scoles and drummer
Emmet Van Etten played in the pocket. Emmett Van Etten just joined the band for the Alberta shows. They had the enthusiastic audience dancing and singing also plethora of Perpetrators’ hits from throughout their career.
Their second set ending cover of the Rolling Stones “Off the Hook” was an apt description of the show. As always, “Six Pack” was a highlight as was “Josco,” a country flavoured ode to John Scoles and his popular Winnipeg bar the Times Changed.
They played songs from throughout their career, including several from their most recent CD “Stick Em’ Up” including one of it’s highlights “Spend More Money.”
Another of my favourites from the CD “Take You On” was a show highlight.
Nowicki began the third set by switching guitars and playing several older songs and blues classics like “It’s All Right.” “Happy Saturday,” from the “Tow Truck” CD was a good theme for the night as well.
And “Shake It” had the audience doing just that.
The entire show was amazing as usual with plenty of rocking blues and an unstoppable groove, which was all the more impressive as Van Etten was only there for the Alberta shows.
