CJAM TOP 30!!! October 24th-30th // 2011!
* – Indicates Canadian Content
1 VARIOUS* – Folk Songs Of Canada Now (LF!)
2 MALAJUBE* – La Caverne (Dare To Care)
3 RYAN ADAMS – Ashes & Fire (Capitol)
4 BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY – Wolfroy Goes To Town (Drag City)
5 LEE PERRY – Nu Sound & Version (On-U)
6 LITTLE AXE – If You Want Loyalty Buy A Dog (On-U)
7 ADALINE* – Modern Romantics (Light Organ)
8 FEIST* – Metals (Arts & Crafts)
9 THE STRETCH ORCHESTRA* – The Stretch Orchestra (Self-Released)
10 WILL CURRIE AND THE COUNTRY FRENCH* – Awake You Sleepers (File Under: Music)
11 THE STANDSTILLS* – The Human Element (Self-Released)
12 RICH AUCOIN* – We’re All Dying To Live (Sonic)
13 TEENBURGER* – Burgertime (Droppin’ Science)
14 BRUCE PENINSULA* – Open Flames (Hand Drawn Dracula)
15 GYPSOPHILIA* – Constellation (Forward Music Group)
16 THE GERTRUDES* – Till the Morning Shows Her Face To Me (Apple Crisp)
17 FLYING DOWN THUNDER & RISE ASHEN* – One Nation (Balanced)
18 BORN GOLD* – Bodysongs (Hovercraft)
19 ADAM & THE AMETHYSTS* – Flickering Flashlight (Kelp)
20 ECCODEK* – Remixtasy (Big Mind)
21 ZOLA JESUS – Conatus (Sacred Bones)
22 ANVIL* – Monument Of Metal (The End)
23 KENSINGTON MARKET* – Aardvark (Pacemaker)
24 TASSEOMANCY* – Ulalume (Out Of This Spark)
25 VARIOUS* – Tunes for Baboons: Live Sessions From CJSW 90.9 FM (CJSW)
26 THE ARKELLS* – Michigan Left (Universal)
27 TYRANAHORSE* – Ghostwolfmotherhawk: Prairieunicornlionlioness (Self-Released)
28 SULTANS OF STRING* – Move (Self-Released)
29 ROCK N ROLL MONKEY & THE ROBOTS – Kooky Spooky Attic Static (Motor Sound)
30 CASIOKIDS – Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen (Polyvinyl)
More Info: www.earshot-online.com
All dressed up and nowhere to go? Here’s your musical Halloween week guide!
Halloween is always a festive time in Windsor. People will stretch the costume wearing (although some outfits really push the meaning of “costume” – seriously. Throwing a cowboy hat over your normal weekend attire is not a Halloween costume. It’s an announcement you’re creatively unimaginative) and All Hallowed Eve’s party-going for three or four days, just to avoid re-entering the glum reality of not being able to going out in public dressed like Batman, a zombie or a giant vagina.
