Monday was a good night for some Monkey Junk — the Ottawa based blues band who made their Lethbridge debut at the Geomatic Attic, Oct. 24.
I arrived near the beginning of their second set, with frontman Steve Marriner sitting behind a keyboard, laying down a solid, bluesy groove on what Marriner described as “one of our bummer songs.”
They picked up the pace as Marriner donned a Danelectro baritone guitar to hold down the bottom end, and played some distinctive riffs and unusual solos.
But lead guitarist Tony D provided all the guitar pyrotechnics on a variety of axes.
They played most of the music from their latest CD “To Behold” as well as couple classic covers from blues legends like Muddy Waters.
“ If you know someone who likes roots music, you should get this CD for them,” Marriner joked with the crowd.He gave a shout out to CKUA radio for playing their music.
Live they brought it, they played a variety of blues, pop and a touch of reggae.
Marriner added a variety of catchy riffs on the baritone guitar and played some of the beautiful harp playing he is known for, which gave Monkey Junk a really distinct sound.
They put on a fantastic show with Tony D grooving and the drummer beaming, while Marriner held down the bottom end on the baritone guitar. One of many highlights which wound down the show was “ Running In The Rain” which brought together all the things that made Monkey Junk an awesome show— the soulful harp, the tasty lead guitar and the unstoppable beat.
They received a standing ovation and the good sized crowd called for an encore, which lead to Marriner apologizing for losing his voice and then letting Tony D sing the last song of an energetic and upbeat evening.
