A
      Close
      to
      the
      Coast
      Event
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Stephan
      MacLEOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Capping
      off
      an
      unbelievable
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      summer
      of
      bar
      shows
      and
      living
      room
     
     
      jam
      sessions,
      Close
      to
      the
      Coast
      was
      a
     
     
      four
      day
      music
      festival
      at
      Baba’s
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      captured
      the
      excitement
      of
      a
      burgeon-
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing
      music
      scene.
      The
      organizers
      of
      the
     
     
      event
      decided
      to
      bring
      back
      the
      magic
     
     
      of
      the
      original
      festival
      for
      two
      more
     
     
      days
      this
      winter
      to
      shake
      off
      the
      dry
     
     
      spell
      of
      live
      music
      that
      often
      accom-
     
     
      panies
      the
      cold
      weather.
      The
      Close
      to
     
     
      the
      Coast
      event
      was
      held
      at
      Baba’s
     
     
      once
      again
      featuring
      ten
      performances
     
     
      in
      two
      days.
      A
      mix
      of
      local
      bands
      and
     
     
      visitors
      from
      throughout
      the
      region
     
     
      were
      invited
      to
      play
      on
      a
      freshly
      con-
     
     
      structed
      wooden
      stage
      in
      the
      tiny
     
     
      venue.
     
    

    
     
      Like
      the
      first
      Close
      to
      the
     
     
      Coast,
      this
      concert
      was
      organized
      in
      a
     
     
      very
      short
      amount
      of
      time.
      Bands
      were
     
     
      confirmed
      or
      removed
      from
      the
      line
     
     
      up
      within
      days
      of
      the
      concert
      starting.
     
     
      When
      two
      of
      the
      headlining
      bands
     
     
      unexpectedly
      could
      not
      make
      the
     
     
      show,
      Sydney’s
      Slowcoaster
      were
     
     
      kind
      enough
      to
      fill
      in
      both
      slots
      of
      the
     
     
      festival
      with
      two
      performances.
     
    

    
     
      Slowcoaster
      kicked
      off
      the
     
     
      night
      of
      the
      weekend
      fest
      with
      a
      laid-
     
     
      back
      set
      of
      their
      retro
      country
      tunes
     
     
      and
      some
      slow
      funk
      jams.
      The
      band’s
     
     
      smooth
      and
      tight
      sounds
      carried
      over
     
     
      the
      audience
      thanks
      to
      the
      little
      raised
     
     
      stage.
      The
      slight
      elevation
      made
      a
      big
     
     
      difference
      in
      how
      the
      sound
      filled
      the
     
     
      room.
      Nathan
      Wiley’s
      subdued
      vibe
     
     
      was
      also
      enhanced
      by
      stage.
      All
      of
      the
     
     
      instruments
      were
      clearly
      distinguish-
     
     
      able,
      and
      the
      band’s
      fluid
      sound
      was
     
     
      the
      perfect
      way
      to
      follow
      up
     
     
      Slowcoaster’s
      set.
      Performing
      his
     
     
      tracks
      from
      his
      CD,
      Bottom
      Dollar,
     
     
      Nathan
      and
      company
      brought
      out
      the
     
     
      beauty
      and
      craft
      of
      his
      songwriting.
     
    

    
     
      From
      the
      sublime
      to
      the
     
     
      ridiculous,
      a
      Nova
      Scotian
      pseudo-
     
     
      funk
      band
      called
      Sweet
      Tooth
      irritated
     
     
      the
      hell
      out
      of
      me.
      Looking
      like
      a
     
     
      group
      of
      Myron’s
      rejects
      after
      a
      shop-
     
     
      ping
      spree
      at
      Winners,
      Sweet
      Tooth
     
     
      were
      a
      sleazy
      parody
      of
      a
      band.
      A
     
     
      noisy
      rack
      of
      keyboards
      and
      a
      dance-
     
     
      floor
      filled
      with
      girls
      touching
      them-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      xX»
     
    
   
   
    
     
      selves
      couldn’t
      distract
      me
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sweet
      Tooth
      were
      there.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      from
      how
      annoying
      this
      band
      was.
     
     
      They
      sound
      like
      a
      skanky
      cover
      band
     
     
      doing
      a
      bad
      impression
      of
      a
      jam
      band
     
     
      butchering
      funk
      music.
      And
      unfortu-
     
     
      nately
      their
      performance
      ate
      into
      Port
     
     
      Citizen’s
      set,
      so
      the
      local
      three-piece
     
     
      could
      only
      play
      a
      few
      songs
      before
      the
     
     
      bar
      closed.
     