Here’s a quick run-down of all the events going on from now until Halloween night for all your costume wearin’, pint raisin’ Halloween goodness.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 28: Metal Massacre Halloween Show (Coach & Horses, 156 Chatham St. West, basement level) Five of Windsor’s finest metal bands of the past year or so – Repetitions, After Ashes, Dead Man’s Will, Reasons Lost and Slaughterhouse on the Prairie – combine for one pure metal devastation with a FREE show at the legendary Coach. Doors at 8pm (with an EARLY start to accommodate all the bands involved), 19+
FRIDAY OCTOBER 28: The Antiques Freakshow (FM Lounge, 156 Chatham St. West, main level) Roots songstress Allison Brown is joined by musical guests Erin Gignac, Chris Crossroads, Richard Dreiger, Tim Swaddling, Kate Romain and many more, singing “classic country and roots music tales from beyond the grave; murder ballads, ill-fated outlaws, deathbed confessions, soul selling, phantom trains, dark dungeons, tragic bar-room brawls, and graveyard ghosts.” Doors at 9pm, 19+
FRIDAY OCTOBER 28: Zombie Appreciation Night (Milk Coffee Bar, 68 University Ave. West) Veteran indie rock darlings Meters To Miles teams up with Mud Lions and Paul Jacobs to throw a rock and roll shin-dig of undead proportions at Milk. Doors at 8pm, All-ages
FRIDAY OCTOBER 28: Eric Welton Kill Them With Kindness CD Release Show (Phog Lounge, 157 University Ave. West) Welton returns to release his fourth album (first in 3 years), with special guests, from Chatham, The Long Lots. Read the review here. Doors at 9pm, 19+
FRIDAY OCTOBER 29: The Return of Kenneth MacLeod & The Windsor Salt Band (Villains Beastro, 256 Pelissier Ave.) Roots rockers The Windsor Salt Band, lead by the fire haired wildman Kenneth MacLeod, rips up the Villains stage for a great night. Doors at 9pm, 19+
SATURDAY OCTOBER 29: Anonymous Bosch Halloween HellFest IV (Blind Dog, 671 Ouellette Ave.) One of Windsor’s finest metal outfits, Anonymous Bosch, throw their fourth annual Halloween onslaught, with special guests Perpetuate, Laval and Clutch tribute, 10000 Witnesses. Doors at 7:30pm, 19+, Tickets $7 Advance (contact band members) or $10 at door
SATURDAY OCTOBER 30: Palindrome debuts at the Coach (156 Chatham St. West, basement level) Palindrome – the newest supergroup featuring ex-members of Closed Casket Funeral, Corprophemia, Monolith, Cleansed By Fire, ADHD and more – unleash their new tech metal sound with their debut live performance, joined by guests Dr. Altenhof and a reunited Destroy Thy Will. Doors at 9pm, 19+
SATURDAY OCTOBER 29: Dented Halos and Beijing Bike Club (FM Lounge, 156 Chatham St. West, main level) Gutter-garage punk Hallowgans Dented Halos rock the FM Lounge with local rock newcomers Beijing Bike Club. Doors at 9pm, 19+
SATURDAY OCTOBER 29: Halloween Imposter Night (Phog Lounge, 157 University Ave. West) Three of Windsor’s most beloved indie music bands toss aside their originals and play entire sets dressed as and performing music of some of their heroes. This unique event features The Blue Stones performing as The Black Keys, The Hypnotics performing as the Ramones, and The Nefidovs performing as The Specials. Doors at 9pm, 19+
SUNDAY OCTOBER 30: Devilz By Definition’s Devilz Night Massacre (The Coach & Horses, 156 Chatham St. West, basement level) One of Windsor’s finest metal bands, Devilz By Definition, throw their 2nd annual Devilz Night Bash, with guests Go Man Go, NeanderTHRALL and Slaughterhouse on the Prairie. Doors at 9pm, 19+
SUNDAY OCTOBER 30: Library Voices return to Phog (Phog Lounge, 157 University Ave. West) Regina’s majestic indie pop darlings Library Voices return to Windsor on tour, with Toronto’s Will Currie and the Country French and Windsor’s Dave Russell & The Precious Stones. Doors at 9pm, 19+
SUNDAY OCTOBER 30: Devil’s Night Bash (Villains Beastro, 256 Pelissier Ave.) The mighty Southern prog crunch of Surdaster meets the undeniable thunder of CELLOS for a night of devilish proportions. Doors 9pm, 19+
MONDAY OCTOBER 31: the unquiet dead Hard Road Single Release Show (FM Lounge, 156 Chatham St. West) The ten-person “hobo symphony” who debuted opening for Yukon Blonde at the Capitol Theatre in early October unveils a 2-song single with their first full show on Halloween night, with special guests James OL & The Villains and Zarasutra opening up. Doors at 9pm, 19+
CD Review: Eric Welton “Kill Them With Kindness”
Eric Welton, Kill Them With Kindness (Wotown Records/Spur of the Moment Media)
Eric Welton has been one of Windsor’s most enigmatic songwriters of the past decade, ever since he crash landed on the Rose City’s shores from the distant galaxy of Chatham-Kent.
