The first First Friday of January was anything but typical. The fact it was technically held on the second Friday of the month due to the statutory holiday of New Years Day being the first unusual circumstance. The second was the weather. Higher than normal temperatures with rain made for a soggy evening. Despite those factors, those that did come to Sarnia's downtown and into Cheeky Monkey found it very much worth the effort thanks to local band Big Highway. The four piece band featuring James McNaule on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Andrew Germain on lead guitar, Dave Johnston on bass and Ric Brown on drums have a knack for picking the perfect playlist for their vast abilities. Big Highway's love for Can Con (Canadian content) is self evident. James has the perfect timber and edginess to pull off songs by Tragically Hip with ease. They did several Wide Mouth Mason ...
MoreJANN ARDEN - A JANN ARDEN CHRISTMAS - One would be forgiven for wondering if Arden hadn’t made a Christmas record already – it seems such a natural idea for the JUNO-winning artist whose 20+ year, 1.5-million selling, 12-album career has made such a mark on Canadian culture. As she tells it, the time was right to do so now. “I always wanted to make a Christmas record, and I wanted to do something really, really special and timeless. There are Christmas albums that I listen to year after year: the Carpenters, Streisand, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald – these records were the soundtracks to such wonderful memories and happy times.” To create this collection, Jann Arden has again collaborated with iconic producer Bob Rock, having first worked together in 2010 on the single I Can’t Make You Stay and subsequent albums Uncover Me 2(2011)and Everything Almost (2014). ...
MoreReview of December 4, 2021 First Friday at Cheeky Monkey written by Brian Hay. Thank you Brian for attending our events over the year and being kind enough to share you insights into the local live music scene. For other reviews by Brian CLICK HERE There's still only one Mike Blackmore. The extra "Blackmore" is for the musical persona brought to life by way of the technology used in crafting backing tracks to free up other facets of his playing. The balance needed to use those devices effectively is a fine one. Overuse can turn a set mechanical, (or as one good friend quipped, "into the special olympics of music"), really fast. Tempering its use with restraint however (and playing off what it conjures astutely) allows good players to open new doors. For Mike (whose idea of variety might actually be climbing back into the box) it opens ways to rethink ...
More
New, big bunch of t-shirts have arrived. Cheeky Charlie is more then happy to model them for you. LOL
MoreQuiet Mind: Contemporary Acoustic with Style Live at the Cheeky Monkey for Sarnia's November First Friday Celebration by Brian Hay They also had something to say, which is the most important thing. That the members of Quiet Mind, singer and guitarist James Hill and lead guitarist Pat Rice, were concerned with performing more than just filler was clear even from the covers they chose. One group whose material they obviously liked exploring was the work done by Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam. "An Elderly Lady Behind the Counter in a Small Town" was an absolute nugget for Pearl Jam with its richly unfolding portrayal of the two people who meet in the scenario conjured within the music. The interpretation Hill and Rice gave it wasn't Pearl Jam's and it wasn't anyone else's. Hill's singing captured the yearning that inevitably surfaces when one hearkens toward distant but fond memories. Rice threaded wonderfully melodic ...
MoreYES, Cheeky Monkey is once again a participant of Record Store Day - BLACK FRIDAY 2015 edition on Friday, November 27th. And IT'S BIGGER BADDER AND MORE BRILLIANT THAT ANY BLACK FRIDAY THAT HAS COME BEFORE!!!!! CLICK HERE to see proof - we are listed on the official RSD website. As with RSD, we order virtually everything that is being offered, but we don't know exactly what we will end up getting since they are all limited editions. To be in the advance know of what we do get, if you haven't yet, signed up for our weekly e-newsletter through our website HOME page. Same goes for RSD that will be on Saturday, April 16, 2016. Subscripers get an early heads up of titles. FROM RECORD STORE DAY OFFICIAL WEBSITE... Ah, Black Friday. Even if you’re averse to the crowds and the crazy, there is a great place to go shopping on that day after American ...
MoreThursday October 15, 2021 was a wigged out day. THE DEANER, star of the mockumentary FUBAR was due to stop into Cheeky Monkey before his show later the same day at Rustic. He was due at 4 pm along with the metal band he is touring with NIGHTSEEKER. At 4:10 the fans waiting for him were getting a little nervous he was not showing up. Turns out he was at Blackburn Radio doing a live interview on K106 & was running a little late. Once he and the band arrived the fun began. Posing for pictures, handing out boxes of Kraftt Deaner, signing autographs and generally just being THE DEANER for the hours plus he was here at Cheeky Monkey. He and his guitarist did a song giving an acoustic preview of the fun to come at The Rustic a few hours later. Have to say, The Deaner is an equal ...
MoreSarnia's First Friday Celebration October 2015: El Camino at The Cheeky Monkey Review and Photos By Brian Hay One of life's lessons: Things don't always go as planned. That was the situation for the owners of the Cheeky Monkey and the members of El Camino on Friday night. Singer and rhythm guitarist Scott Whyte had been fighting laryngitis all week and was just beginning to get his voice back. Cancelling would have been understandable but it wasn't what anyone wanted to do. Playing could be done, but sparingly. The trio opted to go for it. Another lesson: If the band isn't giving up the audience shouldn't either. [Scott] Whyte may have felt like he was having to bribe his vocal chords to keep him company but his musical skills and understanding of the songs wasn't diminished in the least. He has good control over his pitch so his singing was still even and wanting to ...
MoreThe last Sunday of every month take a listen to the new broadcast focusing on our amazing local music scene of today and days gone by. Hosted and archived by Sarnia's very own ADAM MINER; musican, producer, owner of DNA Media. With his extensive knowledge of our thriving music scene, Adam's show is informative and entertaining. Take a listen to 'LAST SUNDAY'. EPISODE # 1 - Broadcast August 30, 20.15 - CLICK HERE EPISODE # 2 - Broadcast September 27, 2021 - CLICK HERE
More"ZENBOMB" - Mike Blackmore Group at Cheeky Monkey - September 4, 2021 First Friday - as reported by Brian Hay... Mike Blackmore with Dan Martin and Chris Molyneaux: First Friday for Labour Day Weekend at the Cheeky Monkey The finale here was more than worth waiting for. Singer/guitarist Mike Blackmore plunged into his music with the fervour of an individual afraid that he might never have a chance to play the songs that way again. Bass player Dan Martin was perfectly in step with everything he did. Mike's playing, always percussive in nature, was emphatic, with his expression raw in its directness and the changes he signalled marked with an extra level of force. Dan's bass was set louder than usual and he used the volume to emphasize the melody in the songs while keeping the timekeeping end of his work crisp. Chris Molyneaux played as if he was on fire. Watching him ...
More
