My Labour Day weekend included a fun fieldtrip to see a friend’s cover band: Heintz 57 & The Wailing Whippets. Here’s Chris Mintz, James Gilbrook and Steve Sattler turning out set after set on Saturday night. These guys are really entertaining: good sense of humour, a nice mix of tunes and an accordion. Set lists spanned Tom Petty, Aha, Neil Diamond, Duran Duran, the Theme to Cheers, Tiffany, lots of Hip and the Canadian classic: Log Driver’s Waltz. There was a lot of laughing and singing along.
The TL;DR: go drink yer beer somewhere your friends are playing music.
My first time at Strykerz Kitchen & Bar down by the Aud on Ottawa. Great wait staff. Co-owner Rose Rollins gently relocated some family members so we could have a front row seat by the band. Later in the evening her husband and co-owner Mike came by our table to see if everything was ok with the food and drinks. I like that. I like to know whose place I’m in. Try this place.
Click through for a modestly unreasonable number of photos…
There’s a bit of a story to the origins of this gig at Strykerz. As I understand it, somebody in the band lives close by and had been asking to play here and finally worked out a deal to play Tragically Hip covers here on the night of the Hip’s last concert. As luck would have it, the CBC decided to televise that concert and Heintz 57 & The Wailing Whippets decided it would be best to defer their Strykers gig to a night offering larger crowds (the band had a private Hip party, further honing their covers). Rose and Mike normally close Strykers for the Labour Day weekend, but made an exception this year and the deferred gig went off Saturday night. Happily for us. I think I got most of that right, pieced together from about three different tellings of the tale.
Close quarters accordion with Chris.
The fellow on the left in the Batman shirt is I believe named Jeremy aka Hawk Rawk who drives for the band’s Accordions in Cars videos (see their fb page for that)
Venue.
James on guitar.
The overhead. Didn’t notice the couple sitting on the bench listening until post-pro.
The first tip the band has ever received.
Steve on bass.
Everybody sings.
Tools of the trade.
Crowd.
More people came.
Shaker + tambourine butt slappin’.
Break.
Stayed til the end. Nice work guys. A great night.
On Ottawa Street, this is Kitchener.
DW
Awesome post…live music rocks!
I will make my way to Stykerz!! Keep the live music happening.
Speaking of which, the Jazz Room opens Season Six this weekend with local favourite Larry Larson on Friday, and jazz giant Robi Botos on Saturday!
Cheers,
Stephen
Everybody should know about The Jazz Room. Great music.
Amazing writeup Darin and the pictures are amazing! Glad you were able to make it out and good thing you stayed to hear Log Driver’s Waltz! ?