2
      Live
      Motley
      Cosmic
      Crew
      Cuts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Stephan
      MacLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      show
      never
      ends
      for
     
     
      Moncton’s
      Chris
      Colepaugh
      and
      the
     
     
      Cosmic
      Crew.
      When
      bass
      player
      Lynn
     
     
      Daigle
      says,
      “This
      is
      all
      we
      do
      full
     
     
      time,”
      referring
      to
      the
      band’s
      constant
     
     
      touring.
      The
      amount
      of
      work
      the
      band
     
     
      puts
      into
      each
      of
      its
      two
      to
      three
      hour
     
     
      live
      shows
      leaves
      little
      doubt
      that
      they
     
     
      are
      dedicated
      to
      their
      job.
     
    

    
     
      The
      band
      is
      currently
      on
      the
     
     
      road
      promoting
      their
      latest
      album
     
     
      Trip,
      and
      spreading
      their
      vintage,
      feel-
     
     
      good
      rock
      sound
      everywhere
      they
      go.
     
     
      The
      timing
      of
      the
      album’s
      release
     
     
      coincides
      nicely
      with
      their
      favourite
     
     
      time
      of
      the
      year
      to
      travel.”
      It’s
      a
      good
     
     
      time
      to
      tour.
      The
      weather’s
      not
      bad,
     
     
      and
      we’re
      back
      before
      January,”
     
     
      Daigle
      explains.
     
    

    
     
      As
      with
      any
      touring
      band,
     
     
      spending
      extended
      periods
      of
      time
      on
     
     
      the
      road
      can
      have
      an
      impact
      on
      the
     
     
      band’s
      music.
      “Our
      sound’s
      inspired
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Live
      you
      don’t
      have
     
     
      the
      chance
      to
      say
     
     
      ‘Can
      I
      do
      it
      again?’
     
    

    
     
      -Chris
      Colepaugh
     
    
   
   
    
     
      from
      all
      the
      travelling
      we
      do,”
      says
     
     
      lead
      guitarist
      Chris
      Colepaugh.
      The
     
     
      imagery
      and
      steady
      rhythmic
      drive
      of
     
     
      songs
      like
      “California
      Love”
      reflect
     
     
      the
      experiences
      of
      a
      band
      that
      is
     
     
      always
      on
      the
      move.
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      picking
      up
      inspiration
     
     
      for
      songs
      from
      long
      drives
      across
      the
     
     
      country
      and
      in
      the
      United
      States,
      the
     
     
      Cosmic
      Crew
      cites
      Moncton
      as
      the
     
     
      place
      where
      they
      developed
      most
      as
      a
     
     
      band.
     
    

    
     
      “Playing
      in
      Moncton
      allowed
     
     
      us
      to
      hone
      our
      craft
      and
      take
      what
      we
     
     
      do
      to
      other
      cities,”
      Daigle
      reminisces;
     
     
      she
      tells
      me
      about
      a
      bar
      called
      The
     
     
      Esquire
      where
      the
      band
      got
      their
      start
     
     
      along
      with
      other
      great
      artists
      like
     
     
      Eric’s
      Trip
      and
      The
      Monoxides.
      The
     
     
      diverse
      music
      scene
      of
      Moncton
     
     
      played
      a
      big
      role
      in
      the
      band’s
      mix
      of
     
     
      classic
      rock
      and
      funky
      jamming.
     
    

    
     
      The
      element
      of
      improvisation
     
     
      makes
      every
      show
      the
      band
      plays
      a
     
     
      unique
      experience.
      Songs
      from
      their
     
     
      catalogue
      of
      albums
      become
      trans-
     
     
      formed
      during
      live
      shows.
      Daigle
     
     
      says,
      “Our
      songs
      are
      recorded
      one
      way
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lynn
      Daigle.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      on
      the
      album,
      but
      the
      way
      we
      present
     
     
      it
      each
      night
      is
      totally
      different.”
      She
     
     
      compares
      the
      difference
      between
      play-
     
     
      ing
      live
      and
      recording
      to
      theatre
      and
     
     
      film.
     
    

    
     
      Colepaugh
      says,
      “Live
      you
     
     
      don’t
      have
      the
      chance
      to
      say
      ‘Can
      I
      do
     
     
      that
      again?’”
     
    

    
     
      “But
      that’s
      the
      thrill
      of
      it,”
     
     
      adds
      Daigle.
      “You’re
      on
      edge
      and
     
     
      don’t
      know
      if
      everyone
      [in
      the
      band]
     
     
      is
      going
      to
      go
      [musically]
      where
     
     
      you’re
      going
      or
      are
      you
      just
      going
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chris
      Colepaugh.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      out
      there
      all
      by
      yourself.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      excitement
      and
      energy
      of
     
     
      Chris
      Colepaugh
      and
      the
      Cosmic
     
     
      Crew’s
      live
      shows
      have
      won
      them
      a
     
     
      growing
      audience
      of
      fans
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown
      and
      across
      the
      country.
     
