Cuff The Duke w/ Bruce Peninsula and The Stables @ The Horseshoe

I left my hometown of Oshawa, Ontario back in 1994 and I proudly never looked back. Until now. Cuff The Duke made me feel downright nostalgic about that dirty town, and I'm almost at the point where I'm ready to take back all of the nasty things that I've said about The 'Shwa over the past several years. The fact of the matter is that Wayne Petti and the gang put on a performance that was literally everything that a solid rock show should be when they hit the stage on Friday night at The Horseshoe with Bruce Peninsula and fellow Oshawans The Stables.

If The Horseshoe ever decides that it's time for them to get themselves a house band, my vote goes to The Stables. Their brand of rip roaring countrified punk is exactly the type of music one longs to hear when entering the back end of this legendary venue, and they totally tore the house down. I remembered how great they were the last time that I saw them, but I think the significantly larger and more enthusiastic crowd had the band bringing us their 'A' game this time around. The simple setup was still in tact: namely the guitar, the hockey stick bass, and the grass skirt drum kit, which gave their simple songs the ability to really stand on their own, without unnecessary clutter. Every band on the bill gave us at least one memorable cover song, and The Stables' version of The Dead Milkmen's Punk Rock Girl managed to achieve the impossible, that is, making the song more outrageous and fun than it already is. The members of the band (Poor Pelly, Blind Billy Blasko, Darren Clarke) seem to make every show as much fun as possible, and this is especially true with Clarky, who has got to be the happiest man alive. The songs range from silly country to contemplative songwriting, and this is ultimately what makes them a band to pay close attention to.

Photos: The Stables @ The Horseshoe on flickr.
Myspace: The Stables
Download: Too Old To Skate mp3


I was glad to see that Bruce Peninsula were also part of the show on Friday night. I've really wanted to see them again, since I find their music to be very uplifting, which meant that it would serve as a useful complement to the other bands who were playing that night. I was surprised to see how much the lineup had changed since last time. There was no Casey Mecija, no Katie Stelmanis and no Isla Craig. As valuable as those members were however, their absence didn't make the band any less inspiring, as their set was still full of powerful vocals and heart stopping, transcendent melodies that makes you wish that you could also be a part of this unique ensemble. For some reason, their music always makes me feel as if I've been transported to another time in the distant past, perhaps during the discovery of sound. What I mean is, that their vocal choruses exhibit a vibrancy that sounds as if they've just discovered the effects of vocal manipulation in order to create melodious sound patterns. (erm.) Anyway, I know what I'm talking about. Their memorable cover was of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain which, if I wasn't already familiar with the song (as I think probably everybody is), I could be persuaded to believe that it was a Bruce Peninsula original. The song sounds like it was written especially for them, and I can't remember the last time an artist so wisely chose a song to cover.

Photos: Bruce Peninsula @ The Horseshoe on flickr.
Myspace: Bruce Peninsula

Cuff The Duke seriously met and exceeded my expectations. In more ways than one. All the enjoyable concerts that I attend generally fall into one of two categories. Firstly, there's the older bands. These shows are great because they've obviously had several years to hone their craft, and nothing can compare to the tightness and musical craftsmanship of a band who has paid their dues. Secondly, there's the newer and younger bands. Rarely are they ever as polished, but it's their enthusiasm and youthful vigor that generally sucks me in. Would you believe that Cuff The Duke excel at both?

They are as tight as any band that I have ever seen, which makes their relative newness to the music scene somewhat perplexing. I was simply beside myself every time Wayne Petti wailed away on the guitar, and the rest of the band displayed that same level of musical sophistication throughout the course of the show. The show was full of many surprises. The biggest of these was seeing Canada's sweetheart Basia Bulat (with her bandmates Holly Rancher and Allison Wonderland) join the band for a few numbers. Her stage presence reminded me of when you'd see Feist rocking out with Broken Social Scene. This was a different side of Basia. Ms. Bulat, the rock star, if you will. Wayne called fellow Oshawans The Stables to the stage to perform their tribute to the town in which they were raised, Rossland Square. I literally used to walk to Rossland Square almost every day between the ages of 12 and 16, and hearing those lyrics being sung from the stage dang near brought a tear to my eye. The crowd singalong to If I Live or If I Die was a definite highlight as was their rocking cover of The Rolling Stones' She's A Rainbow. However it was the encore that really sealed the deal for me. Wayne admitted that Bob Seger's Against The Wind was one of his favourite guilty pleasures, and he called Basia Bulat's band, Bruce Peninsula and The Stables all on to the stage to help him sing it. The results were an appropriate mix of hillarity and sentimentality. Once again, this is unusual for a band that is as new as they are. But they pulled it off effortlessly, and ending the encore with Ballad Of A Lonely Construction Worker is pure perfection as that song lends itself to enough guitar solos that even a Neil Young fan would be leaving satisfied. Finally, you add all of that to the fact that Petti has got to be the most gracious performer on Earth (I can't even count how many times he 'genuinely' thanked all of us for coming to the show,) and you've got yourself one of the best concerts I've ever been privileged to attend. You'll definitely be seeing this one on my year end top 5 for sure.

Photos: Cuff The Duke @ The Horseshoe on flickr
Myspace: Cuff The Duke
Download: Rossland Square live mp3