His catalogue of music is vastly underrated – locally and nationally – and, depending on his mood, whims, friends and associates of the moment, touch on just about every gamete of emotion, situation and nuance. He is a songwriter’s songwriter, letting the songs and melodies dictate the direction each album will take him. From 2006′s understated 16-track debut ziGZag (home to live favourites “Dog”, “Another Day” and “Bright Lights”) to the follow-up in 2007, an e.p. (which featured his live classic “Drunk Man Trilogy”, as well as pop gems “Won’t Stop” and the gorgeous “What It Is For”), Welton showed he had the songwriting chops to write undeniably catchy pop classics that stuck around for days and months on end after each show or CD listen. A year later, he switched from his indie pop stylings with an almost alt. country flair for 2008′s Fool Heart, which yielded several more live staples, such as “Cold Hearted Woman”, “Flea” and the heart breaking “I Don’t Believe In You (Too Far Gone)”. In three years, Welton had produced three offerings chalk full of instant sing-a-long classics and emotionally crushing ballads, performing at all the live venues downtown. Welton’s songwriting always seemed to be better appreciated, however, by the city’s local musicians more than the public. A solo performer in the studio (he recorded, produced, wrote and performed everything on his first three releases, except for Fool Heart‘s “Fool Heart Blues”, a collaboration with former Golden Hands Before God guitarist Steven Gibb), his live backing band featured many of the area’s most respected performers, such as Jackie Robitaille, Tara Watts (The Locusts Have No King), Damien Zakoor (The Swillingtones, The Vaudevillianaires, The Golden Hands Before God), Eryk Myskow (The Hung Jury, ASK), Andrew MacLeod (Years of Ernest) and the late Bradford Helner (The Hung Jury, Huladog, Mr. Chill & The Witnesses). Over the next few years, he seemed to almost abandon his solo career when he joined up with Chatham’s (and one of Canada’s) finest psychedelic rock outfits, Square Root of Margaret (lead by his cousin and long time friend Po Kadot).
Following the release and limited touring for Square Root of Margaret’s last album, 2010′s WYSIWYG, Welton once again began work on his next solo release and now, three years after his last, he has finally unveiled his most solid release yet, the deliciously schizophrenic Kill Them With Kidness (which he releases this Friday at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West), backed by Eryk Myskow, Josh Zalev (Huladog, Vice Aerial, Mr. Chill & The Witnesses), and Luke “Big Lou” Pelotte (Theory of Everything, The Hung Jury, Vice Aerial)).
While prior releases showed off a minimalism that was both refreshing and ear-pleasing, with this release Welton has added a multitude of layers to create a grandness and lushness not present on previous efforts. This time around, the minimalism is more pronounced and the epic truly shines. Once again, Welton handles the bulk of performance, except for steady bass work from long time live associate Eryk Myskow on most of the record and one song guests in some vocals from Years of Ernest’s Andrew MacLeod (on “Every Day”) and percussion from SROM bandmate Ben Srokosz on the opener.
The frantic indie rock of the under-a-minute lead off track “Kooler” segways nicely into the groovy plodding of the title track. On “Kill Them With Kindness”, Welton once again displays that being wordy is sometimes backseat to a solid beat and groove, as he sings “I want/what you want/and you want it all/I know/what you know/and you know/it all” over a bouncy rhythm that would be best heard on a sunny Sunday afternoon with the window rolled down.
