CAT NIPS 10/23/11
Has it really been this long meow since you last heard from us? We've been too busy with life in general to post? Yes, actually. Life is what happens while you're planning to live your life. But at least now and then we get to rip it up and kick it out with each other, right kitties?
Our first time at the Drake way back in June was beautiful, despite Roger leaving the sunroof open to the band van all night. Which is usually just fine, except when it freakin' pours from sundown til noon when he finally crawls out of bed. Never mind, we touched down at Caffrey's in Sherwood Park and it didn't rain there. We paid a visit to the Hangar in Edson for the ball tourney where we broke in the stage for Corb Lund, Big Sugar and some other guys, then headed back to Drayton Valley for a night at the DV8 and stopped in at Bar Five in Lloyd again for a silly weekend.
The faithful will remember that we played a show in the little town of Holden last November. We were wondering how it would go over, but it was one of the best shows we've ever done, so we were more than happy to sign on when they offered us Halloween this year on the spot. And guess what... Time has flown past, and here we are! So come on out on the 29th and shake it with us! Bring yer costumes and noisemakers for an all ages licensed show not to be missed. The place holds a hell of a lot of people; will you be one of them?
CAT NIPS 04/25/11
So we're back home and another foothills Furball is a memory. Made some new friends despite how obvious it was that we hadn't rehearsed in too long, cashed in the Value Village discount card in Red Deer! Booyah!, enjoyed breakfast in the sun at Pete's in Sylvan Lake, and of course, surfed the racket at the G-Spot in Rimbey over Bunny Day weekend. This was our eighth visit, and that stage feels suspiciously like home to us. Big shout-out to all who turned up to shake it (yes you Amanda!) and Those who Made Tequila Appear Before Us (Jeff, and who knows who else!) and of course Carly, Brenda, Becky, et al plus John swinging the Maglite at the fight on Friday night. Hell, there's never a dull moment.
Since our sixth visit, when we wrote our names and gig dates on a ceiling tile above the stage, the whole damn ceiling has started to fill up with the names of others who've come after. But as the faithful know, we came first.
Well, second if you count the kitties ;)
See you again in August!
Next stop: Player's Club in Camrose on May 7 for the Greg Shute Tribute shindig, get ready meow!
CAT NIPS 03/14/11
Whatever's in the water down at Sylvan Lake, it makes some of the best weekends ever. Lakeshore has changed (complete with speed-bump crosswalks and all!) but the folks remain as great as ever. For a band to be put up at a hotel with a waterslide and hot tub before they've even sold their first t-shirt, work really seems like the play it is. Anika, Donna, Janelle, and of course our hero Dancin' Dave put the cherry on the weekend down at the Fireside, and we were happy to surf the racket for all concerned. Dave, thanks for everything and Logan, your sister had the best stories!
It's been a damn fine year so far, when we've been able to get out and play. January brought us to Caffrey's in Sherwood Park, and we dropped in to Ron's bunch at Slick's again last month too where we saw the dancing pole put to damn good use!
Back to Rimbey in April, and from there, as always, the world is a ball of twine for all of us Cats.
CAT NIPS 01/02/11
"Play something we can't dance to! Play something that sucks, please! Anything, 'cause we're tired of dancing!" That was the cry on Thursday. So we played some Rush, awesome stuff but not the kind of thing you dance to, but damn if they didn't just keep on keepin' on! Simon, Lee, Ryan, Joe and the guys, we hope you had a great time in la Biche the next night! Can I just say for the record, you are indeed worthy! And if you check out Erica's facebook pix, you'll know what we mean.
Champagne courtesy of Stacy and the crew at the Alice made our NYE, plus of course the random catfight and beer glass tossing events. If there was one place we'd like to be the house band, that'd be it. The people, the vibe, everything, it just all comes together so well there.
Before that was an unexpectedly great night in November, playing a fundraiser for the Holden arts and ag societies. We weren't sure what to expect, we just knew that if we did our thing it'd turn out right, but we never thought it would be quite so much fun for everybody! Volunteers put on a great spread at midnight and made sure everything ran smoothly, and even though we were competing with a few other events in the county it still turned out to be one of the best gigs ever. Thanks to Judy, Inez, Chris and the Usual Suspects - Kari, Greg et al plus Mel and Jen, we're glad you finally found an opportunity to come out and see us!
