The Trews Show review
by Scotty Evil
The Trews have worked hard to get where they are in the Canadian music scene. Their
infectious East Coast sound combined with catchy riffs and lyrics that touch on a variety of
topics have made them fan favourites. No surprise that the Commodore Ballroom was sold out
on a Friday night.
But before I get to their performance, one has to notice the quality of opening acts they chose.
Chase the Bear drew the growing audience in right away. The grumpy old men out there who
deride the state of rock in Canada need to get out to these shows; they will quickly shut up and
start bopping along. Lead singer Troy Gilmore is immediately transfixing with his Robert
Plant/Roger Daltrey posturing yet has the classic chops to match. The band was synchronous
with a skillful combination of bluesy-rock originals that would slot in with early Zeppelin,
Skynyrd, Black Crowes and the like. As their set moved along, they cranked up the energy with
Troy bouncing all across the stage.
Despite the lead singers sharing the same first name, the nostalgia went in a slightly different
direction with Edmonton’s Altameda. Although singer Troy Snaterse might draw some
comparisons to Chris Pratt in the boyish looks department, his soulful prairie delivery is
seasoned and mature. It’s frankly impossible not to draw comparisons to Springsteen, Blue
Rodeo and at times even the Eagles in melody and songwriting. The band’s sounds are layered
and energetic yet masterfully brought down for intimate vocals and guitar, with keyboards
driving lush melodies. They are an aural buffet and quickly packed the concertgoers onto the
floor. I overheard many comments afterwards about how good they sounded.
So to say the crowd was warmed up for The Trews would be an understatement. Dramatic
backlighting started the set off with “Vintage Love” and despite some mic issues early on, the
band didn’t let it’s foot off the gas.
Lead singer Colin MacDonald prefixed “Paranoid Freak” with a political rant about the recent
climate down south. Let’s just say the observations were interspersed with a loud “WHAT THE
FUCK”. On a positive note, their love for playing the Commodore was verbalized along with
appreciation for the crowd and the openers.
The highlight of the night was John-Angus MacDonald heading off the stage, Les Paul in hand.
With the help of security he made his way up to the balcony, dangling his guitar over the edge
while the band was ripping a decent rendition of “Good Times, Bad Times” by Led Zeppelin.
As heavy as the rock was at times, the east coast folk influence rounded out their signature
sound, especially during the acoustic performance of “Ishmael & Maggie”.
All in all, a solid night, showing that Canadian rock is alive, well and thriving. The Trews work
ethic and talent is balanced with the savvy to surround themselves with up and comers cut from
the same cloth. They continue to carve themselves a solid spot in rock.
©nightMair Creative.com
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written by Scotty Evil
photos by Red Lenses Photography