Said the Whale rocks George's
One night, nearly a month ago today, the stars aligned over New Brunswick and the mysterious winds of the Sackville marshes blew indie rockers Said the Whale to George's Roadhouse where they found a warm audience, a lineup of fellow musicians and according to lead singer Tyler Bancroft, an excellent variety of beer.
Well, in technical terms Said the Whale was actually passing through on their Kill 'em With Kindness tour. Regardless of the forces that brought them here, the night was memorable, in large part due to the atmosphere created by the four acts leading up to the band.
The night began with newly formed, local band The Wham Bam Jam whose updated brand of psychedelic rock was especially enjoyed by members of Said the Whale who gave them several shout outs during their own set.
Following this was the aptly named John Wayne Cover Band, whose strong lyrics and driving rhythms are drenched in Americana. Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy once commented that good music is evocative of place and this is particularly true in the case of the John Wayne Cover Band, whose music transports you almost instantly to the heat and mowed lawns of the Midwest. Sackville sweetheart Corey Isenor, who was a pleasure to see as always, followed them.
The energy of the night reached its height with a surprise act, Hollerado, who weren't originally on the bill but tagged along to play if it was 'alright with us'. Hollerado, formed in 2007, hail from a small town in Ontario and are making their way up in the world pretty quickly. They were hand selected by Jack White to open for his new band The Dead Weather. These greasy haired rockers delivered songs with a good sense of humor and more hooks than Luis Antonio Agüero, the man with the most piercings in the world.
By this point Said the Whale probably could have played anything and people would be dancing. Hailing from Vancouver, the five members of Said the Whale delivered bright and cheerful folk rock, with their set highlighted by CBC Radio 3 chart toppers like Camillo (The Magician) and The Light is You.
It seems that for such a small town, Sackville has a disproportionate amount of musical talent, and the energy of these acts combined with the danceable rock of Hollerado and Said the Whale's eclectic pop gave the night the kind of magic
that George's Roadhouse is known for on the best of nights. This show had a
great atmosphere and was a great way to see off the school year.
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