Five Star Affair

Five Star Affair, the headliners, did not disappoint. The band has really learned how to put on a show. Their upbeat and energy filled set fuelled the crowd to dance and skank like wildfire. Clap-alongs, sing-alongs and a didgeridoo versus trumpet and guitar battle all peppered FSA's set to give the crowd something to smile about all the way through the evening.

- Beatroute Magazine

Local ska-rock band Five Star Affair started the evening off with a quick yet lively set. It's no surprise that so many fans were at the show and said fans weren't shy at proclaiming their love of the band. Being the front-woman, Tristin Chanel eagerly bumped and grinded around the stage and spoke to the crowd, Who wouldn't be when you're opening for Rancid? The highlight of their show was easily during "Date Rape" which incited a circle pit, marking a great start to the night's line-up.

- KMNR

Pseudo-traditional ska with dual female vocals has the potential to draw parallels to bands like the Dance Hall Crashers but that comparison would be doing Five Star Affair a great disservice. This quintet manage to walk the difficult middle ground between tradition and innovation, putting a healthy dose of roots into their reggae-tinged ska while unafraid to try something new. With this band "new" comes in the form of wah-pedalled guitar and the inclusion of a didgeridoo, both of which are pulled off successfully. The didgeridoo is especially pleasing on songs like "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter." The interplay between lead vocalist Tristin Chanel and bassist/vocalist Jessie Robertson (specifically on songs like "Jezebels Charms") makes for some of the better moments on this disc, utilising pleasing harmonies and a fun back and forth style of singing to create entertaining songs that make you want to just dance. (Independent)
- Exclaim Magzine

The Kings and Queens of Calgary ska have returned to drop some two-tone sciencewith the release of their new record Do Not Disturb. The record achieves great success by incorporating an explosive mis of horns, fuky guitar and bass lines, and even didgeridoo, while dabbling between slow and fast punk and reggae inspired songs. The whole crew of musicians tag team the vocals with anthems galore, including the track "Deme La Quenta". Which is belted out in Spanish(suitable, since every time I have been at a restaurant in Latin America I have sometimes waited hours for my bill). The fun factor is above average on this album, so fans of ska music will have something to crank up and keep them skankin' all night long.

- Beatroute Magazine

When I first saw Five Star Affair, I must admit I was blown away. They were funky, they were jazzy and the hit every note that lies in between. I began to attend a large number of their shows and became completely addicted.
Five Star Affair are one of the most original bands I have ever heard. Lead vocalist and guitarist Tristin Chanel was born for the stage. When Chanel is in the spotlight, she is in the zone, a zone that involves a lot of crowd interaction and hilarity. She makes you feel at home and comfortable. This probably helps out the bar as much as it does the band. The rest of the evening was full of sweet dreams that conveyed one of the best nights since the 2005 switch. Five Star Affair create music that is full of apathetic humor and attitude.

They are a band that you do not want to miss!

- Beatroute Magazine

If musical adultery was an offence, the members of the Calgary band Five Star Affair would be under arrest. That’s because the six members of the Calgary band were all playing with others when they formed this “secret band” in August 2004. Singer Tristin Chanel, 25, says she played with a band called Five Star Picture Show in high school and when she quit, she really wanted to keep the name. “We wanted five star something — Jessie (Robertson, bassist)had a list out and Five Star Affair was on there,” she says. “We thought it was funny because we were all cheating on our other bands — it seemed perfect.” A melting pot of talent and style, Chanel came together with Jesse Colin, 25, on trumpet; Robertson, 24; Chris Gillrie, 27, on drums; Alastair Graham, 26, on guitar; and Mark Leigh, 22, on trombone to make music that can only be described as indescribable. “We don’t typically put our style into any one genre because we are all influenced by different genres and, when we jam, it turns into a very loud, fast ska, reggae, funk, blues, jazz blend — that’s what people tell us anyways,” says Chanel. But they are definitely doing something right.

