Who: She Stole My Beer
Where: Boot Pub
When: Saturday, Sept. 10
Tickets: $12
Beloved jam rockers She Stole My Beer are reuniting for a show at the Boot Pub this Saturday night.
Formed in 1986, the band hasn’t toured since the mid-1990s, after the demands of family and alternate career moves brought the Beer to its knees and scattered members throughout the Sea to Sky corridor and the Lower Mainland.
But legions of loyal fans from the rock ’n’ roll heyday have kept the spirit of the Beer alive. The band has even inspired a Swiss tribute act – JEAD – who lovingly cover the SSMB catalogue for Euro Beer-nuts.
The sporadic shows and appearances are big events in Whistler, doubling as fan reunions for old-timers. For those who are just tuning in to this town, a She Stole My Beer show is a crash course of sorts in what it means to be a Whistler local.
Aside from the fact that the band has scored a big-time gig at the Commodore opening for the Mississippi All-Stars in late September, it’s mostly been business as usual for the Beer. Percussionist Franco Diligenti joked that September is "a busy month," considering the band will see each other maybe four or five times with the pair of gigs in Whistler and Vancouver and the corresponding practice sessions.
Despite the profile of the Commodore date, Diligenti said the Boot show holds a special cachet for the band.
"We’re gearing up for this one," Diligenti said. "Just the fact that it is at the Boot and we don’t know how many times we’ll get to play there before it goes down."
If you’ve seen them before, there’s no need to say anything else. If you haven’t seen them before, park your ass outside the Boot on Saturday night and be the first one in when the doors open.
Tickets for She Stole My Beer are going for $12, available at the venue. For more information about shows at the Boot Pub call 604-932-3338.
Choke up on Sunday, Slammin Jack back on Monday
Saturday’s She Stole My Beer show kicks off a stellar triple threat of live shows at the Boot Pub this week, offering a little something-something for everyone.
Sunday night’s main event The Punk Night is bringing back longtime Edmonton punk band Choke, who rocked the full house into a frothing, sweaty mess when they were last here back in March. Blown away by a combination of old skatepunk/So-Cal hardcore favourites and the more prog-rock sounding new material from latest album Slow Fade: Or How I learned to Question Infinity the crowd passionately cheered a double encore out of the band, who represented under the duress of front man Shawn Moncrief’s broken foot.
Whistler clearly hadn’t had enough of Choke, sticking around yelling until the lights came on. Those that gave it their all for that third encore now get it six months later. And those that kicked themselves for missing the March show definitely won’t want to let this next one slip on by.
Also on The Punk Night roster that night are Sasky rockers Ghosts Of Modern Man and Vancouver hardcore band Daggermouth.
On Monday night, the Boot welcomes back another favourite, Vancouver jam band Slammin Jack.
With their fusion of electro-bluegrass, roots, jazz, funk, and ambient beats, Jack has begun to acquire that true sign of jam band success – a touring following, who love to make the trip up the Sea to Sky Highway to see Jack slam the Boot. The band’s fans are known to tote with them a collection of bizarro stuffed Muppet props, providing appropriately surreal visuals to the Slammin Jack sound experience. Those with a groovy bone in their bodies should take Tuesday off.
Boot likely hanging in until spring
The sale in 2003 of the Boot Pub/Shoestring Lodge property to Cressey Developments slates the site for redevelopment and it’s common knowledge that the live music venue is a marked establishment.
Exactly when the hammer is to drop is a less sure thing. Early speculation had the doors closing at the end of the summer of 2005. But as autumn falls, things are still rocking and rolling at the venue consistently voted Best Place To See A Live Act in Pique’s annual year-end Best Of Whistler readers’ poll. So what gives?
During a phone call in late August Cressey development manager David Evans said it’s his estimation, based on the current pace of the project, the pub would be operating into the spring of 2006.
Translated into Whistler-speak that’s one more winter season of Boot Pub shows.
Live music fans have been duly warned. Don’t hibernate this winter. The time is now.
