I only caught a about half of all of the New Year’s Eve gigs ringing in the new year on Dec. 31 all over Lethbridge. Pretty much all of the best cover bands in the city get booked for new years, so this was my chance to see a few I haven’t seen for a while, yet I still missed a lot of them.
I always seem to miss former Claresholm residents Shane Chisholm, who is now based in Red Deer, so Coyote Joes was my first stop. It was also my first chance to check out the renamed and renovated former Scores. They installed a big new stage front and centre in the room, facing a brand new dance floor, bordered by skinny railings on which to lean or place your drink.
While I missed the first set from local rock band the Raw Dogs I caught the first set from Chisholm. Both bands were playing two sets apiece.
I was hoping to see Chisholm’s home made gas tank bass and some of the rockabilly trucks and sparks he does on it, but he saved that of his second set.
Instead Chisholm played an array of modern country but added a few of his own including the Celtic flavoured “ If Jesus Was Canadian” and a revamped, groovy version of Allan Jackson’s “Chatahoochie,” which he prefaced with an unnecessary apology to Allan Jackson. After calling for one of may “sociables,” he played the always popular “ Wagon Wheel” as well. His trio including lead guitarist Nathan and drummer Curtis Schultz. Chisholm held down the rhythm on six string bass.
He covered several songs from modern country artists like Keith Urban and wound down his set with his cover of Big Sugar’s “All Hell For a Basement,” which is on his “Hitchhiking Buddha” CD. He officially ended his first set with the Nitty Gritty Dirt band’s “ Fishing in The Dark,” which has the new dance floor full.
Over at Bo Diddly’s, local grunge/ ’90s rock band Bottom’s Up took a small but enthusiastic audience back to the ’90s.
While I missed their first set, arriving in the middle of a long break.
I caught some of their second set.
The detuned and tight quartet began with Alice in Chains’ “ Them Bones,” tackled the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Suck My Kiss” and played some Stone Temple Pilots and tried a couple of newer rock songs after that. They drew enthusiastic cheers of support after each song.
Down the road at the Moose Hall, an older crowd enjoyed The Mark Hall Band playing a tight set of country music. They had a few two steppers dancing to newer country music like Aaron Pritchett’s “ My Way,” and classics like “Six Days on the Road.”
New Year’s Eve got a lot funky at the packed Owl Acoustic Lounge where dozens of merrymakers stood shoulder to shoulder battling for dance floor space and space at the bar.
The talented local trio Adequate, switched instruments among themselves as they played lots of toe tapping pop and R and B classics including “Dance to The Music,” before counting down the new year.
Over at the Ten Ten Pub, Band Of Brothers, trimmed down to a trio, rang in the new year with a whole lot of classic rock.
Their post midnight set began with a cover of CCR‘’s “Green River” then they jumped ahead 40 some year for a cover of Green Day’s “When I Come Around.”
They got the crowd moving with a little “Hippy Hippy Shake.” A tambourine joined them for add extra percussion as they jumped back 30 some years for the Rolling Stones‘ “Miss You” which included the frontman wandering into the audience for a solo.