After being together for only two months, they released their first EP, Better Than What You Get At Home. Thanks to overwhelming response for the album and live performances, they started recording their full-length CD, Do Not Disturb, less than a year later. Their unique, enthusiastic sound swept the continent and Five Star Affair was asked to tour with ShiraGirl on Warped Tour — a musical crew promoting female fronted bands. They played with ShiraGirl in 2005 and Warped Tour in 2006, touring all over Canada and the U.S. and were featured as the only Canadian band on the ShiraGirl Warped Tour compilation CD. “We put our minds to goals and we make them happen for ourselves. We have done this all on our own without the support of a label or management,” says Chanel. “Our biggest achievement

I think would be the release of our first full-length album. Our CD release party was absolutely sold out with a lineup down the block.” For more information, visit either www.fivestaraffair.ca or www.myspace.com/5staraffai
- URBANE Magazine

The show must go on — now
There’s no time like the present for local ska-punks Five Star Affair
Good things come to those who wait. Don’t tell that to Calgary ska-punks Five Star Affair (FSA). While most bands spend the better part of a year writing songs and playing shows before they hit the studio, FSA had recording time booked before they even had a drummer.
In the process of auditioning drummers, the band met Chris Gillrie who answered their musician-wanted ad. He was such a good fit that the band offered him a seat at the kit before the audition was even over.

"I was on the website the next morning, with my own e-mail address," says Gillrie, who originally had dreams of being a guitarist. "It was pretty hectic. I had never played drums in a band before."

"They said, ‘OK, we have a show in about nine days. Can you learn all these songs?’ We practiced every day. It was a little nerve-racking, but it was a crash course in playing drums."

Five Star Affair has built its rep on that gut-instinct, fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants approach ever since that fateful meeting two years ago. But the band’s history actually goes back further, to 2002, when another fortuitous meeting sparked another local band – Parker’s Lime.

IN THE BEGINNING

It was during a Halloween pub-crawl that guitarist-vocalist Tristan Chanel met bass player Jessie Robertson. Chanel was decked out in a toga while Robertson was dressed as a member of the Canadian girls’ drinking team. They were both waiting in line in the ladies room when Robertson noticed a guitar tattoo on Chanel’s arm. Through an alcohol-induced haze, the two bonded over music. Chanel gave Robertson her e-mail and told her to get in touch.

"I didn’t even write it down or anything, I just told her the e-mail," says Chanel, laughing. Miraculously Robertson remembered it and before long Parker’s Lime was spreading what Chanel describes as angry, folky, woman rock all over town. After gigging relentlessly and recording a handful of tracks, Chanel decided it was time for a change.

"I had written a whole bunch of songs and I was like, you know, I need to start something right now and do it," she says. Robertson was onboard immediately and the pair recruited trumpet player Jesse Colin and guitarist Alistair Graham. Once they found a drummer, Five Star Affair took off. The goal was to maintain the momentum they had with Parker’s Lime, but express themselves in a whole new way.

"We weren’t wasting any time," says Robertson.

"We were together for two weeks altogether, and we had two shows booked and recording time booked in the studio. And then we released our CD after two months," says Chanel.

That album, Better Than What You Get At Home, was their calling card to the local scene. In true take-no-prisoners fashion, the band played every gig it could, finagled a slot on the 2005 Warped Tour on the She Ra Girl’s stage and quickly became an all-ages favourite. For a band that deals in velocity like Five Star Affair, it should come as no surprise that the band’s debut, while well received, doesn’t necessarily reflect its current sound.

"We wrote quite a few slower songs for our first album. Then, playing shows, we found out that we wanted to pick it up," says Robertson. "We loved it when people were dancing and getting into it. So we didn’t want to write any slow songs after that."

That fact is evidenced on the band’s latest release, 2006’s Do Not Disturb. The album is jacked up with brassy skanking and a furious commitment to speed, but ironically, it was while the band was recording Do Not Disturb that FSA finally learned to slow down.

GETTING INTO THE GROOVE

When the band was preparing to record their followup, they called on longtime friend and local reggae legend Ibo. He had been at the boards for the first FSA album and the Parker’s Lime recordings. The band felt so comfortable in his studio, lovingly known as The Smokey Room, that they arrived with songs that weren’t even finished.

As Gillrie picked up a few recording tricks, Ibo worked with Chanel to flesh out the material. Once they were rolling, though, another challenge presented itself.