     
      As
      the
      band
      continues
      to
      travel
      and
     
     
      play
      more
      shows,
      witnesses
      to
      this
     
     
      powerful
      trio’s
      performances
      will
      find
     
     
      themselves
      humming
      melodies
      or
     
     
      playing
      air
      guitar
      riffs
      to
      their
      CD
      long
     
     
      after
      the
      band
      has
      left
      to
      play
      another
     
     
      dingy
      university
      bar
      in
      another
      town.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kanga
      decided
      she’d
      had
     
     
      enough
      of
      Dennis,
      so
      after
      moving
     
     
      all
      her
      things
      out
      of
      their
      place
      one
     
     
      morning
      she
      kneed
      him
      in
      the
      balls
     
     
      as
      he
      walked
      in
      the
      door
      from
      work
     
     
      in
      the
      evening,
      and
      she
      left.
      And
     
     
      that,
      she
      figured,
      was
      that.
     
    

    
     
      Kanga
      was
      not
      her
      real
     
     
      name;
      her
      real
      name
      was
      Michelle.
     
     
      However,
      her
      last
      name
      was
      Roux,
     
     
      definitely
      French,
      and
      likely
      short-
     
     
      ened
      at
      some
      point
      from
      the
      longer
     
     
      Laroux.
      No
      matter
      the
      derivation,
     
     
      her
      last
      name
      was
      nearly
      universally
     
     
      pronounced
      “roo,”
      and
      thus
      her
      first
     
     
      name
      was
      not
      pronounced
      at
      all
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Life’s
      Like
      That
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      was
      replaced
      with
      “Kanga.”
      This
      —
     
     
      had
      not,
      as
      one
      might
      imagine,
     
     
      grown
      any
      funnier
      over
      time.
     
    

    
     
      None
      of
      this
      is
      particularly
     
     
      important
      except
      that
      it
      explains,
      in
     
     
      part,
      why
      she
      stiffened
      slightly
      and
     
     
      began
      walking
      more
      quickly
      down
     
     
      the
      hall
      when
      Dennis,
      who
      had,
      with
     
     
      some
      difficulty,
      hauled
      himself
      to
     
     
      his
      feet
      and
      then
      to
      the
      door,
      yelled
     
     
      “Kanga,
      damnit,
      Michelle,
      wait!”
     
     
      She
      did
      not
      wait,
      but
      marched
      into
     
     
      the
      elevator,
      and
      with
      Dennis
      still
     
     
      limping
      down
      the
      hall
      after
      her,
     
     
      pushed
      the
      button
      marked
      “L,”
      and
     
     
      vowed
      she
      would
      not
      return
      ever.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Artist:Chris
      re
      and
      the
     
     
      Cosmic
      Crew
     
    

    
     
      Title:
      trip
     
    

    
     
      Label:
      Independent
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cunis
      COLEPAUG,,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Py
      3
     
     
      .
      6
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chris
      Colepaugh
      and
      the
      Cosmic
     
     
      Crew
      are
      good
      musicians
      and
      song-
     
     
      writers
      and
      their
      latest
      album
      trip
      is
     
     
      a
      good
      indication
      of
      their
      abilities.
     
     
      Every
      song
      on
      the
      album
      is
      a
      bit
      of
     
     
      a
      surprise,
      as
      they
      switch
      between
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      funk,
      blues,
      psychedelic
      rock
      or
      any
     
     
      combination
      of
      the
      three.
      My
      prob-
     
     
      lem
      with
      the
      album,
      however,
      is
      that
     
     
      I
      know
      how
      good
      the
      band
      can
      be
     
     
      live.
      With
      only
      three
      performers,
     
     
      their
      energy
      and
      personality
      make
     
     
      them
      sound
      a
      lot
      bigger
      than
      they
     
     
      actually
      are.
      Hearing
      them
      perform
     
     
      on
      this
      album
      is
      disappointing
     
     
      because
      they
      don’t
      sound
      anywhere
     
     
      near
      as
      big
      and
      bold
      and
      electric
      as
     
     
      they
      could.
      The
      trade
      off
      is
      that
      they
     
     
      get
      to
      make
      use
      of
      more
      instru-
     
     
      ments:
      acoustic
      guitars,
      keyboards
     
     
      and,
      I
      think,
      even
      a
      mandolin
      make
     
     
      their
      sound
      more
      layered.
      trip
      isn’t
     
     
      such
      a
      bad
      album
      —
      there
      are
      some
     
     
      good,
      melodic
      songs
      and
      some
      good
     
     
      danceable
      songs
      —
      it’s
      just
      that
      I
     
     
      know
      it
      could
      be
      a
      lot
      better
      —
      awe-
     
     
      some,
      even
      —
      if
      they
      turned
      it
      up
      a
     
     
      notch.
      Here’s
      to
      hoping
      for
      a
      live
     
     
      album
      in
      the
      near
      future.
     
    

    
     
      Jeff
      COLL
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [14]