Any city with a music scene worth it’s salt has a core of key bars and venues that support and nurture the scene. Musicians meet other musicians there, form bands play there a lot and if they are lucky enough to stay together, improve tenfold there.
The Slice has been the cornerstone of the Lethbridge original independent music scene for the past 16 years, so The Slice celebrated the past 16 years with some of their long time performers taking the stage, Friday Nov. 5.
A lot has happened since then. Bands have formed, played shows, made albums, disbanded and reformed under different names. It got pretty drunk out a lot of times and a lot of great songs were performed. Fans and band members have moved on, married, had children and some have unfortunately passed away.
The Slice itself almost passed on in 2016.
Luckily Jesse Smith took up the torch, and now Derek Hoyle is keeping this bar alive.
It was fitting that Slice favourites Starpainter, Shaela Miller and Queen of the Worms would play the sweet 16 anniversary party as they have been mainstays at the Slice pretty much from the beginning..
Starpainter (Lead guitarist /slide guitarist Joel Gray, drummer Mickey Hayward, lead vocalist/guitarist Joel Stretch and bassist Colby Stolson opened the show with a solid set of ’90s style alt country music reminiscent of Wilco and more particu
larly Son Volt and pleasant ambient indie rock.
They focused on songs from their debut CD “Bury Me with my Family.”
“Gray’s slide guitar bit through the chatter of a full house of friends who, thanks the Covid and the above, hadn’t seen each other in a long time.
Stretch also played several brand new songs in addition to songs from their debut album.
They started their set on a more ambient, mellow indie rock kick, then kicked things up a notch by the end of their set.
The gestation of the Shaela Miller band including lead singer Shaela Miller and band mates, lead guitarist Taylor Ackerman, Steel guitarist Ryan Skinny Dyck, drummer Tyler Bird and bassist Paul Holden pre date the Slice to the glory days of the Tongue N’ Groove. I’ve been privileged to watch them all grow throughout the years.
They’ve been playing together in various iterations for a a lot of years and it showed.
MIller focused on her brand new album “Big Hair, Small City”
She started out playing acoustic guitar then switched to her Telecaster for the more rocking part of the show.
Skinny Dyck’s ‘“ Tombstone Grey” stood out, as did my favourite “Crying Blues.”
Ackerman played a beautiful solo on “700 Songs” and the whole band cooked on “ Cheating and Lying.”
She broke out vintage Miller favourites like “Vicious Bitches” a little later and choked up as she dedicated “Friend Tonight,” to Brent Sorge, one of the Slice regulars and scene supporter who passed away on April 3.
The band ended their set fittingly with her cover of “ Thanks A Lot.”
Most of the band reconfigured for Queen of the Worms’ upbeat set of rock and roll, with a touch of psychedelic rock.
Tyler Bird took the frontman’s place on rhythm guitar and vocals, Taylor Ackerman took his seat behind the drums, Paul Holden stayed on the bass while T.J Waltho took his seat on keyboards to add organ sounds and Shawn May took the lead guitarist spot.
They usually only play once a year around Christmas or New Years, because most of the members are in a several other bands, but we’ve got to see a lot of Queen of the Worms this month as they just released a new self-titled CD.
They’re always a lot of fun and have a lot of energy and groove.
Their music encompasses a variety of styles including rock and roll, alternative rock, psychedelic
rock and even a touch of country music.
— by Richard Amery,L.A. Beat Editor
