Texas Blood Money
Nick Grubjesic is a local peace region musician who has previously played in some previous bands such as Pulse, which was a local Fort St. John band. He was the original bass player for Side Effect and played in Mindset for 2 years. Upon a move to Edmonton he audition with Soul Side In, which lead to a short tour with the Soul Side In. He remained with Soul Side In for a year who are signed to the Agnecy Group and are currently doing a mini tour with Buckcherry. You may remember Soul Side In rocking out at Egan's Pub in Dec 2008. Nick is now in a band that has been around since 1999, they are not actually new as i have stated on the FSJ Live Music Facebook group, they just have a new member and they are interested in the Mayor's idea of performing on a street corner or on a blocked off section of road this summer. I am looking forward to seeing them perform.
Nick is now a full time professional musician.
The following is taken from their myspace bio with a one minor change:
Texas Blood Money was established in 1999 as an independent four-piece hard rock/metal/progressive/experimental band with heavy hitting well-structured songs. With the additional of Nick on bass they are now a five piece band.
Enthusiastic and aggressive live performances coupled with dynamic riffs, melodic vocals and undeniable power drumming, creates this one of a kind seductive Texas style. Think of Led Zeppelin meets Tool!
After many years perfecting their sound in Edmonton, AB playing with artists like Speed Dealer, SNFU and Bucket Truck, touring through Eastern & Western Canada and recording numerous demos. Texas Blood Money has received significant support from the local/national community. This includes numerous interviews (See magazine, Vue Magazine and Exclaim!) and airtime on local stations like 100.3 The BEAR and CJSR resulting in a reputation for hard work and professionalism.
After a few line up shuffles, Texas Blood Money has just completed their upcoming EP "Fight Your Delusions" which was recorded and mixed at Powersound Studios in Edmonton, AB by Phil Anderson. Phil has worked with the likes of Social Code and Tupelo Honey. Mastering was done at Metalworks in Toronto by Nick Balgona. Nick has worked with the likes of The Police, Foo Fighters and Deep Purple. The EP was released on August 4, 2007, which was followed by relentless touring in support of the EP.
With a little more shuffling, Texas Blood Money is now rejuvenated with a new rhythm section that is sure to suck you in and blow you away. With many fresh tunes Texas Blood Money are eager to play great music with great bands.
Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/texasbloodmoney
Sorry for the couple of corrections, i prematurely wrote the article before getting certian facts straight.
Side Effect Performing One Last Show
For those who still remember the days of Side Effect & the early years of live music at Egan’s Pub – this article is for you.
Side Effect, first started out as a simple recording project with Mat Savard & myself, Russell Eggleston in the early summer of 2006. Mat Savard, who, while still was maybe only 18 at the time, was already a bit of an “established musician” of Fort St. John. An early band of his called “S.M.A”, recorded their first CD called “Greatest Hits” featuring artwork of the old sign on top of the Condil Hotel, with the words, “hotel” replaced with S.M.A. The CD, in it’s first year, locally sold more than 500 copies, until they were no longer available. A couple songs off of the CD still float around in people’s car stereos & ipods – songs like “At the Gates” & “Calm and Down”.
We approached Allen Kemp, who at that time was a senior drum instructor at Systems by Trail if he would be interested in laying down some drum tracks for the album. Next, we ran into Nick Grubjesic, who convinced us to play a show or two, and pretty soon we were playing show after show to some really amazing fans. Myspace was pretty big at the time (did Facebook even exist 2 years ago?) - we were getting pretty good traffic going to the MySpace (www.myspace.com/tellthebirds) of more than a hundred hits a day, and we even caught the interest of CBC radio for a radio interview.
As things change, Side Effect broke up, shortly before the CD was released. All of the tracks were completed and the artwork wasn’t quite ready, but a couple months later the CD was quietly released with minimal promotion.
Mat branched out and explored more aggressive styles, playing in a band in Edmonton called The Butchers Hand, with other local music giants such as Alex Klassen, Tyler Penner, Kyle Ball. I hope people remember seeing these guys at the Lido Theatre – incredible shows! Also, maybe think about the old FSJ band Stay in the Shadows.
Anyways, I’m lucky enough to announce that Mat will be returning to FSJ for enough time to organize one last final show for Side Effect on December 20, 2008. Mark it down on your Calendar – it’s going to be the only time in history, and for me, it’s a pretty special event.
We will be announcing the opening band shortly, and in the spirit of the show – you won’t be disappointed!
Check it out on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=35514824170
On Their Way – Soul Side In Are Ready To Stake Their Claim As The Band To Watch
If I had to put my money on whether or not Lacombe, AB’s Soul Side In is poised to become a household name in Canadian rock I would throw my cash down on a big, drop-D tuned YES!! I’ve seen them twice in 2 weeks and trust me when I say this all-or-nothing quartet is ready to take off.
If you’re wondering how I’ve come to know this band from ‘over the border’, I’m happy to tell you. After all, it’s my favourite part of the story. You see, the bass player is my ex-bandmate Nick Grubjesic. Nick held down bass duties in two Fort St. John bands: Side Effect and Mindset before moving to Edmonton to continue his career as an electrician. In early August he was asked to audition for Soul Side In. The chemistry was there and he was asked to help the band, complete some shows during early September. He called me for encouragement that evening, and we’ve kept in touch everyday since. I’m enjoying the journey as much as he is!
Soul Side In landed an opening slot for Default as part of UNBC’s Welcome Week . I was at the show and if I may borrow a phrase: they lit it up.
Powerhouse drummer Jayson Bacho plays with a solid, solid groove and hits with smart purposeful strokes. While the amount of playing time with Nick has been relatively short, they find each other in a pulsing rhythm laced with quick fills and some dandy off-beat accents. Lead vocalist Dan Schmidt has a presence that shows he’s done his homework on how to be a frontman. He’s focused, energized and 100% driven to bring the audience along for the ride anywhere he wants to go. Stage left is Allen Schmidt on lead guitar. When he’s not riffing overtop of Dan’s powerchords, he too locks it down with a fantastic guitar tone and adds all those beauty bits of candy that keep it interesting, such as the harmonics in “Silent Quakes”. He’s like a stay-at-home defenceman that joins the rush every once in awhile. The result is a successful blend of poignant lyrics, catchy hooks and the kind of energy exchange between stage and audience that good live bands are expected to deliver.
What’s happening now, besides generally preparing to take the rock world by storm? They're opening for The Watchmen in Calgary, Default in Penticton, Mobile in Medicine Hat and Grande Praire. By the time they get to FSJ on Nov. 5Th, their chops will be watertight! Come on down to Egan's and let's show the boys that Fort St. John loves live music!!
