The News

Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew rock the Slice.

Tuesday, 28 July 2009 16:22 Richard Amery

Chris Colepaugh and Lynn Daigle enjoyed their first Lethbridge show, July 23. Photo by Richard Amery

Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew, aka guitarist/singer Chris Colepaugh, bassist Lynn Daigle and drummer Shawn Sasnyiuk put on the best show of the year that nobody came to at the Slice, July 23.

That didn’t stop the trio from giving it their all for a mighty crowd of about a dozen who watched Colepaugh tear it up Blues Traveller meets Cream style on a double necked Gibson guitar, sliding up a storm in open C tuning on the electric 12 string. Daigle bobbed her head in time while playing in the pocket and Sasnyiuk was thunderous.

They introduced the audience to selections from all six of their CDs and Colepaugh added pieces of everything from “Billie Jean” to the Allman Brothers’ “Jessica” to his solos, ending their show with an electrifying version of “Oh Canada.” One of many highlights was “Caught Up To You” which was featured in an episode of Degrassi: the Next Generation last year.

Not bad for their first visit to Lethbridge. They have been playing and recording since 1996 but have never been to Lethbridge. He was impressed.

“It (Lethbridge) reminds me of home,” Colepaugh said before the show. After Lethbridge they were playing in Calgary and Edmonton followed by a two day run in Banff, July 28-29.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 28 July 2009 16:29 ) Read more...

Wild T Houston? Wild T and the Spirit set to play the blues in Lethbridge

Tuesday, 28 July 2009 16:06 Richard Amery

Wild T and the Spirit play the Slice, Aug. 2.

It is always interesting to talk to Tony Springer, aka Wild T, blues guitarist extraordinaire of Wild T and The Spirit, who plays the Slice, Aug. 2.

“Blues stuff is easier to write, it’s the other stuff that’s kind of hard,” said Springer, who is also known as an expert Jimi Hendrix impersonator, though a few years ago he was trying to move away from that to focus on both Wild T and solo material.

“We are still getting the odd gig for that. They’ll pay us a bunch of money and we’ll do it. I’d be Whitney Houston if they wanted me to be,” he laughed.

“I’ve got to set my soul free,” he enthused.The power trio, who had some hits in the ’90s including “Midnight Blues,” “Freedom Train, “Loveland,” and “I’ve Got the Rhythm,” has released six CDs including their latest, “Fender Bender,” but Springer is also exploring his softer side for solo material. He has toured as part of David Bowie’s band, opened for Bon Jovi and was cited as one of Jeff Healey’s major influences.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 28 July 2009 16:20 ) Read more...

Good long weekend for the blues

Tuesday, 28 July 2009 16:00 Richard Amery

This week is a good long weekend for the blues.

Not only is Wild T and the Spirit coming back to the Slice, Aug. 2,(see Music Beat for an interview with Wild T) but Edmonton garage rock/blues duo the Pack A.D. hit Henotic the day before with local blues rock duo Smoke Stack Jacks. And another talented Lethbridge blues band has a weekend run at the Lethbridge Casino. Darryl Düus and the One Shoe Blues band play Friday and Saturday night.

Mike Grabow, who has a new regular Thursday night gig at Ric’s Grill, will be hosting a new open mic at the 1010 Pub Tuesday nights beginning at 9 p.m. It will be running until the end of August. Tuesday’s (July 28) had a packed house full of musicians and listeners. Grabow is leaving Lethbridge on Aug. 19 for Nevada, but said he is looking at a couple of options to keep the open mic going after he is gone.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 29 July 2009 00:15 ) Read more...

Dusty Dee releases debut CD

Tuesday, 21 July 2009 16:33 Richard Amery

Another Taber country singer is following hot on quirky country hit-maker Corb Lund’s cowboy booted and country plains dusted heels.Dusty Dee Litchfield, 28, has just released his debut CD “All the Good Ones are Gone .”

He spent just over a year recording it at Crossroads Studios in Lethbridge with producer Dino Caravaggio and got some straight shooting hired guns to flush out his original country-fried songs.

Paul Kype adds some killer solos, Brad Brouwer provides drums and Tyler Bird plays upright bass. Dusty Dee plays guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo, bass, tin whistle and harmonica. Bryan Bradfield adds some additional dobro.

“It’s been a while in the making,” Litchfield said, adding he spent seven or eight years writing between 30-40 songs he considered good enough to record for it.

Last Updated ( Monday, 27 July 2009 12:20 ) Read more...

Hot times at the South Country Fair

Tuesday, 21 July 2009 15:10 Richard Amery

It was a hot time in Fort Macleod July 17-19 for the South Country Fair in more ways than one. Not only was the music top notch, but the weather itself was sweltering.

Some of Saturday’s highlights included an excellent afternoon set in the East Stage of blues/rock/ reggae from local trio Treeline which had the crowd dancing in between dips in the river despite the heat. They were competing with an excellent set of almost operatic country from Calgary’s Woodpigeon.

Another East Stage highlight were the Screaming Jimmys who added a little rock n’ roll to a boiling afternoon.

Things got exciting at night.

Jenny Whiteley kicked things off with a hot band which played all of her country tinged songs off of her CDs “Hopetown” and “Dear” including my favourite song “Banjo Girl” off the latter.

Whiteley also dressed up in a nun’s habit and black wig to sing back up for one of the weirdest shows of the weekend— the Hank and Lily Show. Hank Pine, dressed like a cowboy from hell — metal masked and goggled like a character from the movie “the Road Warrior.”

Meanwhile Lily Faun, dressed like a deer replete with a pair of antlers in her blond hair, made her saw shriek and pounded out eerie rhythms on the drums which had the crowd chanting along as candies were pitched to them from the stage.

The B.C. based duo (plus a choir including Jenny Whiteley and the Secretaries) had the crowd cheering to their catchy country rock meets goth rock sound, which was related to their graphic novels.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 21 July 2009 15:28 ) Read more...

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