The guitars ring loud again in the circle round gang vocal rocker “Gone” before delving into the beautiful piano driven pop ballad “The Evil In Your Violence”, written in direct reaction to the tragic events surrounding Scott Funnel’s attack last fall. “Have you heard?” he croons over a gorgeous keyboard riff. “They’ve gone and changed your world. And everything you knew, you had believed … is gone, erased with every kick in the head.” For those who remember those horrible weeks when we nearly lost our friend, the refrain “The evil in your violence is permanent” will ring with a haunting shiver.
A beautifully and somewhat faithful cover of an older Square Root of Margaret song, “Hazel Eyes”, uplifts the record from the heaviness of the prior track, and Welton, free from the restraints of writing a song, showcases one of his finest strengths on record – his layering of vocal harmonies, some simple and obvious, some so layered or obstructed your brain hears them without realizing just how many voices they are hearing.
“Every Day” could easily be an anthem for many in today’s world. It seemingly tells the tale of a man suffering from an immeasurable vices who justifies his demons and self-destructions by simply praying to his maker for forgiveness. Andrew MacLeod (Years of Ernest) capably assists Welton with the harmonies with another bouncy song that sounds like it could easily have fit on the alt. country Fool Heart.
With the next track, “Spherikal”, the album takes a decidedly more (controlled) experimental approach. Dabbling in electronics and vocal chants and swirls, what it lacks in lyrical content it more than makes up in substance. His tenure in Square Root of Margaret has definitely rubbed off in his own songwriting and this could easily have been an instrumental (of sorts) on an upcoming SROM release.
He briefly swings back to his minimalist indie folk-pop with “I Know I’m Dying” before jumping into what could be the electropop dance hit of the year. I don’t mean locally either. “LC/DC” sounds like the the final masterpiece that LCD Soundsystem was working on before his head exploded. Trace elements of what makes bands like Holy Fuck, Justice and Thunderheist continue to control dancefloors in clubs across the country. Driven around a monstrously dirty and almost Death From Above 1979 bass line from Eryk Myskow, Welton adds layers of electronic skin, veins and muscle to create a driving 8+ minute ditty that would have the same effect on a dancefloor in Montreal or New York that it would in Windsor. This song needs to be played just when the crowd is at it’s sweatiest and drug addled. This is what losing inhibitions on the dance floor sounds like.
It closes with a song, “unOther”, that seems to incorporate everything that Welton’s music encapsulated on this record. Quirky lyrics (“I said if you’re the cat and I’m the mouse – eat me!”), pulsing driving rhythms lead by vocal melody and simple instrumentation, layered upon each other to a degree that a princess couldn’t hear the pea, swerving from idea to idea with the greatest of ease.
Which to a degree, is what Eric Welton’s music is all about. Never being constrained by what critics or audiences seem to think pop music should be and simply throwing his own experience and inner songs against the wall and hoping that what sticks isn’t the shit but the shinola. Kill Them With Kindness is a bold and brave songbook of Welton maturing and branching out of his home studio comfort zone and finding a Hunter S. Thompson world of song that defies to be shackled by the FM radio pre-sets.
Eric Welton presents the Kill Them With Kindness CD release party, Friday October 28th at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West), with special guests Chatham’s Long Lots.
CJAM TOP 30!!! October 17th-23rd // 2011!