    

    
     
      The
      next
      night
      started
      off
      with
     
     
      Under
      the
      Hood
      playing
      under
      a
      dif-
     
     
      ferent
      line-up
      since
      their
      guitarist
      left
     
     
      to
      Australia.
      While
      they
      retained
      their
     
     
      loose,
      garage
      jam
      style,
      the
      absence
      of
     
     
      the
      guitarist,
      and
      the
      change
      in
      line-up
     
     
      made
      them
      sound
      out
      of
      practice.
      Next
     
     
      up
      was
      Greg
      Boone
      of
      Tastes
      Like
     
     
      Burning
      and
      myself
      performing
      as
     
     
      Windom
      Earle.
      We
      were
      also
      out
      of
     
     
      practice
      because
      we
      only
      started
      jam-
     
     
      ming
      together
      the
      day
      before
      the
      show,
     
     
      and
      we
      spent
      most
      of
      the
      day
      of
      the
     
     
      show
      shopping
      for
      costumes
      at
      Value
     
     
      Village.
      We
      both
      bought
      matching
     
     
      black
      outfits
      with
      tiny
      clip-on
      chil-
     
     
      dren’s
      ties.
      I
      also
      got
      a
      green
      rainsuit,
     
     
      knee
      pads,
      and
      a
      purple
      motor
      bike
     
     
      helmet.
      Together
      Greg
      and
      I
      played
     
     
      over
      pre-arranged
      samples
      and
      drum-
     
     
      loops
      and
      yelled
      at
      the
      audience
      every
     
     
      once
      in
      a
      while.
      It
      was
      a
      good
      time.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Sycamores
      from
      Halifax
     
     
      rocked
      things
      up
      a
      couple
      notches
     
     
      with
      their
      rough
      and
      scrappy
      metal
     
     
      pop.
      They
      were
      very
      Weezeresque,
     
     
      and
      sonically
      pummeled
      the
      audience
     
     
      with
      their
      heavy
      and
      happy
      tunes.
     
     
      Their
      early
      nineties
      indie
      rock
      throw-
     
     
      backs
      led
      nicely
      into
      Eyes
      For
     
     
      ee
      sp
      apap
      The
      7
     
    
   
   
    
     
      played
      best
      set
      of
      the
      weekend.
      Loud,
     
     
      fast,
      and
      raunchy.
      Their
      energy
      could
     
     
      not
      be
      beat
      by
      any
      of
      the
      other
      bands.
     
     
      They
      were
      deadly,
      and
      it’s
      a
      shame
     
     
      nobody
      recorded
      it
      because
      the
      only
     
     
      way
      to
      capture
      the
      magnificence
      of
     
     
      this
      band
      on
      tape
      would
      be
      through
      a
     
     
      bootleg
      of
      a
      performance
      like
      this.
      It
     
     
      was
      probably
      the
      best
      I
      have
      ever
      seen
     
    
   
   
    
     
      itv
      ace)
      y
      i
      Cs
      d
     
     
      elit
      ti
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      them
      play.
     
    

    
     
      The
      busiest
      band
      of
      the
      week-
     
     
      end,
      Slowcoaster,
      quickly
      took
      what
     
     
      was
      left
      of
      the
      stage
      after
      Eyes
      For
     
     
      Telescopes
      exploded
      and
      wrapped
      up
     
     
      the
      festival
      with
      one
      of
      their
      non-stop
     
     
      dance
      parties.
      Turning
      up
      the
      tempo
     
     
      from
      their
      first
      performance
      the
      night
     
     
      before,
      Slowcoaster
      provided
      the
      per-
     
     
      fect
      funky
      backdrop
      to
      accompany
      the
     
     
      fun
      and
      excitement
      of
      the
      packed
     
     
      dance
      floor.
      As
      the
      band
      got
      going,
     
     
      they
      stretched
      the
      songs
      out
      in
      playful
     
     
      extended
      jams
      and
      continued
      their
      set
     
     
      well
      into
      the
      night.
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      good
      luck
      on
      behalf
      of
     
     
      the
      organizers
      that
      Slowcoaster
     
     
      replaced
      the
      two
      bands
      that
      cancelled.
     
     
      Having
      Sydney’s
      most
      versatile
      party
     
     
      band
      opening
      and
      closing
      the
      weekend
     
     
      was
      the
      perfect
      way
      to
      bookend
      such
      a
     
     
      diverse
      ensemble
      of
      artists.
      Despite
     
     
      the
      variety
      of
      styles
      and
      attitudes,
     
     
      most
      of
      the
      sets
      fit
      nicely
      together
      in
     
     
      this
      two-day
      event.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nO
      Co
     
     
      Kelief
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Appeal
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Barn
      (wet/dry)
     
     
      Sree
      Ne
     
     
      March
      the
      9th
     
     
      Starts
      8:00pm
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fair
      Trade
      Coffee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      will
      be
      served.
     
     
      Feel
      free
      to
      bring
      your
      own
      cup.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Donation
      Box
      will
      be
      present.
     
     
      Raffle
      will
      be
      held
      at
      the
      show.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Contact
      or
      to
      make
      a
      donation:
     
     
      Stuart
      Neathy
     
     
      Phone:
      964.3173
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sobla
      Ali
     
     
      E-maik
      sobia_ali@hotmail.com
     
     
      Phone:
      393-6498
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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