Cutbanks- the Prince George Cultural Website
Local band 22-9 perform first ever show
By Tabatha Lundholm, staff writer and columnist
As a preview to the upcoming ColdSnap 2010 festival, Prince George’s newest band, 22-9, opened for Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few to a packed house on Sunday, October 25. The chairs went right up to the stage at the popular Art Space venue above Books & Co. and the crowd was eager to get as close as possible to the evening’s performers.
With only the slightest delay in start times, 22-9 took the stage for the first time ever as a band, and started into playing their cover of All Along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan, although it sounded closer to Hendrix’s version. The three-man band consisted of guitarist Conrad Turner, percussionist Daryl Beauregard and Joey Goldie on harmonica. Out of the six songs they chose to play as their first-ever opening act were mostly covers, with only two original songs. The two they did perform, however, were both lyrically and musically decent, made better by the back-story provided.
After each of their charming originals or clever classic rock tunes such as Sympathy for the Devil, and the Tragically Hip’s 38 Years Old, 22-9 would grin collectively and emit a solidly ecstatic energy at successfully entertaining the crowd, who showed their obvious enjoyment by applauding uproariously. The only downside to their performance was that the audience was not able to physically express their musical delight by dancing, due to the seating that took over the main dance floor space.
When asked about their name by the crowd, their feigned mystery and aloofness, but when caught backstage, harmonica player Joey Goldie admitted the origins of the name. The clock in their band rehearsal space had broken down, and always read the time 8:40, or “twenty to nine.” After practicing together for some time, as well as being chums, the broken clock became an inside joke before it was fixed.
“It didn’t matter if it was 3:00 in the morning and three cases of beer later, when someone asked the time it was always 22-9!” Goldie exclaimed.
The band has been together for just six months and already has had the fortunate experience of opening up for the Montreal-based Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few.
The headliners, without their native-British Columbian mandolin/bassist Jesson Moen, approached the stage in the same loving, familiar fashion of any band on the road, touring for a length of time. With instruments in or at hand the band launched into their repertoire. With haunting vocals, brilliant drumming and a smooth cello, one could be strongly reminded of the Arbitrarys, a local band currently on hiatus. One song, an acoustic number that had frontman Mark Berube standing in all his copper-haired glory at the foot of the stage, singing his heart out. The piece was inspired from Berube’s years as a youth in Swaziland, and witnessing all the political and humanitarian action going on in and around his country. The song was met by an awed silence as the crowd sat and watched as Berube sang and rocked on his heels with the power of his voice.
Although the mood was serene and introspective after the beautiful performance, the band quickly launched into more upbeat music, and despite the lack of a dancing space, one exuberant Prince Georgian found the square footage and full-bodied energy to dance to the music.
The evening was both a fundraiser for the 2010 ColdSnap Festival as well as being an introduction of a great new band into the music scene. Keep your eyes and ears open for word about 22-9 and maybe PG will see them again before too long.
As a preview to the upcoming ColdSnap 2010 festival, Prince George’s newest band, 22-9, opened for Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few to a packed house on Sunday, October 25. The chairs went right up to the stage at the popular Art Space venue above Books & Co. and the crowd was eager to get as close as possible to the evening’s performers.
With only the slightest delay in start times, 22-9 took the stage for the first time ever as a band, and started into playing their cover of All Along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan, although it sounded closer to Hendrix’s version. The three-man band consisted of guitarist Conrad Turner, percussionist Daryl Beauregard and Joey Goldie on harmonica. Out of the six songs they chose to play as their first-ever opening act were mostly covers, with only two original songs. The two they did perform, however, were both lyrically and musically decent, made better by the back-story provided.
After each of their charming originals or clever classic rock tunes such as Sympathy for the Devil, and the Tragically Hip’s 38 Years Old, 22-9 would grin collectively and emit a solidly ecstatic energy at successfully entertaining the crowd, who showed their obvious enjoyment by applauding uproariously. The only downside to their performance was that the audience was not able to physically express their musical delight by dancing, due to the seating that took over the main dance floor space.
When asked about their name by the crowd, their feigned mystery and aloofness, but when caught backstage, harmonica player Joey Goldie admitted the origins of the name. The clock in their band rehearsal space had broken down, and always read the time 8:40, or “twenty to nine.” After practicing together for some time, as well as being chums, the broken clock became an inside joke before it was fixed.
“It didn’t matter if it was 3:00 in the morning and three cases of beer later, when someone asked the time it was always 22-9!” Goldie exclaimed.
The band has been together for just six months and already has had the fortunate experience of opening up for the Montreal-based Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few.
The headliners, without their native-British Columbian mandolin/bassist Jesson Moen, approached the stage in the same loving, familiar fashion of any band on the road, touring for a length of time. With instruments in or at hand the band launched into their repertoire. With haunting vocals, brilliant drumming and a smooth cello, one could be strongly reminded of the Arbitrarys, a local band currently on hiatus. One song, an acoustic number that had frontman Mark Berube standing in all his copper-haired glory at the foot of the stage, singing his heart out. The piece was inspired from Berube’s years as a youth in Swaziland, and witnessing all the political and humanitarian action going on in and around his country. The song was met by an awed silence as the crowd sat and watched as Berube sang and rocked on his heels with the power of his voice.
Although the mood was serene and introspective after the beautiful performance, the band quickly launched into more upbeat music, and despite the lack of a dancing space, one exuberant Prince Georgian found the square footage and full-bodied energy to dance to the music.
The evening was both a fundraiser for the 2010 ColdSnap Festival as well as being an introduction of a great new band into the music scene. Keep your eyes and ears open for word about 22-9 and maybe PG will see them again before too long.
