Saturday 30 June 2012

The Pulse of Finger Eleven and Gob

Wow! I've been busy!  I've been to a number of really good shows lately....I took in Them Beatles ~ Beatlemania on Tour at the Yates in Lethbridge.  Lethbridge Seniors rocked the block and I of course was there to take in some great local talent...The Chevelles (not to confused with Chevelle); Rex (fuckin A! Can't wait for your album boys); Double Jack (Hot rockers! Congrat's boys on your successful application to open for CCR in July!); Texas Flood (Southern Rock and good ol' boys - one of my favorite combinations) and Hippodrome (9 piece band complete with horns, a hell of a lot of soul and my good friend and one of my favorite men ~ Juran Greene)!  And I have to tell you all about these shows in much more detail but I need to start with the most recent show I took in....Finger Eleven and Gob at Pulse Nightclub and Pub on June 28th!

Nine years ago, I took my twins to their first concert ever. The Roadhouse Bar and Grill turned it's beer taps off so Gob could perform an all ages show.  My boys were nine years old at the time so not only was it their first concert but their first time in the bar!  We were right up front and the guys were great to them!  I remember Theo Goutzinakis being particularly cool, posing for pics and giving the boys guitar picks and stickers.  The Roadhouse Bar and Grill closed and was replaced by Pulse Nightclub and Pub, so when they announced Gob would be playing I had to be there!  Finding out that Finger Eleven would be joining them was like... well it was like winning a TV then finding out it's a 52" plasma with home entertainment center complete with surround sound!  Fucking awesome!

One of the twins, Marco was working late on this night but the other, Moe, joined me for the show.  This show was not an all ages show and beer taps were flowing steadily.  Another amazing coincidence, that Gob would come back to the same venue the year the boys turned 18 and could legally attend the show in the bar!  Gob consists of Tom Thacker (you may know Tom from a little band called Sum 41) Theo Goutzinakis, Gabe Mantle and Steve Fairweather.  They started the show to a packed house and had the joint jumping from their first song to the last!  You may remember this Gob song from the American Wedding soundtrack.....



After a brief break to take down and set up again, Finger Eleven took the stage and I decided to get a closer look from sidestage.   Finger Eleven have released 6 albums and are a very popular rock band in Canada as well as seeing success in the US, placing twice on the US Hot 100 music charts.  They are made up of Scott Anderson, James Black, Rick Jackett, Sean Anderson and Rich Beddoe.  The energy level that was already high from the awesome show that Gob put on jumped up a level as Finger Eleven took to the stage.  They didn't disappoint the audience, playing all their hits Livin in a Dream, Whatever doesn't Kill Me, Paralyzer, One Thing and another one of my favorites Falling On....



It was a great show all around!  I did get a chance to chat with James Black and Sean Anderson of Finger Eleven after the show.  They are currently working on new songs... I have it on good authority that they have about 4 laid down already...and continuing to tour here and there.  If  they happen to come to your town and you get a chance to take in one of their shows...FUCK, GO!!!  You won't be disappointed!

I'd also like to give a big fucking shout out to Pulse Nightclub and Pub for bringing such an awesome show to our backwater town.  Your staff are unbelievably nice and professional.  And also to Rock 106 and Wing King for helping to sponsor said awesome show!! Rock on!  By the way, Moe has told me he will not be accompanying me to any more shows...apparently too many hot chicks were asking him if I was his date, hahahahahaha............ ; )


Monday 18 June 2012

A Stopover in TrevorTown

Hold on boys and girls... I'm bringing a fresh country scent into the Litter Box this week.  I haven't written about country music before in my blogs and I'm happy that my first is going to be about local boy Trevor Panczak.  Trevor was recently the honored Guest Speaker at my twin sons' graduation commencement ceremonies at Foremost School.  He is also such a sweet, polite and nice young man that I'm inspired to try and write this one without my usual trucker tongue...
Now I have to tell you about small country high school graduation commencement ceremonies.  The graduating class is small.  The Foremost School 2012 Graduation Class had 16 students graduating and two of them were mine.  The nice thing about a very small graduating class is the students have the time to showcase their school days to the friends and family that pack the school's gymnasium.  Most of these students came up through the small school together from ECS (Early Childhood Services) - another more governmental name for Kindergarten (? I don't know....) - all the way to grade 12.
We as parents and members of the same small community know each other and have watched our babies grow into young men and women together.  This makes for a very intimate celebration.  You don't sit through all the boring stuff about everyone you don't know before they get to your child...every moment of the ceremonies is a treasured moment.
It would only make sense that the guest speaker chosen to motivate these young adults with words of wisdom would be someone who comes from a very similar place.  The fact that the guest speaker was also a musician was a bonus as the two young men that belonged to me in this class are musicians themselves.
Trevor Panczak was farm raised just outside of Magrath Alberta...about an hour's drive from where we are located.  He's been playing music for more than half his life and for the last 10 years with his band Rough Stock.  Trevor's music is quite popular across Alberta and he plays more than 100 shows a year... I myself have seen him play a number of times.
I loved that Trevor spoke to our graduates.  He's the perfect example of one who refuses to give up on their dreams.  The music business in Canada is a tough nut to crack and many popular musicians have to work day jobs to put food on the table.  Trevor is no exception.  For years we saw him behind the counter at UFA (United Farmers Association is a chain of co-op stores for farm supplies in Alberta and Saskatchewan) and now he's part of the the sales team at North Lethbridge Dodge.  Regardless, Trevor is still recording and performing his smooth country stylings for fans in Alberta Canada and beyond.  I hope my sons take his example and continue to express themselves through their own music, regardless of the measure of  success they receive from the industry.



Even though the above video is of Trevor covering a Merle Haggard tune and not one of his originals I did want to share it because not only does it showcase Trevor's amazing musical talent but his easygoing sense of humor and charm as well!  Thank you, Trevor for your words at our grad ceremonies and for the example you set for young musicians.  Thank you, Marco and Moe for growing up so bright and good... I'm very proud of you and I look forward to your accomplishments as you make your mark on this world.......... ; )

Be sure to drop by Trevor's official website: