KESTRELS, SPRAG SESSION AND ANDREW HUNTER AND THE GATHERERS: A DYNAMIC ROCK SHOW. Like any typical Saturday night at the Seahorse Tavern, the blue

lights were glowing, the horsepower was flowing and the disco ball was in motion. By 10:30 p.m. the crowd was seated, but getting chatty. Beverages in hand, a few brave souls took to the empty dance floor anxiously waiting for Kestrels to take the stage. The best way to describe Kestrels is something you would hear on an American pie soundtrack: 90s, catchy and awe-some. Despite the striking resemblance to Death Cab for Cutie’s front man, Ben Gibbard, vocalist/guitar player Chad Peck rocks a lot harder. The man lacks no whammy. In his fitted blue jeans and striped black and white sweater, his mega indie style and mellow tone clashed with the amount of noise the trio made. Nonethe-less, the blend of melody and post grunge racket is something that defines the band. Without doubt these guys love to play together. And they’re good at it. The speedy tight chops from drummer Paul Brown combined with Devin Peck’s bass swells and Chad Peck’s guitar hooks create an alt rock sound: almost mistakable for Dinosaur Jr. By mid set the crowd picked up on the addictive head bobbin, toe tappin’ tunes. The trio knows how to rock their instruments, but they could do without the robotic spoken tracks between songs and simply stick to their garage band sound. Although the overall noise makes it hard to clearly pick up on the lyrics, which seem to deal with liars, relationships, and moving on, it’s the noise that gives Kestrels their authentic, alt rock, high school hallways on warm summer days kind of vibe. Their new

full-length album titled A Ghost History, will be released June 5th as an LP on the Unyson label. You can catch Kestrels June 22nd at Reflections. Up next was Sprag Session. Hailing from Cape Breton, the band brought with them an explosive dance party. As the floor filled with females kickin’ up a step-dance storm, the band played one of thee tightest, liveliest sets the Seahorse has likely ever seen. Formerly known as the Colin Grant Band, Grant fronted the band while playing the fiddle and pumping up the crowd. The word ‘sprag’ is a Shakespearean word meaning quick and lively, and sprag they were. The fiddle, drums, bass and keys combo created a funky jazz, Celtic-dance celebration that drove the crowd wild. Jumpin’ around and clapping fiercely, the audience loved the east coast tunes. Making shout outs to pizza corner and calling on more clapping, Grant was all smiles as a yellow balloon was battered back and forth above the sea of sweat. Before playing a track titled “Gillian Gigs”, Grant told the crowd, “Let’s speed this shit up!” The energy in the room reached max heights and for a few minutes, the Seahorse Tavern could have been mistaken for Dublin’s famous Temple Bar. Sprag Session hit the nail on the head when it came to connecting with their crowd. The friendly, fun atmosphere was like a kitchen dance party- everyone was included and having a good time. Before leaving the stage Grant insisted on visiting the guys in Cape Breton. It’d definitely be worth the trip to see ‘em.

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A SEAHORSE SPRING GATHERING

By the time Andrew Hunter and The Gatherers finally took the stage the crowd was worn out from round two. Many left, drained from the explosion of energy Sprag Session brought, but those who stayed took to the dance floor, armed with pints and bottles. “We’re gonna play you some rock n roll,” Andrew Hunter, guitarist/vocalist told the still standing weekend warriors. Singing aloud, “I’ve got one good reason to make this right, one good reason to start tonight,” Hunter and The Gatherers, Jonny Goud on bass and drummer Bryan Page, opened their set with one of their newer feel good, east coast, drinkin’ songs from their latest album Warhorses.

“Let’s get this dance floor pumpin’ again,” Hunter told the crowd. Jumpin’ around, fist pumpin’ and pelvic thrustin’, the crowd was a small but mighty gang. Despite their size, the trio was also quite forceful. Rockin’ hard, the guys played a few of their older tracks, a bunch of their newer tracks and a couple tracks that weren’t even theirs. “Earplug” and “Capo 2nd” featured on their debut album had the crowd shakin’. Switching up his black Gretsch guitar to a white Telecaster complete with a leopard print strap, Hunter proudly announced how his unborn child was also listening to the show tonight. Then promoted $10 belly rubs! The humour and

easygoing, ‘we’re all buddies’ kind-of-attitude the guys brought to the stage fits their music perfectly. If the Joel Plaskett cover wasn’t enough to spice up their set, the tribute to our passed friend, rock legend and Canadian musician Levon Helm certainly was. Playing The Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek,” Hunter and The Gatherers laid down a cover Levon himself would have approved of. Tracks “Dirty Money” and “Weight of the World” from Warhorses worked the audience, but the energy seemed to peak when Hunter sang “I wanna love you but I don’t understand, I wanna love you but you’re making me mad,” the intro to “Run for Cover.” Despite announcing “the last song” more than once, the guys just kept playing. “Since we’re having so much fun up here, we’re gonna play one more song,” Hunter told the now mostly intoxicated crowd. Nonetheless, they seemed to get more and more into the set as these empty threats to call it a night were made. Before closing the set Hunter told the crowd a story about breaking his arm on his way into a Tom Petty show. “No way in hell was I missing the show. So I did the one hand clap.” All in all, the Saturday night show was a dynamic hit. From indie rock, to fiddle rock to true rock ‘n’ roll; each band played a killer set.

“No way in hell was I missing the

show. So I did the one hand clap.” -Andrew Hunter

ANDREW HUNTER AND THE GATHERERS: BRYAN PAGE ON DRUMS, JONNY GOUD BASS.

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