We'll touch down next at Caffrey's in Sherwood Park, January 14 & 15. See you there, kitties!
CAT NIPS 10/31/10
What a weekend, that's all we can say. From one end to the other, the Halloween bash at the Alice was a rip-roaring success. Both nights were hoppin', but on Saturday night the crowd stole the show, with damn near the whole city shakin' the walls and looking for all the world like the gates of every parallel universe opened wide. There was no malice at the palace that is the Alice that weekend, nosirree! From Trevor literally giving Roger the shirt off his back just for the hell of it, to Robin from Punch Drunk Cabaret playing their latest track for us out in the parking lot, to the guy giving the whole bar free admission to Six Flags ("Sure those tix are real, guys!"), to every crazy costume in creation, it was a damn fine time to be alive. From our furry little hearts to yours, thank you. We love you all.
Next stop, Edson. Then a fundraiser in Holden for the arts society there, and then a break to record some original material, polish and tune the gear, and set up the calendar for the New Year.
CAT NIPS 10/13/10
Statistically, it had to happen eventually. Sooner or later, you get double-booked, and that's exactly what happened to us out in Drayton Valley. An overeager agent figured two bands might fit on that stage at the same time. Well, they won't, and we got the short end of that stick. But mistakes happen and we're a happy bunch, so as long as we get to go back there we aren't too concerned. The DV8 is a great room and the staff is top notch. However, it's the first time since T-Cat started up together that we've been double-booked. It's newsworthy, but it sucks a lot of hairy ass. No worries, our dance card is full enough as it is... Leduc next weekend, onward from there...
CAT NIPS 09/20/10
Another gig at the Alice Hotel in Camrose is a memory, but a great one. New faces behind the bar, but it's still a fantastic place to play and one of the most gracefully-aged hotels around. Friday night the place was hoppin', with lots of locals cheering us on, and a slinky sweet guest vocalist who came up and sang some Dixie Chicks with us. Saturday some repeat offenders told us everybody else had such a zany night on Friday they were all sleeping it off. We were genuinely humbled at the number of people who thanked us for just doing what we do, but as you now by now, it's a hell of a show.
Big Mike Callan and Kixxsin took a break from playing country at the Player's Club to come on over during their set break, so we took in their show during ours. Lemmetellya, if you like country you should check these guys out. We came in just as they finished a song and out-shouted the crowd, 'cause we're rockers and kinda rammy, but they're a great band and deserve all the goods they've got a-comin'.
To top it all off, Scotty came out briefly to report his 2nd and 3rd placing with the Team T-Cat Porsche down at Castrol Raceway despite the fact that he was sick as a dog (a sick dog, not a healthy one), so all in all everybody won.
See you in Drayton Valley in October.
Now, can I get a Hell Yeah???!!!
CAT NIPS 07/12/10
Our seventh gig in Rimbey went off swimmingly last weekend, regardless of which team you were cheering for during World Cup Soccer. Pretty much every blown V8 in central Alberta started cruising past the Grand Hotel at around 8 in the morning for the show 'n shine on Saturday, by which time the crows had already woken us up anyway. So off to Pete's at the Beach in Sylvan Lake for breakfast with long-time pal and fourth band member Scotty Morgan and then back to Rimbey for a trip up and down the street checking out all the cars. The drag race was rained out that day, but Sunday's sunnier weather solved that problem. We weren't there to see it, though. Yup, Pete's again for breakfast in patio sunshine and a stop on the way home at Shaggy's music store in Camrose where Roger bought hisse'f a new bass amp. So his beloved Ashdown combo is now for sale, and for the right price he might even throw in the Sound Addict sticker he found in the basement of the Alice Hotel during his very first gig with T-Cat. In fact, for a few more bucks you might even get him to part with the RCMP clock he bought in Banff.
Then again, maybe not. Some things are sacred.
See you next weekend in Edson, Alberta, Canada, North America, Planet Earth, Milky Way 90210!
