Crash Karma and Soul Side In: Photos
A Canadian music lover’s wet dream exploded all over the On The Rocks stage last night (April 3, 2010) as part of the first bona fide rock show I’ve seen in Fort St. John in moons. Toronto’s Crash Karma is comprised of members with musical pedigrees that have led some to declare them Canada’s next supergroup – Edwin (ex-I Mother Earth), drummer Jeff Burrows (ex-The Tea Party), guitarist Mike Turner (ex-Our Lady Peace), and bassist Amir Epstein (ex-Zygote). Opening the night was Red Deer's Soul Side In.
To see more photos of the night visit my photoblog - www.jodieponto.com/photoblog. For a direct link to Crash Karma images click here. For a direct link to Soul Side In images click here.
Crash Karma
Soul Side In
Soul Side In to Perform with Crash Karma
Hey, hey! We have an addition to the Crash Karma show on Saturday, April 3 at On the Rocks.
Crash Karma is poised to be Canada's newest super group and is comprised of members straight out of a Canadian music lover's wet dream - Edwin (ex-I Mother Earth), drummer Jeff Burrows (ex-The Tea Party), guitarist Mike Turner (ex-Our Lady Peace), and Amir Epstein (Zygote). They will be joined on stage by Soul Side In and Fort St. John's own Wauntid. Tickets to the show are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Advance tickets can only be purchased online at www.northerngroove.com. See the link at the bottom of this article to buy your tickets.
Soul Side In features four members, Dan Schmidt (lead singer), Allen Schmidt (guitar), Jayson Bacho (drums), and Dayne Finley (bass). In early 2007 the band joined forces with Tracey Singer and Chief (Hinder, Veer Union, NB) as management. The band spent several months writing and co-writing with the likes of Trevor Hurst (Econoline Crush) and Shaun Verreault (Wide Mouth Mason). During the early months of 2008 the band packed up and headed out west to record their album with Garth Richardson and Ben Kaplan. What an amazing experience! Dallas Smith (Default) and Trevor Hurst came in and sang on the record with Dave Benedict (Default) playing bass. Once the record was finished they were able to get Mike Fraser to mix three singles off the record and Dean Maher to mix the other 9. Both mix engineers come from very talented backgrounds working with bands such as Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Hedley and Rise Against. In August 2008 the band had their first showcase for Ralph James president of The Agency Group. After seeing the band preform he sat down with them and said “I Get It!” He has been booking shows for them ever since. As a result of performing at CMW the band was picked up by International booking Agent Nigel Hassler (President of Helter Skelter) The band has toured with Default, Buckcherry, The Trews, Mobile, Thornley, State of Shock, Age of Days, the Watchman, Inward Eye, and Rev Thoery to name a few. The newly mixed record has just finished being mastered at Sterling Sound NY by Ted Jensen.
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!!
