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Shake, rattle, and roll

Bend Sister stopped in Rossland on their way to Summer Sensation Beach Music Festival in Sylvan Lake to rock the Flying Steamshovel.
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Vancouver band Bend Sinister rocked the Flying Steamshovel on Wednesday

Chelsea Novak

Rossland News

The floor of the Flying Steamshovel shook as the revved up crowd rocked out to Bend Sinister on Wednesday night.

The band is currently doing a small BC and Alberta tour as they make their way to Sylvan Lake for Summer Sensation Beach Music Festival where they’ll perform with bands like Our Lady Peace, Matthew Good, and Stars.

The Vancouver band released their fifth studio album, Animals, in March 2014, and their currently working on writing a new album that they hope to release in 2016.

Lead singer Dan Moxon started the band in high school in 2000, and has kept it going over the past 15 years, though it only became a serious touring band in 2005 when he graduated from university. Over the years the band has seen several members come and go. Joseph Martin, on guitar, has been with the band for eight years, while bass player Matt Rhode has been with Bend Sinister for four years. Dicky Neptune, the drummer, and Kristi-Lee Audette, who plays trumpet, synthesizer and tambourine, are new to the band this year.

“It’s just been sort of a pet project, like my main sort of musical thing that I [have done] all those years,” says Moxon, “and [I] just keep surrounding it with really good musicians.”

This is their sixth visit to Rossland, where they enjoy playing the Blizzard Music Festival during Winter Carnival, and it’s their first stop on the way to Sylvan Lake. The band left Vancouver Wednesday morning stopping at lakes and a river along the way to cool off.

Good thing they took the chance when they had it, because things heated up at the Flying Steamshovel where fans enthusiastically celebrated their return, dancing, singing, and clapping along.

Another Vancouver band helped warm up the crowd during the opening act. Hawking is currently touring in anticipation of the band’s new self-titled EP, which will launch on Tuesday, July 14.

They played a strong set, including their song Safe and Sound, which premiered on Pure Volume and was number one on the site for four weeks. They also played Doria a song about rolling their van while they were on tour in 2013. The band has since recovered, but it’s still something that affects them.

“Our bass player Paul actually wasn’t able to continue with us, due to a brain injury,” explains lead singer and guitarist Tom Vanderkam. “Chris [Young] has been doing a really amazing job filling his shoes.”

But with their new EP on the way, and a new touring bus, the band is excited to be on the road, and excited to be opening for Bend Sinister.

Also sharing the stage was local band Dizzy Spell. They too are anticipating an album release.

Their CD, Mix Tape, will be out in about a month, and features recordings from different iterations of the band, bass player Tim Bourchier being the most recent member.

They’re headed to the Okanagan for a tour in August and September, and are always available for house parties.

They got the dance floor shaking before handing things over to Bend Sinister who shut down the Steamshovel, caving to the crowd’s demand for an encore.