* – Indicates Canadian Content
1 LEE PERRY – New Sound & Version (On U)
2 MAD ONES* – Behaviour (Self-Released)
3 BRUCE PENINSULA* – Open Flames (Hand Drawn Dracula)
4 LITTLE AXE – If You Want Loyalty Buy A Dog (On U)
5 BORN GOLD* – Bodysongs (Hovercraft)
6 RY COODER – Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down (Nonesuch)
7 WILL CURRIE AND THE COUNTRY FRENCH* – Awake You Sleepers (File Under: Music)
8 DANIELLE DUVALL – Of The Valley (People Play)
9 VARIOUS* – Folk Songs Of Canada Now (LF!)
10 THE CONSUMER GOODS* – But Don’t We Shoot Pistols? (Grumpy Cloud)
11 OHBIJOU* – Metal Meets (Last Gang)
12 JOSE SILVA* – Uncorrected EP (Balanced House)
13 THE FALCONS* – Atomic Guitar (Almostereo)
14 THE MAGNIFICENT BASTARDS* – Magnicent Bastards (Self-Released)
15 BAD VIBRATIONS* – Black Train (Self-Released)
16 CROOKED FINGERS – Breaks in the Armor (Merge)
17 BALLAKE SISSOKO & VINCENT SEGAL – Chamber Music (Six Degrees)
18 THE GERTRUDES* – Till the Morning Shows Her Face To Me (Apple Crisp)
19 THE MIGHTY POPO* – Gakondo (Borealis)
20 DEER TICK – Divine Providence (Partisan)
21 THE PAUPERS* – Ellis Island (Pacemaker)
22 BOY WITH A FISH* – I Put My Tongue On The Window (Left Ear)
23 FLYING DOWN THUNDER & RISE ASHEN* – One Nation (Balanced)
24 DJ SHADOW – The Less You Know, The Better (A&M)
25 TEENBURGER* – Burgertime (Self-Released)
26 THE KICKDRUMS – Meet Your Ghost (Last Gang)
27 MALAJUBE* – La Caverne (Dare To Care)
28 THE, STONE SPARROWS* – The Stone Sparrows (Get Bent)
29 THE STANDSTILLS* – The Human Element (Self-Released)
30 SPORTS – Sports (Self-Released)
More Info?: www.earshot-online.com
CJAM TOP 30!!! October 10th-16th // 2011!
* – Indicates Canadian Content
1 OHBIJOU* – Metal Meets (Last Gang)
2 WILL CURRIE AND THE COUNTRY FRENCH* – Awake You Sleepers (File Under: Music)
3 WHITEHORSE* – Whitehorse (Six Shooter)
4 FEIST* – Metals (Arts & Crafts)
5 KIDSTREET* – Fuh Yeah (Nettwerk)
6 KENSINGTON MARKET* – Aardvark (Pacemaker)
7 DUM DUM GIRLS – Only In Dreams (Sub Pop)
8 THE MEKONS – Ancient & Modern (Bloodshot)
9 WILD FLAG – Wild Flag (Merge)
10 VARIOUS* – Everybody Dance Now: Songs From Hamilton Vol. 6 (C+C Music Festival)
11 ADAM & THE AMETHYSTS* – Flickering Flashlight (Kelp)
12 MAD ONES* – Behaviour (Self-Released)
13 THE PACK A.D.* – Unpersons (Mint)
14 BRUCE PENINSULA* – Open Flames (Hand Drawn Dracula)
15 SPORTS – Sports (Self-Released)
16 BEIRUT – The Rip Tide (Pompeii)
17 NEON INDIAN – Era Extrana (Mom + Pop)
18 LITTLE DRAGON – Ritual Union (Peacefrog)
19 THE PLANET SMASHERS* – Descent Into The Valley Of The Planet Smashers (Stomp)
20 MIGUEL MIGS – Outside The Skyline (Om)
21 BIG SUGAR* – Revolution Per Minute (Bread & Water)
22 THE BOOM BOOMS* – !Hot Rum! (Lit Fuse)
23 REBEKAH HIGGS* – Odd Fellowship (Hidden Pony)
24 LIBRARY VOICES* – Summer Of Lust (Nevado)
25 SHOOTING GUNS* – Born To Deal In Magic 1952-1976 (Teargas Recording Tree)
26 THE BARR BROTHERS* – The Barr Brothers (Secret City)
27 HANDSOME FURS* – Sound Kapital (Sub Pop)
28 CHANG-A-LANG* – No Clean Rock And Roll (Self-Released)
29 ECCODEK* – Remixtasy (Big Mind)
30 TWIN SISTER – In Heaven (Domino)
More Info?: www.earshot-online.com
CJAM TOP 30!!! October 3rd-9th // 2011
* – Indicates Canadian Content
1 OHBIJOU* – Metal Meets (Last Gang)
