Concert Review: Boozapalooza III
Artists: Rich Hope, Run GMC, The Town Pants
Venue: The Commodore
Where: Vancouver, BC
Date: November 20, 2009

Reviewed By: Amanda Waschuk (Vancouver)

The third annual Boozapalooza drew in fans with the promise of local talent The Town Pants and Run GMC, but there was also a new cat in town. Rich Hope kicked off the event with his James Dean pompadour and Elvis Presley swagger playing us some modern blues full of soul and great guitar licks. Him and his drummer were quite impressive as they coaxed the majority of the dance floor to boogie instead of just standing around waiting for their beers to kick in.

Run GMC was next, and the organizing band, The Town Pants, said that Run GMC always gets first choice to join the line-up because “they’re a very entertaining band and have a great following.” My first impression of the name was a spin-off of Run DMC so I was picturing a hip-hop group. I suppose this shows my age (which was a minority at this event!), as they turned out to be straight-up country right down to the hay bails at the front of the stage and the GMC truck reference.

Their get-ups were priceless from the full-out beige suit and massive cowboy hat to the beer holsters strapped to every hip. They all sported some sort of headgear, except the guy playing the massive cello. But they kept him in the back. The slide guitar player was extremely talented and brought a lot to the band, while the washboard entertainers were awe-inspiring; who knew how distinct an instrument one of those could make!

Then the main act, and the music that really made you want to throw a few back, The Town Pants. Dubbing themselves “West Coast Celtic” music, they had a pretty good turnout considering their music suits the style of the East Coast a little more than the West.

The Commodore’s bouncy ballroom floor got quite the workout. The band had a Dropkick Murphy feel for the younger hipsters, and an average party music to the well practiced beer drinker.

Aaron Chapman, a Scot clad in a white suit, played the tin whistle; an interesting little instrument I’ve never seen before. But Ivanka Watkin and her fiery fiddle stole the show. Prancing around in bare-feet, she looked like she was having the time of her life and it showed in her passionate playing. These two were accompanied by brothers Dave Keogh and Duane Keogh on the banjo and acoustic guitar respectively, Brendan Mooney on bass, and Gilles Nadon on percussion.

After a long, six-song encore, The Town Pants went out with a bang doing a fabulous Celtic rock mishmash of Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills,” The Who’s “Pinball Wizard,” and Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue,” with a little AC/DC in there to boot.

Boozapalooza also acted as The Town Pants CD release party for their fifth album Shore Leave available at Cdbaby.com and iTunes.

The Town Pants Set List:
Valentines
Shore Leave
Come With Me
Trains Not Taken
Lamenters Lament
Death Feels Like Me
Boys of the Old Brigade
Sailor Song
Ollie Reed
Galway Girl
Coming Home
Old Vancouver Town
Weight of Words
Monahan the Mutineer

Encore:
Gin and Milk
Old Landlord
Drinking in the Graveyard
New South Wales
Breakfast
Don’t Think Twice
Run to the Hills (Iron Maiden cover)

Written by :

a.waschuk

 

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