REFRAIN MUSIC

So when I heard the “Rowdy Boys Tour” was rolling into town I was eager to get there and watch some foot stomping, hand-clapping, sing along good, fun music!  Hitting the stage tonight at the new iRock (former Rockin’ Rodeo, still not sure about that name) were rowdy Canadian boys Aaron Pritchett and Gord Bamford (even though Gord was Australian born, he was Alberta raised, so that makes him pretty Canadian) with opening act Marshall Dane.

Starting the night with a little confusion at the door I made my way to the front corner off the nightclub’s dance floor joining some very nice ladies that welcomed me to their spot very kindly, thanks gals!  First on stage was Marshall Dane, whom I didn’t even know was coming, no opening act was announced.    Marshall Dane is fairly new on the scene hailing from St. Catharine’s Ontario which is more known for it’s car manufacturing plants than for it’s musician making, and I was eager to hear what Mr. Dane had in store for us.  He performed simply, him and an acoustic guitar, in front of the crowd even getting us to the point where we were singing along.  Dane has a great song called Love & Alcohol that most of the crowd was chanting along to the chorus, and This Rain which he wrote with another great country singer Willie Mack.  Playing for about half an hour, complete with guitar string change mid-song, without stopping the song…Marshall Dane is someone to watch out for…fun, enthusiastic, entertaining and talented!

Marshall Dane - iRock - Moncton, NB

Next up was the first of our two headliners, Aaron Pritchett, bursting onto stage surrounded by a raunchy guitar lick and screaming female fans we were off and running.  Leading us through his songs like “Hell Bent For Buffalo” and “How Do I Get There”.  Rockin’, energetic, and always a fun entertainer, Aaron interacts with the crowd, tells stories, and really looks like he enjoys what he does.

Aaron Pritchett - iRock - Moncton, NB

After a handful of songs Pritchett took his leave and taking his place onstage was Gord Bamford, hitting us with songs like “Day Job” and “Put Some Alcohol On It”.  Bamford personifies the blue collar, “working man” image, you expect him to go hop in his pick up truck and go off to his ‘day job’.  He is a little more low key than Pritchett, but just as entertaining, and the crowd loved his brand of Canadian country music.

Gord Bamford - iRock - Moncton, NB

The guys switched off one more time with Aaron returning one more time to sing a few more songs, and then Bamford came back to hype up the crowd with his very popular song “Drinkin’ Buddy” with much of the crowd joining in and singing along.  The buys closed off the night singing together, and the crowd wanted more…as the ‘rowdy boys’ left the stage the crowd began to chant the title of the Pritchett song that most of them came to hear, raising a plethora of brown bottles in the air and chanting “Hold My Beer”! (How Canadian)  The Aaron Pritchett favorite, written by fellow Canuck and great writer and musician Deric Ruttan ,was what the crowd wanted and the boys delivered as they returned to the stage to lead the raucous crowd in a loud encore of the song!

This Tuesday night at iRock (still can’t get used to that name), was a blast with some great music, fun fans, and no one needed to ‘hold my beer’, and thank-you to my ‘drinkin’ buddies’ for a fun time !  If you ever get the chance to watch these guys perform I definitely recommend you do so.