"It was hard to capture the energy from our show," says Robertson. "We really wanted a CD that represented our style and our sound. We just found that we weren’t happy with the energy level so we did things over and over again."

As a result, Do Not Disturb was released nearly a year after the band had originally intended. Still, old habits die hard, and even as Do Not Disturb was being mixed and mastered, Five Star Affair was still cranking out material.

"In the process of waiting around for the CD to be done, we wrote another song and then recorded it," says Chanel.

In the end, the making of Do Not Disturb helped Five Star Affair find a balance. Robertson says they were tempted to rush the release of the record, but in the end patience won out. Reflecting on the two-year Five Star Affair whirlwind, Chanel says that could be the most important lesson they learned.

"Be patient," she says. "Don’t rush it to come out too soon, because it will be worth it in the end”.



- FFWD Weekly

With temperatures dropping below minus 30 this week, I'm left to wonder why they didn't just save money by shooting March Of The Penguins in Calgary. C'mon, just replace Morgan Freeman's voice with Mikka Kiprusoff's and, boom, it's an instant hit.

Luckily, Five Star Affair are here to thaw your veins and get your blood pumping again. Their mix of ska, reggae, rock and punk is unlike anything else going on in cowtown right now, and they're about to release their first full-length album, Do Not Disturb.

"We're kind of going with the 'Five Star Affair' theme," says lead singer/guitarist/didgeridoo player Tristin Chanel. "It started with the EP (2004's Better Than What You Get At Home), and we're sort of building up from there."

Earlier this year, the band also gained a steady following away from home by playing on the Shira Girl stage for a handful of Vans Warped Tour dates. "It was really good, but also really hectic at the same time," Chanel explains.

"We had to go and help set up at eight in the morning. Then we waited until six when it was all over and drove to the next city to find a campsite."

Despite the rigorous DIY activity, Chanel says there were lots of good times to go along with it.

"The one time we stopped at Wal-Mart was in Sacramento. It was 3 a.m. and we had to get up at eight, but we were so hungry that we bought a stove and ate spaghetti at 3 a.m."

The band were also offered to play on the Shira Girl stage next year, this time for the full tour, but Chanel isn't sure if the band will be able to do it due to time constraints and a lack of cash.

Chanel says that another highlight for the group this year was landing a gig opening for Rancid at MacEwan Hall at the beginning of October.

"It was amazing. It was pretty crazy, too, since we don't get a chance to play many all-ages shows. It was weird looking over and seeing Tim and Lars on the side bobbing their heads. It was like, 'What is going on?'"

The band are working on some tour dates to promote the album and are happy doing what they love.

"Getting on a major label would be nice, but I'm fine playing no matter what because it's fun," says Chanel. "It would be great just to play for more people and have new ears listening."

- Chart Attack Magazine

Few local bands have the same energy and momentum as Five Star Affair. With infectious melodic grooves, tight ska riffs, and absolutely commanding vocals, an FSA show is fun for everyone. This year the boys and girls played at the Warped Tour for six dates, opened for Rancid and The Aquabats, spent time recording with local reggae legend Ibo and now have a new album coming out in December. BeatRoute was recently able to talk to bass player Jessie Robertson about the new record and Five Star Affair’s successful summer.

BeatRoute: How important have all-age shows been to Five Star Affair’s success?
Jessie: I think the support is really important from the kids as they are the next generation to keep the music alive and they are really supportive of local bands! We take almost any opportunity we can get to play for all ages. It’s too bad that there aren’t more venues in Calgary that support it.

BR: How bad-ass was it to open for Rancid and The Aquabats?
J: Opening for Rancid and The Aquabats was one of the most amazing shows we have ever done. Not only did we have the chance to open for two inspiring kick-ass bands, but we also got a chance to hang out with them, watch the show on the side of the stage, and look over to see them watching us while we were playing our set! It was a surreal moment for sure.