2 WHITEHORSE* – Whitehorse (Six Shooter)
3 WILD FLAG – Wild Flag (Merge)
4 THE MIGHTY POPO* – Gakondo (Tamba Music)
5 WILCO – The Whole Love (dBpm)
6 VARIOUS* – Everybody Dance Now: Songs From Hamilton Vol. 6 (C+C Music Festival)
7 DUM DUM GIRLS – Only In Dreams (Sub Pop)
8 BRAZILIAN MONEY* – Jive With The Killer Instinct EP (Self-Released)
9 JENS LEKMAN – An Argument With Myself (Secretly Canadian)
10 THE, PAUPERS* – Ellis Island (Pacemaker Entertainment)
11 THE PACK A.D.* – Unpersons (Mint)
12 NEON INDIAN – Era Extrana (Mom + Pop)
13 LITTLE GIRLS* – Cults (Hand Drawn Dracula)
14 DAN MANGAN* – Oh Fortune (Arts & Crafts)
15 ECCODEK* – Remixtasy (Big Mind)
16 CUFF THE DUKE* – Morning Comes (Paper Bag)
17 KASABIAN – Velociraptor! (Sony)
18 FEIST* – Metals (Arts & Crafts)
19 STARS* – The Bedroom Demos (Arts & Crafts)
20 BRITISH COLUMBIANS* – Made For Darker Things (Rural)
21 KENSINGTON MARKET* – Aardvark (Pacemaker Entertainment)
22 SMOOVE & TURRELL – Eccentric Audio (Jalapeno)
23 THE CROOKED BROTHERS* – Lawrence, Where’s Your Knife? (Transistor 66)
24 JOHN DOE – Keeper (Yep Roc)
25 DEX ROMWEBER DUO – Is That You In The Blue? (Bloodshot)
26 CHUCK RAGAN – Covering Ground (SideOneDummy)
27 CHEIKH LO – Jamm (Nonesuch)
28 WILL CURRIE AND THE COUNTRY FRENCH* – Awake You Sleepers (File Under: Music)
29 OCOTE SOUL SOUNDS – Taurus (ESL/Eighteenth Street Lounge)
30 THE BOXCAR BOYS* – Don’t Be Blue (Fedora Upside Down)
More Info?: www.earshot-online.com
CJAM TOP 30!!! September 26th – October 2nd // 2011!
* – Indicates Canadian Content
1 THE BARR BROTHERS* – The Barr Brothers (Secret City)
2 RY COODER – Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down (Nonesuch)
3 THE PACK A.D.* – Unpersons (Mint)
4 ELLIOTT BROOD* – Days Into Years (Paper Bag)
5 HANDSOME FURS* – Sound Kapital (Sub Pop)
6 THE FOLKLORDS* – Release The Sunshine (Pacemaker Entertainment)
7 ADAM & THE AMETHYSTS* – Flickering Flashlight (Kelp)
8 THE PAINT MOVEMENT* – The Paint Movement (Nevado)
9 THE MIGHTY POPO* – Gakondo (Tamba Music)
10 THE F-HOLES* – Angel In The Corner (Gypsy Soul)
11 10 FT. GANJA PLANT – Shake Up The Place (Roir)
12 ECCODEK* – Remixtasy (Big Mind)
13 WHITEHORSE* – Whitehorse (Six Shooter)
14 THE PLANET SMASHERS* – Descent Into The Valley Of The Planet Smashers (Stomp)
15 MATES OF STATE – Mountaintops (Barsuk)
16 THE DRUMS – Portamento (Frenchkiss)
17 WILD FLAG – Wild Flag (Merge)
18 CONTACT* – Undercurrents: Contact Performs the Music of Jordan Noble (Red Shift)
19 MOONFACE* – Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped (Jagjaguwar)
20 JORDAN KLASSEN* – Go To Me (Self-Released)
21 FAITHFULL UNTO DEATH* – Coming Home (Self-Released)
22 WAR ON DRUGS – Slave Ambient (Secretly Canadian)
23 WILCO – The Whole Love (dBpm)
24 THE ROWLEY ESTATE* – Still T.R.E. (Self-Released)
25 DAN MANGAN* – Oh Fortune (Arts & Crafts)
26 BASSNECTAR – Divergent Spectrum (Alpha Pup)
27 KILL THE AUTOCRAT* – New World Disorder (682 Records)
28 OHBIJOU* – Metal Meets (Last Gang)
29 GABRIELLE PAPILLON* – The Currency Of Poetry (Constant Clip Records)
30 VARIOUS – The New North (Off the Real Frequency)
More Info?: www.earshot-online.com
We Are The Young: Jam Space’s Jam Academy shows the future of the Windsor music scene is in good hands
