Screamin' Evil Blues Band

By Mike Beggs, Special to TorontoMoon.ca

\ MISSISSAUGA \

I haven’t fired a Nerf gun since my kids were little. But that will be one of the props provided when the Screamin’ Evil Blues Band —billing itself as “exceptional talent…wasted” — returns to Caven’s Alley bar tonight. They also use no effects pedals, nor a set list, and they don’t take long breaks.

All of the above is refreshing (in an era when a solo act can sound like a 6-piece), and speaks to the entertainment-first ethos of bassist Kevin Pownall, drummer Andre C. Mendes, and lead vocalist/guitarist Keith Danby (originally a drummer, who only started singing about seven years ago upon launching this project).

The band name notwithstanding, they do Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Southern Rock, R&B, and Country along with the Blooze. And you’re likely to hear slightly obscure oldies like Bob Seger’s “Sunspot Baby”, Bad Company’s “Shooting Star”, and Frankie Ford’s “You Talk Too Much” alongside staples like David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust”, Jimi Hendrix’ Red House”, and The Stray Cat’s “Stray Cut Strut”. Though Danby can really deliver on a languid Blues solo, most of the night is reserved for rhiffing (think Georgia Satellites, or Neil Young with Crazy Horse).

As he explains it, they’re not trying to reproduce the songs verbatim, just picking ones within his register and playing them with passion.

Sometimes known to wear fuzzy bunny slippers onstage, Danby (a Soo native) was influenced by Kim Mitchell, Johnny Rotten, and Jeff Beck alike. And he hates “the typecasting Toronto people tend to get into around midnight,” as to whether you’re a Blues player or a Country player.

“We just play what we want, when we want, how we want. And the people seem like it,” he adds. - Mike Beggs, Special to TorontoMoon.ca

\ OAKVILLE \

Although it is very eclectic musically, I wouldn’t have thought that Oakville’s Moonshine Café would be a natural fit on a Monday night for high-energy antics-laden outfit the Screamin’ Evil Blues Band.

So I was surprised to see this past summer that the group appears to have now become part of the regular rotation of hosts for the weekly Monday night jam in the club at 137 Kerr Street, returning tonight for another stint in the role, since normally Roots-Rock is more the nature of previous and other ongoing hosts such as the Port Credit Review Band and Catherine Harrison.

Our west-GTA correspondent Mike Beggs told us a little about the group, headed up by singer-guitarist Keith Danby in a report back in June, when the outfit was doing a gig at Caven’s Alley in Mississauga.

Mike was at pains to note that despite their name the group is actually super versatile, doing everything from “obscure oldies like Bob Seger’s “Sunspot Baby”, Bad Company’s “Shooting Star” and Frankie Ford’s “You Talk Too Much” alongside staples like David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust”, Jimi Hendrix’ Red House”, and The Stray Cat’s “Stray Cut Strut”.”

170901 (cx5) Moon 17 centsWPerhaps that’s the appeal here, because the eclectic musical tastes of owner John Marland have led to a pretty disparate group of acts performing in the room, from award winning Roots and Blues icons to Punk, new Wave, Jazz, Country and pretty much any other genre you can name.

In addition to the fact that tonight’s hosting trio, which also includes Kevin Pownall on bass and drummer Andre C. Mendes, also has the experience and talent to back pretty much anyone on anything, Danby is an affable and unpretentious fellow with the right persona to be a welcoming host. - Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca