There were fiddles and banjos, cowboy boots and hand-clapping beats at the Thompson River’s University Clock Tower last Thursday as The Gruff performed a free early afternoon concert for students and fellow Kamloopsians.
With funky, up-beat songs the audience was treated to an intimate and interactive concert.
TRU student, Michelle Apps, hosts a radio show on the campus radio station, CFBX, and after playing The Gruff on air was interested in seeing the band play live.
“It was just really interactive, and they were fun and friendly. It was really good music,” she said.
The band played a mix of songs from their old and new albums, and a couple cover renditions, including a refreshing version of Metallica’s Enter Sandman, and a unique cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
The Gruff take traditional folk sounds and create a modern, yet original musical experience. They have been labelled as a folk band, but don’t like to categorize their music, and dare listeners to find a genre that fits their sound.
With a laid back and engaging stage presence, the group was keen to get the audience involved, as they encouraged sing-a-longs, hooting and hollering, foot stomping and hand clapping to the beat of the music.
The group even invited fans to a meet-and-greet on stage after the show where they sold C.D.’s and signed autographs.
Although TRU student, Brandi Schier, had never heard of the Gruff before, she attended the performance with an open mind, and was impressed with the young talent.
“I thought it was great,” she said. “It was cool to see young people playing a traditional style and putting their own twist on it.”
Hailing from Victoria, B.C., and the group consists of three core members, and an alternating fiddler.
Main composer, Phaedra Kemp, rocked out on the snare drum, Jenny Ritter strummed the guitar, Terri Upton plucked away on the double bass, and Adam Iredale rounded out the group on the fiddle and banjo.
The Gruff will continue to tour around the country, and are set to perform next on October 29 at Lady of the Lake in Brandon Manitoba.
The next entertainment slated for the Alumni Theatre by the TRU Cultural Events Committee is on Nov. 27 at 12:30. The play, Jake’s Gift- A moving, poignant, exceptionally funny and timeless story of 80-year-old Jake, a Canadian World War ll veteran who reluctantly returns to Normandy, France, for the 60th anniversary of D-Day, written and performed by Canadian playwright, Julia Mackey. Admission is free.
The TRU Cultural Events Committee has been brining fresh and lively event sto campus for over 30 years. “Our aim is to expose students to a myriad of performances that they wouldn’t normaly experience in their everyday lives,” TRU Cultural Events Committee member said. “We hope everyone enjoys something from our line-up this year.”
Upcoming Cultural Events
January 29, 2009
The Fugitives – Vancouver artisits who have been classified under many guises: slam folk, folk hop and spoken word cabaret.
March 12, 2009
Squid Precision Drumming–A show that is both musically and visually stunning. Squid Drummers have developed a unique and unconventional shaw that has earned them comparisons to “Stomp” and othe ground-breaking percussion groups.
–By Aly son Couch,
2008, The River 97.5
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Contact: TRU Cultural Events Committee, email lbutt@tru.ca, 250.828.5352