A few months back, our own Del Rees attended one of Jam Space’s Jam Academy classes, to interview teacher Dave Allan (known to many as the drummer in such local acts as Explode When They Bloom, Area 51, Poughboy, Which Witch and Cellos) and hang out with all the talented young kids who were attending Jam Academy. Jam Academy is a localized “School of Rock” if you will. Allan, alongside fellow teacher Jason P. Testawich (from Surdaster, Luna Borealis and The Unquiet Dead), instruct upwards of 30 or 40 students, not simply in honing their respective instruments or song writing, but to also show them the sheer joy of performing in a band, and showing them how to interact with each other socially and musically.
This past Sunday TWZ was at their latest performance (which is essentially the full musical “graduation” of the students of the past set of seminars), held at Villains Beastro (256 Pelissier St.) in downtown Windsor. It was a full house to take in the many performances, centred around this classes’ Beatles theme. With the calibre of teachers and the level of commitment Jam Space, we were expecting some real talented kids. Not only were they talented kids, there were some damn talented musicians in the bunch as well. It was a fantastic show from start to finish.
The kids all came from different corners of Windsor-Essex county – many of whom had never played with other musicians until signing up for Jam Academy. Over the past summer, the crew of Jam Space have done a fantastic job honing these kids’ skills, polishing them and releasing them to the public with a confidence and swagger well beyond their years.
The show opened with two performers – 14-year old multi-instrumentalist Sam Poole and 15-year old vocalist Samantha (Sam) Bourque – doing stripped down versions of Beatles songs. These two are vets of Jam Academy and their poise and confidence levels showed that these two were no strangers to the public or the stage. Bourque has a powerful voice for one so young and is very comfortable on the stage – which is perhaps why she’s been performing in musicals since she was 6. Her voice is very theatric and she could easily have a career in Musical Theatre. The duo performed some great Beatles selections – including some not often tackled such as “Dear Prudence” and “Because”. They were joined mid-way through their five song opener by a pair of percussionists, in drum students Sierra Heil (15) and Sierra Simoni (13). They were subtle and restrained, and accompanied the vocal duets of the two Sams, and Poole’s fine keyboard and guitar work.
They were followed by the first official “band” from Jam Academy, Fifth Element. These four kids range in age from 12-year bassist Kael Currie, 13-year old drummer Michael Clayton to 14-year olds Dominique Gatty on vocals and Julia Mammerella on guitars. These four had an edgier punk-pop sound that really came out in the first original composition of the event, the brilliantly poppy “We Are The Young”, which closed out a set that included covers by The White Stripes, Guns N’ Roses and the obligatory themed Beatles. But it was on “We Are The Young” that they truly shone, showcasing their own bravado and creativity, with a truly memorable and catchy pop-punk anthem for the tweens. Hopefully they record it soon!