BR: What did you learn from touring with Warped Tour? It sounds like you guys had to camp the entire time – What was it like sleeping on the ground after rocking out?
J: Last summer's Warped Tour was our first tour together, so we learned a lot about each other and also learned how much hard work the tour is to get up and going day after day. We also learned that the States are a pretty wicked place to tour. People were a lot nicer than we thought and we were even recognized in Idaho! I mean, it’s not as wicked as Canada and we had our best shows in Vancouver and Calgary, but it was still pretty awesome. Driving in our twelve passenger van with eight people, no air conditioning in 40 degree weather, and camping every night was definitely a challenge to remain sane, but we never thought twice about the circumstances as we were just so grateful to be a part of the tour and to play on the ShiraGirl stage supporting female-fronted bands.

BR: Who is your favourite local band to play with?
J: We have played with a LOT of Calgary bands so it’s really hard to choose because they are all so great in their own way. We always have a good time playing with our friends like Bogart, Kilbourne, The Villains, and Ibo and Kindread but we also enjoy getting to know new bands too. Calgary has got some really great upcoming bands.

BR: What's the deal with your new album?
J: Our new album, Do Not Disturb, has been in the works for the past year. A lot of hard work has gone into this album, and it is our first full length album so we wanted to make sure that it is something we are really proud of. I think it really reflects our energy and style more so than our first album, so I think it will be worth the wait. On December 8th we will be having a huge CD release party at Broken City – we're super stoked.

BR: What was it like recording with Ibo?
J: Ibo is great. He is a huge inspiration for us and a great friend. Helping us produce and engineer both of our albums, he really knows our sound and understands what we are all about. We are lucky to have found that in someone, and to have collaborated with such a great reggae icon. Recording in The Smokey Room is always a good time…

BR: What was the inspiration for this album?
J: We really wanted to capture who Five Star Affair is now. With our first album we weren’t quite at our comfort level together and basically recorded the first five songs we ever wrote. Growing and creating our sound has come naturally as we have evolved with each other over the past two years, and from playing live quite a bit, we also place great importance in the energy and passion in our shows. So while recording this album we really wanted to provide that feeling as much as possible. In my opinion nothing is ever as good as the live thing, but we can sure as hell try.

BR: For those readers new to ska, could you describe a "Skank Pit"?
J: A Skank Pit is something that you may find at a FSA show when the moment is right. Skanking is a type of dance that used to be referred to as the "rootsman skank" throughout the waves of ska over the generations. So people who get into ska music can find this certain groove and just go with it! Basically think of a mosh pit but instead of thrashing about people are skanking to their hearts’ delight.

BR: What should people expect from a FSA show?
J: People can expect a night of funky ska, reggae, rock ’n roll, and a little bit more all in one. No matter where or when it is, the high energy, improvisation, audience involvement and interaction are always a huge part of the show. Every show is different from the last.



- Beatroute Magazine

Last Friday night (January 6th, 2006), a handful of kMNR readers gathered at Broken City here in Calgary to celebrate the newsletters 100th issue. The venue was fitting considering that a number of employees there work for Beat Route magazine as do I, but there's more to it than that. Broken City has become one of only a few locations in this city that has filled a void for people looking to check out some excellent shows from talented musicians, either local or indie acts from abroad. This evening was no different.

Local acts The BoyGirls and Five Star Affair provided the musical entertainment and the latter really made a mark on pretty much every kMNR listeners in attendance. The quintet is made up of Tristin Ward (vocals, didgeridoo and rhythm guitar), Jessie Robertson (bass, vocals) Jesse Colin (trumpet, vocals), Alastair Graham (lead guitar) and Chris Gillrie (drums) and they offer an energetic blend of new rock, ska and reggae. Ward and Robertson are previously from Parker's Lime and although some of the same fun and energy remains in their music, this is certainly a different band with a fresh sound.

The energy was so prevalent that the crowd in front of the stage seemed to sense it by giving the band some room. Maybe they needed to stand back because Ward kept exclaiming "Fuck Yeah!", but the needn't be scared. This night was all about fun and dancing. They even managed to break out a couple of covers; first with what kMNR reader Mike Tanyi exclaimed "the best version of Sublime's Date Rape I've ever heard" and a fantastic and bouncy version of No Doubt's Sunday Morning. Ward also made good use of her didgeridoo while Colin added to the music with his impressive trumpet playing.

All in all, it was a great night. Make sure you check out all the pictures from that evening (coming soon). Here's looking forward to the next 98 issues and the subsequent 200th Issue Party!

- KMNR