Yeah, there is a story behind that subject line.

So last night Skank Williams and Realiser were playing at Gus's Pub, so I rearranged my usual Thursday plans and and went out to see them. As I explained in the Tuesday post, fully half the participants are Tribeca regulars so someone had to go and report back, right?

The show was listed as starting at ten. In my experience, this invariably means eleven, so I went ahead and watched the end of Survivor (which was kind of awesome) and then made my way downtown, arriving at about ten-thirty.

Just as well, since Skank Williams was just about to go onstage. In fact, if the sound guy hadn't gone missing they've have been onstage already when I arrived! (The sound guy was Scotty, who is too large to steal, and once again I must note that if I'd been writing this story things would have looked bad for Scotty. At least until I relented in the second draft.) Luckily Troy, Scotty's band mate and brother, stepped in to look after sound and the girls got started just after ten-thirty.

As I have mentioned before, Skank Williams is the self-proclaimed "only all-female Hank Williams cover band in the Halifax-Dartmouth area!" Which is certainly factual, but it would perhaps be more true to say they are the best all-female Hank Williams cover band in the Halifax-Dartmouth area.

The band consists of:


"Dawny Cash"--banjo


"Kath Kathstofferson"--guitar


"Melvis Presley"--bass


Skank Williams

Dawn does most of the lead vocals but everyone takes a turn--Mel seems to have a feel for old spirituals in particular. Also, they never, ever refer to Hank Williams as "Hank Senior," implying that all Hank Williamses are on an equal footing. Not so. No offense to Hank Junior and Hank III, but the original is still the greatest.

The band hadn't played a gig in quite some time and they looked a little nervous as they got started, but the sound was good and the audience was relatively large and very into it, and within a few lines the band was having as much fun as we were. I was sitting pretty close to the action and I was impressed with Dawn's banjo-picking. Also, Kathy has the coolest guitar ever.

Set List

Settin' the Woods On Fire (Hank Williams, Dawn on vocals, and as Kathy noted it was a funny choice considering the new stage backdrop. The band promised to be careful)

Hey Good-Lookin' (Hank Williams, Kathy: vocals)

You Ain't Woman Enough To Take My Man (Loretta Lynn, Dawn: vocals--and this was when Scotty finally showed up. Whew!)

I'll Fly Away (Albert E. Brumley, Mel: vocals)

Jolene (Dolly Parton, Dawn: vocals)

Baby We're Really In Love (Hank, Dawn: vocals)

I Just Come Here To Come Down (I think--original, Dawn: vocals)

Will the Circle Be Unbroken (Ada R. Habershon, Mel: vocals)

I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You (Hank, Dawn: vocals)

Cocaine Blues (Johnny Cash, Dawn: vocals--this one was fun because in the course of changing the narrator from a man to a woman, they've managed to hang onto the humour in the song and turn it really cheeky)

Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash, everyone: vocals)

Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show, Dawn: vocals)

Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash--or rather, considering the company, June Carter Cash--Dawn: vocals)

The girls came offstage to general congratulations (I wasn't even the only library type present) and Realiser went on.

Realiser consists of Scotty from Tribeca on drums, his brother Troy on guitar, and their cousin Jason (door guy from Tuesday night, in fact!) on bass and lead vocals. They're considerably louder than Skank Williams (the theme of the night was A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock'N'Roll, and if you are anywhere near my age you have enough sense to be careful when you click on that link. If you are, say, younger than my barn jacket... exercise due caution) but not, birds-dropping-from-the-sky loud. Heavy, but thoughtful sounding--the progressions of one or two could almost be called stately. The vocals were turned down too low and I get the impression they're not front-and-centre anyway, Realiser sounds like the kind of band where voice is kind of another instrument and isn't intended to take the lead any more than any other.

I got a few pictures which I can't access from here but I'll add them later.

One funny thing: a drunk guy who for some reason reminded me of the Miramichi came weaving to the front of the stage and attempted to engage the band in conversation. Which has to be awkward for bands, but when he addressed "that young fellow back there" (Scotty, on drums) Scotty chatted with him quite amiably for about a minute and the guy wandered away happy. Disruption over. If occurred to me that anyone who didn't already know Scotty is a kick-ass bartender would have come away from that transaction suspecting Scotty is a kick-ass bartender. It was sort of brilliant to watch him.

After Realiser had literally played every song they knew, I looked at my watch and it was only about a quarter after one. Dawn and Kathy and I were at a table together and they joked that I was probably calculating how fast I could get to Tribeca.

And then more and more Tribeca regulars who'd come to support Dawn, Kathy, and Scotty started milling around saying, "You know, we should go over to Tribeca" and it became a plan. I drove Dawn and Kathy with their instruments and pulled over in front of the club--I figured I'd park a little further along the street and I was going to let them out so they could just run inside with the guitar and banjo.

Dawn and Kathy: "Don't worry about that, we'll walk back with you."
Me: "But it's more rock'n'roll to be dropped off by your driver."
Dawn: "No, what's really rock'n'roll is to walk in with the other band's groupie!"

And you know, I could find no flaw in her reasoning...

So in we went to find a pretty good crowd, and Gloryhound playing "Call me the Breeze," and a bunch of people we'd just seen at Gus's who'd beaten us there.

Gloryhound:

Call Me the Breeze (Lynyrd Skynrd)

Crossroads (Eric Clapton)

Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon)

Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (Bob Dylan, Adam: vocals & guitar, Evan: keys)

It's possible that a giant, awesome jam session broke out after hours--if there wasn't one there should have been--but two bars in one work night seemed like enough for someone my age, so I said goodnight and called it one. Whew!