Jam Space is located at 2680 Ouellette Ave., behind Tepperman's
Atomic Spawn was the next band up and this band was a monster of a jam band. The two Sams from the opening act re-took the stage as co-vocalists, and both percussionists (the two Sierras) returned as co-drummers. If I was to hand out an award for coolest image of the day, it would have to be Sierra Simoni – she walked with a swagger most men can’t pull off and the tall boots holding her drum sticks gave her just enough attitude to hang in a room full of older adults. Fifteen-year old bassist David Gleason held down a solid groove and 16-year old guitarist Dylan Zak (great rock and roll name) towered over the rest of the band and held down the sweet rhythm guitar. But it was the immense talent of 15-year old guitarist Kess Carpenter that caught most people’s attention. Only playing for two years (and playing alongside others for less than one), Carpenter’s sheer confidence and bravado on the electric guitar was head and shoulders above everyone on the stage that day. In fact, she commanded the stage more than many older, more “established” musicians in town can. She attacked the guitar like AC/DC‘s Angus Young and unleashed a hurricane of fret work worthy of some of her heroes like Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Steve Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix. Remember her name, because she will be a musical force to be reckoned with when she builds on her stage experience (immediately after her performance, TWZ secured her an opening slot performing at Phog Lounge (157 University Ave. West), alongside Windsor veterans The Locusts Have No King and Vancouver’s garage blues darlings and Mint Records recording artists, The Pack AD, on Wednesday October 19. She’ll be performing her own original material, backed by her teachers Dave Allan on drums and Jason P. Testawich on bass). Carpenter and the rest of the crew from Atomic Spawn rocked through a set list featuring “Come Together”, “Heard It Through The Grapevine”, “Pride and Joy” and “You Shook Me All Night Long”, as well as an untitled original.
After a small break, the third band of the night hit the stage, the instrumental experimental heaviness of Octomen. This band was highlighted by another guitar virtuoso in 13-year old Nathan McNevin, who hands seemed to move with an empathic dance around the guitar, showing a real precision on timing yet a loose comfort in letting the song lead him. Drummer Chris Cunningham (18) – arguably the best drummer of the night – showed an equal precision behind the kit. Following their Beatles cover – “Day Tripper” – Sam Bourque lent her vocals to the event once again for an Avenged Sevenfold cover, before they closed out with two instrumental originals, “Octoman” and “Octowoman”. The bass duties were filled out by instructor Jason Testawich.
The final band of the night were easily the loudest and heaviest, but were also easily the tightest. Perhaps the fact that three of the four members of Yet To Come – 16-year old Caleb Workman on drums, 17-year old Jesiah Workman on bass, and 16-year old Nathan Workman on guitar – are brothers has something to do with that. Add in 16-year old Dayne Garant on guitar, and you have the prime components for a future hardcore/metal staple at the legendary Coach & Horses (156 Chatham St. West). While a few of the parents began to filter out while these four guys unleashed the primal sludge doom on their ears, many still stuck around to witness the thunder these guys brought superbly to the stage. And due to time, these guys had to cut their Beatles’ cover and went with an all-original set list.
All in all, this was a fantastic showcase of young Windsor-Essex musical talent. It showed not only what an amazing job that Jam Space owners Jeffrey Bourque and Jason Testawich – as well as Jam Academy instructor Dave Allan – have done nurturing these kids, but also what a plethora of talent lay waiting in the wings to hit the stage once they’ve added a few more years. An incredibly exciting event that left me with goose bumps of anticipation. In the immortal words of AC/DC: “For those about to rock…we salute you.”
Jam Space is a fully functional musical haven suited for band rehearsals, sound recording or even karaoke parties. Located at 2680 Ouellette Ave., behind Tepperman’s and beside Steimar Bakery, it is reasonably priced for all your musical jam needs. Call (519) 972-0008 for more info on Jam Academy’s next sessions or any of their features!
