Time: 9 p.m.
Cover: $20
Tuesday, January 28th
there will be a monster rock show at Average Joe’s Sports Bar featuring
the Hamilton, Ontario based rock group Monster Truck. This dynamic
group has been on a roll and on the road since 2010 pounding out their
classic rock based music with a contemporary sound. They have toured
with the Sheep Dogs and Slash and have also had great success in Europe
and the UK. Their current tour features the music of their 2013 album
titled Furiosity.
The January
28th Monster Truck concert will start at 9:00 P.M. Tickets for the
show are $20.00 each and are available on line at www.thejoe.ca or can be picked up at Average Joe’s Sports Bar, 420 -6th street south in Lethbridge.
Monster Truck http://www.ilovemonstertruck.com
Jon - Bass and Vocals
Brandon - Keys and Vocals
Steve - Drums and Vocals
Jer - Guitar and Vocals
The term Rock n' Roll gets thrown around pretty haphazardly. One can go
as far as stating it’s been bastardized to the point of being
unrecognizable, ironically shouted on stages worldwide, and classified
dead or MIA by the very musicians that once upheld its standard.
Enter Monster Truck. There's something comforting about a band name that delivers exactly what you expect to hear. Born in 2009
from the ashes of various Canadian Indie bands, Monster Truck began as a
sonic affront to the very industry its members were bred from. After
feeling more like cogs in the music industry machine, Jon Harvey (bass
& lead vocals), Jeremy Widerman (guitar & vocals), Brandon Bliss
(organ & vocals) and Steve Kiely (drums & vocals) broke free to
forge their own path, answering only to themselves. “It was admittedly
a bit selfish from the get-go as we only were looking to please
ourselves,” laughs Widerman. Their unabashed approach to making and
performing music became infectious. “We just wanted to mix all of our
favorite hard rock, punk and classic rock favourites into something raw
and basic,” states Widerman, almost as if to suggest that no one had
done it to his liking yet. The band was doing something right. A
ground swell of regional fans quickly began rushing to any local venue
to see the band perform live. Rock n' Roll is clearly not dead.Offers
began to pile up for Hamilton, Ontario’s prodigious sons, and the band
soon realized they had to make a decision to jump in hip deep and take
the record label and tour offers more seriously. “The decision was
probably easier than I'd like to admit,” adds Widerman, suggesting they
were probably all kidding themselves thinking they weren't willing to
make sacrifices once again in an attempt to make music for a living.
What started as a fun and albeit ‘selfish’ musical side-project, quickly
gained momentum and took on a life of its own. Monster Truck
self-released a self-titled EP produced by Gus Van Go & Werner F
(The Stills, Preistess, Hollerado) in 2010 and followed up with The
Brown EP (2011) produced by Eric Ratz (Billy Talent, Cancer Bats, Three
Days Grace) on Indie powerhouse Dine Alone Records. The Brown EP
aggressively showcased the band’s ability to keep a firm grasp in the
classic roots that enabled them, while staying contemporary and true to
their vast influences. Singles “Seven Seas Blues” and “Righteous Smoke”
became runaway hits reaching Top 10 on Canadian Rock radio and true to
their notorious maxim “Don’t F*ck With The Truck”, the band hit the road
with a vengeance. Tours included a 2011 cross-Canada sold-out run with
The Sheepdogs. Additional tours followed in 2012 when Monster Truck
was handpicked to open for Slash on his North American tour, as well as
sold-out dates in support of legends Deep Purple.
After an
unexpected, yet highly successful year of relentless touring, Monster
Truck returned home hell bent to record a full-length album. Over the
course of 2 months, the guys put together 12 original songs showcasing
not only their determination to continue churning out heart-pounding
rock tracks, but that also highlighted another dimension to the band’s
songwriting and performance. The result is their debut full-length LP
aptly titled Furiosity.
Produced once again by JUNO-nominated
Eric Ratz at Vespa Studios in Toronto and Echo Mountain Studios in
Asheville, NC, Furiosity showcases Monster Truck’s ability to seamlessly
integrate influences from grunge and punk era greats that they love so
dearly with alt-sounding vintage rock. The resulting album remains
anchored in grooves, yet propulsive and volcanic, fueled by frontman Jon
Harvey’s colossal vocal delivery.
The album impressively runs
the gamut from crushing first single "Sweet Mountain River" which
features a highly infectious chorus juxtaposed against a killer riff, to
tracks like “The Lion” and its definitive old-school, boogie-rock vibe.
“While the bulk of songs were written and executed in fairly quick
fashion, tailoring the pace and fine tuning the transitions took longer
than usual,” says Widerman of the writing process. “We really wanted the
songs to take the listener on an exciting journey.” Gems like “Old
Train” featuring epic gang vocals were in fact kept under wraps from the
producer and the label until the band reworked them to their liking
while “Power of the People” -- a Rage Against The Machine inspired track
-- is a commentary on a society in turmoil and an anthem for those who
wish to band together and make a difference.
The band
intentionally challenged themselves with “For The Sun”, spending more
than a year playing the song live in order to perfect it. Slower-paced
and with thought to ensuring every moment was well-crafted and building
in intensity, Widerman spent 2 days in the studio just recording the
intro and solos leaving other members of the band to wonder whether he
would ever be satisfied with the end result. Finally, last minute
addition “My Love Is True” shows a more soulful side of Monster Truck,
and is another shining example of how even a down tempo song can shake
you to your core.
The constant show regiment and recording
process is sharpening the band’s delivery and there's no doubt that
anyone still interested in original and authentic rock music will be
compelled to pay attention. Monster Truck will continue doing what they
do best, steamrolling from town to town leaving legions of fans in
their wake.
The place is an arcade/nightclub— 420 - 6 Street South.