CAT NIPS 04/04/10
Slick's in Wetaskiwin welcomed us again last weekend where Mark Brown and the guys from Hedd showed up, but Roger remembered his basses this time so he didn't need Mark's, thanks anyway! Spirit of Radio and Black Betty sounded damn good with Mark on guitbox, leaving Simon's hands free. A good time was had by all - will you be there next time?
CAT NIPS 03/25/10
Two months ago, gigs in '10 looked a little thin on the ground, but so far the sched has been filling up nicely so we'll see you soon. We've also been working on more originals, and will have a cd out by the end of the year.
In the meantime, hit us up on facebook as a friend or fan. It'll give you something to do and make it look like you're working, staring intently at your computer all the time.
CAT NIPS 09/20/09
Last night the Cat dragged in some noisemakers to Uncle B's in Camrose, and we found ourselves right in the middle of a tacky tourist party where suddenly Roger's standard-issue Hawaiian shirt didn't seem so out of place. Finally! And before that, another fantastic sunny weekend in Banff at the Rose & Crown. How did we get so lucky? Not only that but our dance card is filling up again, with gigs booked into March of next year.
Something happened in Banff that we really didn't expect... Simon ran into a guy who'd driven out to Banff from Calgary just to hear us play No Trouble, which he'd heard on CBC radio. Well, that's pretty amazing considering we didn't even know they'd spun our track! They may have latched onto us through Radio Free Red Deer, and if so, props to them. Either way we happily obliged, even though as a rule we don't throw a lot of originals in our shows at this point. That's in the works of course, but in the meantime we just love playing live so much that we'll cover basically any song that sounds good in order to keep things movin' along.
Next stop: Drayton Valley in October, at the DV8. Come out and celebrate the Cat's 65th show since we got together in '07! That's right, October 17 will be the Cat's 65th time on stage together, and by sheer concidence it'll happen at the 40th venue we've played. Bring your beach balls and stadium flappers! You know you want to.
CAT NIPS 07/27/09
Hard to believe it's been a whole year since the last time we played the Vat, but the same cool cats and hot sun that made last summer's gig so enjoyable hove into view for another memorable weekend. There's nothing better than great company, the hot sun, the beach at Sylvan and a rock show at one of Red Deer's best venues, and last weekend combined the whole shootin' match.
At this point our next stop is Banff at the end of August, but who knows... gigs have a habit of leaping out at us, so check back now and then.
Also, we've got a page on Facebook now, but between this site, myspace and facebook, it's a bit much. This is our main site, so this is the main vein, but we'll keep the others updated as well as time allows. Come by and write on the wall!
CAT NIPS 06/03/09
Well, whaddya know! The Cat was gonna spend some time in Sylvan Lake on the weekend of July 25, just hangin' out at the lake, golfin', windsurfin', and breeze-shootin', and guess what! A message beams in from the agent saying, 'Play the Vat that weekend!'.
Well, seeing as we're already there, we might as well have Terry and his merry band chip in for our beer tab. Come on down and say hello!
CAT NIPS 05/31/09
Slick's is always a great gig. Soundman Al (here at the Alice a couple years back) did wonders for us - in particular, Roger's bass has never sounded better - and drummer Jim Sheets did a fantastic job of holding down the groove. Thanks go to both of these fine gentlemen for another awesome show. And the crowd couldn't be better either! We were accosted by several people who remembered us from the New Years' gig and came to see us especially due to that. To our growing base of fans, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
But with that gig done, what's next for the Cat, you may ask? Not many gigs compared to this time last year, that's for sure. Economic malaise even affects bar managers. You'd think in good times people could afford to drink, and in bad times they'd drink because they had no money, but apparently that's not the case. We've got Banff coming up again at the end of August, and Drayton Valley in October, but the summer schedule is a little thin. We won't be idle, however. We've got some great new songs that we're putting the finishing touches on, and coming up with a logo etc. In general, planning our next moves.
When the going gets tough, the Cat gets going!
CAT NIPS 05/03/09
Well, Banff is behind is and another summer looms large in the windshield. We're already slated to play the Rose & Crown again at the end of August, so if you're in the neighborhood do drop by and say hello. We had a great time and you did too if you were there! If you weren't, have a look at the silly pictures and resolve to do better next time.
We'll be in Drayton Valley at the DV8 in October, but before then we'll see the Vat in Red Deer, our old haunt the Grand in Rimbey (with backup skinbasher Jimmy Sheets) and we're also slated to play Wetaskiwin as well. Will we play Jaywalkers' Jamboree in Camrose again this year? Stay tuned and find out!
CAT NIPS 03/16/09
It isn't every day you have the opportunity to go driving around on a lake, so can't you just imagine how chuffed we were when Kerri and John, owners of Contenders' Sports Bar & Grill, invited us to Sylvan Lake for their St. Patrick's Day bash? They went to a lot of trouble to make us feel at home, and this instantly became one of our favourite gigs. Big stage, great staff at the bar, friendly folks, they don't skimp on the tasty meals, and they printed big posters. Lots of T-Cat supporters came out to cheer us on and mingle with the locals, including our buddy Scotty, John Dubya (that's Jake Blues to you!) and a host of others. You're goofing off at work reading this anyway, so why not have a look at the pictures?
Our next stop will be Banff, at the Rose and Crown, in 3 weekends. Will we see you there?
CAT NIPS 01/28/09
Just because there's been nothing posted on the site for a while doesn't mean nothing's been happening. Oh, no, dear kittens, the Cat's been chasing that ball of string all over the place!
Take, for example, our Halloween gig, where backup animal Jim showed up with acres of stage lights, and the Caledonia bar in Viking offered us one of the rarest and most bizarre events - a costumed rumble!
Or how about the junior ranks' mess at CFB Wainwright, where we foiled a cunning plot to bore our troops to death with a rock show ne'er before seen by such a huge ocean of laptops?
And before either of these two we found ourselves back at Rimbey yet again, where this time we knew where the rooms were...
The reign of flying fur continued as the Cat strode into Wetaskiwin, touching down at Slick's in late November to humbly offer our services. By the end of the first set they'd offered us the New Years' Eve gig, and how could we resist?
The crowning event was when three lovely Tabasco Kittens took the stage to sing Happy Birthday to Roger in Wainwright. You simply must see the video, kittys! It certainly made up for tripping every single breaker in the bar when we plugged in Jim's brand new distro. Hey, nobody minds testing out new gear, right?
And of course, Auld Lang Syne came all too early. Back at Slick's to greet the New Year and get acquainted with its '09ness. How's it working out for you so far?
TCat played for a total of 38 nights spread throughout '08, requiring us to set up and tear down 24 times (many gigs were 2-nighters). We're proud of our 95% callback rate (the other 5% takes into account annual events which bands aren't usually called back to do anyway, so among clubs that have bands it's higher than that!).
We've been generously offered gigs in the New Year, but we were pretty busy last year and one of us is simply Shagged from all that catting around. So officially our next gig isn't until April at the Rose & Crown in Banff, but if anything else comes up you'll hear about it here.
'Til next time, sweeties!
CAT NIPS 10/02/08
THIS JUST IN... TWISTED SISTER NOW WILLING TO TAKE IT. CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY!
CAT NIPS 09/09/08:
Chad Charbonneau used to play bass for Tabasco Cat. Now he's livin' the life in a different hammock as captain of the Whistle Stop Golf Course near Camrose. He invited us along to his annual Swing 'n Swine - known officially as the Putt 'n Pig, a best-ball tourney capped off with a buffet dinner excelling in piggy goodness. A magician started the show, an entertaining Oriental guy who donned a dreadlock wig and showed us a trick he learned in Jamaica... Roger put him in a straitjacket and - Land's sakes, he escaped! How the heck did he do that?...
Pictures from the Vat are finally up, so surf on over to the gallery page and relive some summer moments in the comfort of your den as you click back and forth between T-Cat pages and those with scantily clad beauties on beaches.
AND... TA DAA!!... T-Cat's got a new song on the Originals page. Check it out!
CAT NIPS 08/16/08:
Ah, back at the Alice in Camrose. This weekend the crowd was small but enthusiastic; in fact, those who like T-Cat like us a LOT! I admit we were surprised and rather humbled by the fierce dedication and support of our growing base of fans.
This gig marks a milestone in TCat's career, as well - it's the first time we've ever played an original to an audience. We did No Trouble both nights, and we didn't introduce it as our own in order to gauge audience approval. Thankfully it seemed like as much fun to hear as it was to play. In addition, during our day at Pete's on the Beach at Sylvan Lake we decided that the Vat would be a turning point for the number and variety of cover tunes we do, so we introduced five new tunes to the set list.
Next stop: A day of golfing and silliness at the Whistle Stop Golf Course in Camrose on August 23rd for the annual Putt 'n Pig barnburner.
No matter how heavy, we all float on...
CAT NIPS 07/22/08:
Well, the Vat gig is behind us now. We spent two nights in Red Deer smack in the middle of Westerner Days, with car shows, hot weather, and beer at Pete's On The Beach at Sylvan Lake. Photos in the gallery soon. Thanks to Terry, Stick, and Monty et al at the Vat for the great time. We can honestly say that Monty's skills at the soundboard are hands down the best we've heard yet. Thankfully Simon has a good ear for sound reinforcement and learned how to run a rig at Grant MacEwan, because without that we'd sound pretty average, but it's nice not to have to figure out a house system and rewire it in order to avoid any more shorting out, and even nicer when the guy at the board knows his stuff. Too often a talentless soundman will make you loud to compensate for not being able to make his rig sound good, and we can't wait to get back there.
Well, even though Shag's the only one who actually lives in Camrose it still feels like our home. We rehearse there, we love the people and the town, and there's no place like it, so we're pleased to say we'll be back at the Alice in August with a couple of new tunes. Come on down on the 15th and 16th and say hello!
CAT NIPS 07/04/08:
We've each played E-town before in various bands but never together as Tabasco Cat... until last night at the Urban Lounge. And what a reunion! Derek Loewen, drumming with Close Attention - a blast from the distant past! Kudos to them going to the finals, couldn't have happened to a better guy. Simon and Derek played dingy Alberta bars together with Roger as soundman about a hundred years ago. Derek's the same awesome guy and talented skinbasher he always was. Ran into Greg Williamson, and our hats are off to him 'cause he's now drumming with Tupelo Honey after many years slogging it out. The last time we saw him was behind the kit with Sweet Alibi and it's hard to even guess how long ago that was! Most importantly a HUGE thank-you to our small but spirited cheering section - Mandy, Sharon, Al, Randy, Kim, Terry, Jeff, Darcie, and anybody else we may have inadvertently missed, thanks for helping welcome Tabasco Cat to the Chuck - ironic, 'cause we used to live there.
Anyway, the road never stops calling. This time we're in Red Deer at the mighty Vat for a weekend of rockin', hangin' out around the campfire with our peeps and windsurfin' at Sylvan Lake on July 18 & 19. Nothing between now and then 'cause Shaggy's in the Shuswap, lucky bastard. Catcha!
CAT NIPS 07/02/08:
We've got a guestbook up and running, so drop by and leave us a note. We have about as much time to blog as you do to sign guestbooks, but if you caught us live and liked what you saw or have suggestions on how the band, site, set list, or future of the Middle East can be improved we'd love to hear from you.
Also we just finished another outdoor gig in Camrose, this one for Canada Day.
CAT NIPS 06/23/08:
We've entered the Rexall Indy Battle of the Bands at the Urban Lounge in Edmonton on July 3rd. Come on out and see us! VOTE FOR US ONLINE and get entered to win 2 tix to the Edmonton Indy AND 2 tix to Boonstock!...
Just back from another gig in Rimbey. Check out our Gallery page for pics of our first trip there, back in March. Our replacement drummer Jim Sheets did a helluva job, especially since he only had 4 days' notice!...
Roger's beloved headless bass AND wireless crapped out on him at the same time during the Relay for Life gig, so he's not able to go out and dance with the crowd for a while :( ...
The Centennial gig in Wainwright has been dropped from the roster, but we'll have a replacement show in no time. This has already been one busy summer for the Cat!