Who: She Stole My Beer
Where: Buffalo Bill’s
When: Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21
Not many bands can claim they helped drink a bar completely dry of its golden nectar but legendary West Coast party band, the aptly named She Stole My Beer, take the crown.
Tonnes of good time tales have been told about this southern rock lovin’ blues band. Just what you’d expect after 10 years on the road taking in several national tours and two CDs, but keyboardist and Whistler local Jordan White, says the legendary status stems more from friendship than anything else.
"We’ve always treated our shows as a social event and so I guess the crowd senses that. Wherever we go, it’s never just a bunch of strangers staring at a stage. Our gigs become a reunion of sorts," said White. "That’s probably why we sell out of beer, because people stay a little longer and drink a little harder in celebration of the collective energy."
These days though, the band claim their tales are a little tamer as even rock ’n’ roll crowds have to grow up.
"I’d say our audience is more the sophisticated home-owning hippie crowd than the big hard core partiers these days," said White.
But musically the band’s genre continues to be a tough one to nail down. It’s rock ’n’ roll but with a bluesy, ’60s psychadelic edge to it.
"We try not to ever repeat shows," said White. "We generally never even have a set list, we just check out the crowd and hammer out a plan depending on how they respond."
Along with White’s keyboards, there’s always two drummers on stage in Dean Waisman and Geoff Hicks, plus a percussionist, Franco Diligenti, so you can imagine the energy created. Tom Taylor’s powerful vocals, and guitar work from Chad Chillbeck and David Hughes completes the outfit.
She Stole My Beer is no longer a full time job for the guys, but it’s still a full time hobby.
"After losing our recording contract six years ago, we basically ended the band. We didn’t play for two years. But we gradually started playing a little and these days still manage to do five or six gigs a year in between our day jobs and family commitments," White said. "It’s different playing this time around though. We’re not trying to sell records anymore, we’re just doing it purely for fun."
Expect a mix of original material, obscure cover tunes from the ’60s and ’70s and a few new songs at the Buffalo Bill’s shows, although White said the two nights will be completely different.
"The first night is always the more reckless and drunken gig where as the second night is usually a little more refined," said White.
So which one is better?
"They’re both really good to be honest."
Something tells me She Stole My Beer can still clean out a club’s liquor cabinet.
