One of my favourite Canadian blues bands, MonkeyJunk, played two shows at the Geomatic Attic, Oct. 3 and 4.
While the Monday show was the Geomatic Attic’s usual listening show, Geomatic Attic’s Mike Spencer tried something different for the Tuesday show by turning the Attic into a dance party, complete with disco ball and flashing Terminator lights shooting over the audience and into their eyes, and by leaving half of the room open for a dance floor.
It worked, though not so much for opening act, the always enjoyable Steve Coffey and lead guitarist Lance Loree. They played a solid set of Coffey’s heartfelt prairie folk and country reminiscent of Gordon Lightfoot, backed by Loree playing subtle lead guitar on a battered red Gibson ES-335 with a Bigsby by tremolo and rootsy, blues tinged dobro solos. It left half the room sitting down, enraptured and the other half standing around the dance floor, wondering what to do with themselves. “ My Hometown” was one of many highlights as was a new song about politicians which included the chorus “ It’s the artist’s job to contradict, not the politicians.”
MonkeyJunk got toes a tapping after that, concentrating on more upbeat tracks from their last three CDs including their soon to be released “ Time To Be Roll” plus their last CD “Moon Turn Red” and “All Frequencies” baritone guitarist Steve Marriner and lead guitarist Tony Dietodoro sounded like six guitars and a bass while drummer Matt Sobb sounded like an army of drummers and percussionists, drumming with toms and a drumstick. tambourine while adding maracas.
“Tiger in Your Tank,” got most people on their feet from the beginning as was the energetic “ Show Me Yours.”
They played happy birthday to Richard, who brought a group to the show, singing it a cappella, then later playing a bluesy, more revved up version of “Happy Birthday.”
Another first set highlight was “Hot Hot Papa,” a David Wilcox song they covered on “Moon Turn Red,” which featured Wilcox.
They also gave a taste of the upcoming CD by playing the title track “Time To Roll.”
A highlight from “ All Frequencies, “Je Nah Say Kwah,” was one of several more funk flavoured numbers.
One of the few slower moments of the show was the new song “ Blue Lights Go Down.”
They ended the first big set with a barn-burning, country tinged number “ Gone,” from the new CD about playing a dangerous room and getting out of there as soon as possible. It featured one of many hot harp solos from Marriner, who had harps attached to a separate mic stand. He surreptitiously traded harps on the mic stand throughout.
Set two was all about slide guitar, as Tony D switched to a red Telecaster and began with another new song “ Pray for Rain.”
“ Why Are People Like That,” one of my favourites from“ All Frequencies,” was an immediate second set highlight.
They followed that up with another highlight from “All Frequencies”— “You Make a Mess.”
After solos, they called it a night with an excellent encore of Al Green’s “I’m a Ram” which was re-popularized by Big Sugar and Govt. Mule. They ended with one more, slower song dripping with soul.
