Something
      weird
      is
      happen-
     
     
      ing
      to
      bar
      bands
      in
      Charlottetown.
     
     
      Cover
      band
      standards
      like
      the
     
     
      mandatory
      Collective
      Soul
      cover,
     
     
      or
      other
      Magic
      93
      hits
      are
      being
     
     
      replaced
      by
      more
      complex,
      jazz-
     
     
      influenced
      tunes,
      obscure
      tracks,
     
     
      and
      extended
      jams
      of
      classic
      rock
     
     
      songs.
      At
      the
      forefront
      of
      this
      grow-
     
     
      ing
      scene
      is
      the
      tripped
      out,
      techni-
     
     
      cal
      stylings
      of
      Downtime.
     
    

    
     
      Chris
      Buote
      plays
      bass
      and
     
     
      sings
      lead
      vocals,
      Patrick
      Allen
     
     
      plays
      drums,
      and
      James
      Quinn
     
     
      plays
      guitar
      while
      conducting
      an
     
     
      assortment
      of
      gadgets
      and
      samples.
     
     
      James’s
      equipment
      could
      probably
     
     
      be
      considered
      the
      fourth
      member
      of
     
     
      Downtime
      because
      they
      provide
     
     
      multiple
      layers
      of
      loops
      and
      sam-
     
     
      ples
      that
      could
      not
      be
      produced
      by
     
     
      just
      three
      people.
      Watching
      them
     
     
      perform
      is
      a
      surreal
      experience
     
     
      especially
      when
      James
      plays
      a
      gui-
     
     
      tar
      solo
      over
      a
      guitar
      riff
      that
      he
      just
     
     
      sampled
      live.
      Or
      when
      his
      effects
     
     
      make
      his
      guitar
      sound
      exactly
      like
     
     
      an
      organ,
      saxophone,
      or
      drum,
      it
      is
     
     
      difficult
      to
      believe
      that
      there
      is
      not
     
     
      a
      bunch
      of
      musicians
      hidden
      back-
     
     
      stage
      somewhere.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      technology
      is
      an
     
     
      impressive
      element
      of
      their
      live
     
     
      show,
      but
      the
      band’s
      ability
      to
      per-
     
     
      form
      without
      it
      seeming
      like
      a
      gim-
     
     
      mick
      is
      a
      testament
      to
      their
      abilities
     
     
      as
      musicians.
      Besides
      their
      individ-
     
     
      ual-talents
      at
      their
      instruments,
      the
     
     
      biggest
      asset
      in
      a
      band
      like
      this
      is
     
     
      their
      ability
      to
      hear
      what
      fellow
     
     
      band
      members
      are
      doing.
      With
     
     
      equipment
      like
      the
      boomerang
     
     
      phrase
      sampler,
      which
      can
      catch
      a
     
     
      sample
      live
      and
      loop
      it
      while
      the
     
     
      band
      plays
      over
      it,
      it
      is
      important
     
     
      that
      their
      playing
      matches
      the
      loop.
     
    

    
     
      Buote
      explained
      that
      it
     
     
      takes
      a
      bit
      of
      practice
      to
      get
      used
      to
     
     
      playing
      with
      the
      sampler
      live.
      “It’s
     
     
      taken
      [James]
      a
      while
      just
      to
      get
     
     
      used
      to
      running
      it
      all,”
      he
      said.
     
     
      “When
      he
      gets
      a
      loop
      running
      on
     
     
      the
      boomerang
      too,
      with
      the
      bass
     
     
      and
      drums
      we
      got
      to
      listen
      and
      if
     
     
      it’s
      a
      riff
      or
      something,
      we
      got
      to
     
     
      stay
      right
      with
      it.
      We
      got
      to
      hear
      it
     
     
      really
      well,
      otherwise
      we’d
      get
      off
     
     
      and
      it
      doesn’t
      sound
      right.
      So
      he’s
     
     
      gotten
      used
      to
      clicking
      it
      off
      and
     
     
      clicking
      it
      back
      on
      when
      we
      get
      off
     
     
      a
      little
      bit.”
     
