Pace on Earth: Clint Eastwood

Monday, February 11, 2008

Clint Eastwood

Sometime last summer we were talking about good band names for the Tallest Band on Earth (although it has grown on me and the acronym T-Bone even moreso) and I suggested Guerrilla Funk. That name became Guerrilla Gorilla whith the thought of a group of kickass musicians dressed in gorilla suits and fatigues. It should be noted that this conversation took place at 3am on the beach.

The reason I bring it up now is because of a couple of things I saw on Saturday of the ECMAs. Around noon time I was driving down King St. and looked to the sidewalk and saw a kid with a gorilla mask and a guitar slung over his back walking down the street. I gave him a honk and went on my way.

The gorilla theme would continue as, on my way home, I came across Ross Neilson and the Sufferin' Bastards playing an ECMA guerrilla show. They hired a flatbed from the Trius Truck Center and set up their badass music making machine out front of The Playhouse. Very quickly a crowd gathered and the boys set about rockin them. As the music pumped the crowd swelled, with industry types streaming out of the Crown Plaza across the street. And with one brilliant idea Ross earned a bunch of new fans without having to sell his soul. You can check some of it out right here.

That was just a sign of things to come as the day wore on. The evening was to be spent at the Music NS stage at the Back Nine. When I arrived there at 8:30 there was literally a thousand people in a line the snaked from the side door to the intersection of King and Regent. Fortunately we shelled out for a booth that let us slide in past the line.

It also allowed us to mix our own drinks; which led to some drinks that you shouldn't be allowed drink in public.

The aformentioned crowd was there for a pretty kickass lineup. When we arrived Rebekah Higgs was onstage and she sounded great from what I heard but we were just getting settled so I would need to hear some more to offer a decent opinion; she did do enough that I would at least hear some more. She was followed by Jill Barber for whom I had high expectations. She sounded good but she lost me when she shhhhed the crowd for her set. This was a show in a bar with 50% bad seats, not a theater with good sightlines. She should have realized that...and played a set appropriate for the scene. Jordan Croucher came on next and sounded good. I would have listened more attentively if I had known at that point that he was a member of the St.F.X basketball team a few years ago. Smooth sounds though. The Sleepless Nights followed him and they were the best of the unknown bands for the night. Big band with big rockin' sound. Joel Plaskett came on next and he was the highlight of the night. I'd seen him before but not is such a cozy little venue. The crowd was eating it up and he played his hits in a tight 45 minutes set. The Contact came on next and seemed as surprised as anyone that they earned the slot between Joel Plaskett and the Trews. They sounded good but the crowd was getting drunk and wanted to hear songs they knew. I'll reserve any judgement on them. By the time the Trews came to the stage the crowd was fully lubed and eager to finish off with a flourish. They did just that, playing the straight ahead rock and roll they do so well. They were joined on stage by Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Grady) for a couple of Big Sugar songs to end the night. It was a great ending to another long and lively day of music. Oh, and this was cool too: