Friday night The Spot will be jumping to the sounds of Toronto's The Warped 45s, who make a stop at the Yorkton club for an early 7 p.m. show.
Dave McEathron of the Warped 45s said performing on stage is an important aspect of the band's music.
"We've had a really great relationship with The Dakota Tavern in Toronto which helped us gain some notoriety early on," he said. "We were playing there the night we won the 2009 fan choice award at NXNE."
From there the band has played a lot of live gigs.
"There have been gigs at The Horseshoe Tavern with Justin Rutledge, another with The Beauties and again with The United Steelworkers of Montreal.
"We have opened for the re-formed Skydiggers at the Mod Club, and played a show with Elliot Brood and the Beauties at the Opera house.
"However, maybe the biggest so far was opening for the Drive By Truckers at a packed Phoenix Concert Hall."
McEathron said taking music to the rest of Canada has been a blast.
"I've always wanted to see more of our country and now that we have been able to go from PEI to B.C and all points in-between a few times that wish is being fulfilled," he said.
"This summer we are playing our first big festivals at Hillside near Guelph in July and The Sunseekers Ball in Saint John New Brunswick. We enjoy playing, so anytime we can get somewhere and play for people with a good attitude we are happy to be there. I guess it's following the early Blue Rodeo or Fred Eaglesmith Model."
The Warped 45s birth as a band has something of a family connection.
"Ryan (McEathron) and I are first cousins and we started jamming with our aunts and uncles, parents and grandparents when we were children," said Dave McEathron. "We started talking about working together in a more serious way about six years ago. When Ryan made the decision to go to teachers college in Newcastle, Australia the idea was put on hold and both of us released solo projects.
"After two-and-a-half-years Ryan sent out an email for couches to sleep on and people to play with and he ended up on my couch and Kevin (keyboardist, Kevin Hewitt) and Hamal (drummer Hamal Finn Roye ) - Ryan's friends from Western university - showed up to practice. Alex (Needleman) and I worked together bartending and he joined after Mark Gabriel moved on. Our history goes back about three-years, one E.P and one full length CD."
Dave McEathron said the band's own diverse backgrounds have been what has forged The Warped 45s own unique elements.
"We all have really different influences and I think that shows in our eclectic take on roots rock," he said. "Alex is very much into instrumental bands like Mogwai and early punk as well as all things Tom Waits. Hamal listened to everything from hip-hop to hardcore with a heavy dose of Seattle grunge. Kevin is a graduate of classical performance from Western university but inexplicably loves hard rock and metal like Motley Crue and idolizes Frank Zappa. Ryan and I have a shared love of the great songwriters like John Prine, Fred Eaglesmith, Neil Young, Gram Parsons and Townes Van Zant. I got some schooling in jazz when I attended the Humber College Music program and lately we are all really influenced and inspired by the roots and indie rock scene in Toronto from The Sadies to Justin Rutledge and Elliot Brood. It makes for interesting listening parties in the van but we've worked it out that whoever is driving gets to pick the music."
Those diverse interests mean The Warped 45s meld different styles into their work, said McEathron.
"Our sound begins with a folk/ roots base of acoustic guitar and vocals but we aren't purists by any means so we start experimenting," he said. "We don't have much in the way of stylistic boundaries from there on and I think that leads to a more original sound.
"Ryan or myself bring in songs with the chords and lyrics and then together as a band construct and de-construct them until we hit on a mix of instruments that excites us and will sound like more than the sum of its parts.
"I'd say we all believe there can never be too many vocals so we always pile on the harmonies.
"The title track of the album '10 Day Poem for Saskatchewan' was the only exception; David Seymour wrote the lyrics and then I set it to music."
McEathron said the words are a crucial aspect of their music which they take time to get right.
"Lyrics are the really time consuming part of both mine and Ryan's process," he said. =."The effort surrounding the music for the CD, recorded at Green Door Studios, was worth it, said McEathron.
"We couldn't be happier with the final product," he said. "I think it can be a challenging record but I believe that it rewards repeated listens. "
There are plans surrounding the CD too.
"Director Vincent Scotti shot a beautiful video for 'Radio Sky' that has been put into rotation on CMT and that song has gotten a lot of play on CBC and even some commercial stations," said McEathron. "College radio and CBC has put five, or six different tracks into rotation and I love that so much of it is finding an audience. "