    

    
     
      Not
      only
      do
      they
      have
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      James
      Quinn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chris
      Buote
     
    
   
   
    
     
      keep
      their
      ears
      open
      for
      samples,
     
     
      the
      majority
      of
      their
      show
      consists
     
     
      of
      improvised
      jamming,
      so
      com-
     
     
      munication
      is
      important
      for
      the
     
     
      musicians.
      “We'll
      take
      songs
      or
     
     
      ideas
      and
      usually
      there
      will
      be
      a
     
     
      theme
      that’s
      the
      head
      of
      the
      song
     
     
      and
      we’ll
      always
      leave
      a
      little
      sec-
     
     
      tion
      that’s
      open
      where
      we
      can
      let
      it
     
     
      go
      and
      try
      stuff,”
      Buote
      said.
      “A
      lot
     
     
      of
      it
      is
      just
      using
      our
      ears,
      listening
     
     
      and
      trying
      to
      react
      to
      what’s
      going
     
     
      on
      and
      that
      way
      a
      lot
      of
      it
      can
      be
     
     
      spontaneous.”
     
    

    
     
      Their
      style
      of
      music
      is
     
     
      heavily
      influenced
      by
      jam
      bands
     
     
      like
      Phish,
      Medeski
      Martin
      and
     
     
      Wood,
      and
      Fly
      Jimmy
      Swift.
      Buote
     
     
      thinks
      Downtime’s
      success
      in
     
     
      places
      like
      New
      Brunswick
      is
      due
     
     
      to
      a
      growing
      scene
      for
      jam
      bands.
     
     
      While
      Charlottetown’s
      scene
      is
      rel-
     
     
      atively
      small,
      a
      community
      of
      fans
     
     
      that
      appreciate
      this
      kind
      of
      music
      is
     
     
      growing.
      He
      thinks
      the
      popularity
     
     
      of
      jam
      music
      is
      encouraging
      for
     
     
      musicians
      to
      develop
      their
      talent
     
     
      more
      because
      fans
      of
      this
      style
      are
     
     
      very
      critical
      listeners.
      If
      fans
     
    
   
   
    
     
      demand
      more
      from
      musicians,
      then:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      music
      scene
      will
      improve.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Live
      music
      has
      been
      on
      the
     
     
      decline
      [in
      Charlottetown]
      for
      quite
     
     
      a
      while
      now,
      but
      in
      general
      it’s
     
     
      coming
      around
      a
      bit,”
      Buote
      point-
     
     
      ed
      out.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      scene
      is
      also
      open
      to
      a
     
     
      variety
      of
      styles
      of
      music.
      “All
      the
     
     
      people
      that
      are
      into
      the
      scene
      really
     
     
      appreciate
      the
      different
      elements,”
     
     
      he
      said.
      Downtime
      mix
      all
      sorts
      of
     
     
      styles
      by
      doing
      covers
      of
      techno,
     
     
      funk,
      and
      classic
      rock
      during
      their
     
     
      live
      sets.
     
    

    
     
      While
      they
      tend
      to
      play
     
     
      something
      for
      everyone,
      they
      have
     
     
      been
      criticized
      by
      fans
      in
     
     
      Fredericton
      for
      not
      doing
      their
      own
     
     
      stuff.
      Most
      bar
      bands
      avoid
      doing
     
     
      original
      songs
      because
      typically
      bar
     
     
      patrons
      want
      to
      hear
      songs
      that
      they
     
     
      are
      familiar
      with,
      but
      for
      bands
      like
     
     
      Downtime,
      a
      demand
      for
      original
     
     
      songs
      is
      a
      welcome
      criticism.
     
     
      Instead
      of
      pressuring
      bands
      to
      play
     
     
      Tragically
      Hip
      tunes,
      this
      new
      bar
     
     
      scene
      craves
      originality.
      Fans
      of
     
     
      Downtime
      will
      be
      glad
      to
      know
     
     
      that
      the
      band
      is
      currently
      working
     
     
      on
      a
      new
      album
      of
      their
      own
      mate-
     
     
      rial.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Cadre
      11