How
      does
      a
      band
      named
     
     
      after
      tight
      plaid
      Scottish
     
     
      trousers
      prompt
      a
      slew
      of
      uni-
     
     
      versity
      girls
      (and
      the
      odd
      gent)
     
     
      to
      swarm
      around
      them?
      By
     
     
      rocking
      the
      barn
      doors
      off
      of
     
     
      the
      Wave.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Love
      'em
      or
      loath
      ‘em,
      the
     
     
      Trews
      can
      put
      on
      a
      hell
      of
      a
     
     
      show.
      They
      know
      their
      audi-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ence
      to
      a
      T.
      The
      drunks
      leave
      -
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      convinced
      they've
      just
      wit-
     
     
      nessed
      the
      second
      coming.
      The
     
     
      sober
      indie
      kids
      wonder
     
     
      whether
      there's
      a
      mind
      behind
     
     
      the
      Trews'
      music,
      but
      appreci-
     
     
      ate
      their
      ability
      to
      lead
      a
      rela-
     
     
      tively
      apathetic
      campus
      in
      a
     
     
      rousing
      chorus
      of
      the
      Beatles'
     
     
      "Lucy
      in.the
      Sky
      with
     
     
      Diamonds"
      for
      their
      encore.
     
     
      All
      parties
      leave
      with
      an
     
     
      intense
      ringing
      in
      their
      ears,
     
     
      save
      the
      smart
      few
      who
     
     
      brought
      plugs.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Having
      played
      close
      to
      250
     
     
      shows
      in
      2003
      alone,
      the
      quar-
     
     
      tet
      has
      certainly
      earned
      their
     
     
      reputation
      as
      Canada’s
      hardest
     
     
      working
      band.
      “It
      seems
      sort
     
     
      like
      booking
      agents
      are
      trying
     
     
      to
      test
      us,”
      says
      bassist
      Jack
     
     
      Syperek.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Not
      only
      can
      an
      intense
      tour
     
     
      schedule
      take
      its
      toll
      on
      a
     
     
      group,
      it
      can
      also
      make
      a
      band
     
     
      start
      to
      dislike
      their
      own
      work.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Alec
      O’Hanley,
      A
      &
      E
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “There
      was
      one
      point
      where
     
     
      we
      were
      playing
      ‘Not
      Ready
     
     
      to
      Go’
      at
      every
      TV
      appearance
     
     
      so
      eventually
      it
      got....
      (groan)
     
     
      but
      now
      it’s
      gone
      back
      to
     
     
      being
      fun
      to
      play
      again
     
     
      because
      we’re
      doing
      a
      differ-
     
     
      ent
      single.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Your
      little
      brother
      jumps
     
     
      around
      the
      house
      screaming,
     
     
      "I'M
      NOT
      READY
      TO
      GO!"
     
     
      for
      a
      reason.
      The
      Trews
      have
     
     
      some
      undeniably
      catchy
     
     
      songs,
      are
      tight
      as
      balls,
      and
     
     
      know
      how
      to
      work
      a
      crowd.
      As
     
     
      far
      as
      the
      Canadian
      rock
      music
     
     
      scene
      goes,
      the
      Trews’
      mindset
     
     
      is
      found
      somewhere
      between
     
     
      the
      cock-rock
      of
      Nickelback
     
     
      and
      the
      intellegence
      of
      Sam
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Roberts.
      They
      know
      that
     
     
      swearing
      —
      (read:
     
     
      "Charlottetown,
      how
      _
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      FUCK
      are
      you??!!!")
      leads
      to
     
     
      loud
      cheers
      and
      is
      generally
     
    
   
   
    
     
      approved
      of
      by
      the
      university
     
     
      18-21
      demographic.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      band
      thrives
      on
      having
      an
     
     
      audience
      to
      entertain.
      As
     
     
      expected,
      being
      renowned
      as
     
     
      ‘such
      a
      dynamic
      live
      experi-
     
     
      ence
      increases
      expectations
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      studio.
      When
      asked
      about
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      difficulty
      in
      capturing
      the
     
     
      energy
      of
      a
      live
      concert
      onto
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tape,
      Jack
      replies,
      “It’s
      harder
     
     
      than
      if
      there’s
      a
      crowd
      in
      front
     
     
      of
      you.
      It’s
      like
      you’re
      playing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      for
      immediate
      playback,
      and
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      if
      you’re
      not
      enthused
      then
     
     
      you
      go
      back
      and
      record
      it
     
     
      again
      until
      it
      sounds
      frantic.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      September
      14,
      2004
      page
      12
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      fruit/vegetable
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Unfortunately
      (fortunately?),
     
     
      the
      post-show
      beared
      witness
     
     
      to
      some
      free-spirited
      ladies
     
     
      pulling
      the
      old
      "will
      you
      sign
     
     
      my
      knockers/arse/other"
      trick.
     
     
      Classy
      dames,
      I'll
      wager.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I've
      got
      nothing
      against
      a
      band
     
     
      that
      asks
      for
      too
      much
      food
     
     
      and
      drink
      as
      part
      of
      their
      rider
     
     
      (ie:
      all
      the
      shit
      a
      band
      requests
     
     
      to
      have
      backstage).
      That
      just
     
     
      means
      I
      get
      to
      give
      it
      to
      some
     
     
      trays
      and
     
     
      gatorade
      when
      they're
      off
     
     
      mucking
      it
      up
      with
      band-aids.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Trews
      pulled
      all
      the
      stops
     
     
      tonight,
      and
      while
      they
      risk
     
    
   
   
    
     
      becoming
      another
      clichéd
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      stylized
      throwback
      rock
      band,
     
     
      they
      must
      be
      doing
      something
     
     
      right;
      UPEI
      loved
      them
      on
      this
     
     
      night
      and
      I’m
      sure
      that’s
      what
     
     
      they
      wanted
      all
      along.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~