Georgina Salutes II: May 28th Georgina Military Museum!
Georgina Salutes II is back as part of the Georgina Military Museum's annual Military Day event!
The Wannamaker Band is helping organize the music for this important event that will honour the men and women and their families who serve or have served on our behalf overseas.
Local Veterans to be Honoured!
Local Canadian Armed Forces veterans are to
be officially honoured at a joint ceremony of the Georgina Military Museum and
the Town of Georgina this May 28th at the Museum's 3rd
Annual Military Day on Woodbine Avenue.
Returning Afghanistan Service personnel, as
well as those who have served since 2001 in other spheres of conflict (Iraq,
Libya etc.) are invited to attend and receive personally inscribed certificates 'Thanking them for their service to the country’ and ‘Welcoming them safely
home'.
"The Military Museum has been working with
the Department of National Defense in Toronto as well as local officials to
advise service personnel of the event," said museum curator Phil Craig, "but we
are also attempting to reach out to veterans who are no longer in active
service, in the hope that all who qualify are aware of the invitation to our
special day."
Event Details
Where: Georgina Military Museum (Woodbine Avenue north of Keswick) When: Saturday May 28, 2011 Time: 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Performing Bands: Laura Lee Montgomery, Pat Mate, Wannamaker Band, US Band, Jimmy Kincaid and the Smoking Guns.
Click on the Georgina Salutes II tab on the left for more details.
After a busy summer and fall, the boys in the Wannamaker Band retreated from public view for a while. Like a podgy group of beer-fattenened, lazy bears, they are in seasonal hibernation.
Apart from the odd Wannamaker sighting here and there in pubs in Sutton and Keswick, the band has been laying low working on some new material. They are even adding some cover tunes to their repertoire, hoping to satisfy the repeated drunken requests for, "Play some AC/DC" every time they play.
Expect great things from this band, just not anytime soon. The band has been watching with interest as other friends of the band seem to be getting their acts together, recording albums, and lining up gigs. Being both jealous and competitive, the Wannamaker Band are slowly making plans for world domination.
Keep your eyes and ears open for news about a special gig to celebrate Military Day on May 28, 2011 in Keswick, Ontario. Plans are now in the works. Meanwhile, happy ice fishing season and when the ice melts, the Wannamakers will once again blossom.
With the ice fishing season approaching, the Wannamaker Band released its South Simcoe Shores video. It's a whimsical song about ice fishing on Lake Simcoe, Ontario, and the wonders of winter and family. This melodic ballad is a departure from other hard driving Wannamaker songs like Pulsing, Save it and For F#$@ Sake's Tony, but this is the kind of tune you might sing or whistle to yourself when stuck inside a cramped ice hut for hours and hours waiting for a perch to bite! Singing and vocals by Chris Pegel, sound editing by Mike Miller, drums by Steve Drake and guitars, videography and editing by Todd Phillips.
If the name
weren't already taken, Motley Crew would be the perfect name for the Wannamaker
Band. According to Wikipedia: "Motley crews are, by definition,
non-uniform and undisciplined as a group. They are characterized by containing
characters of conflicting personality, varying backgrounds, and, usually to the
benefit of the group, a wide array of methods for overcoming adversity."
This crazed recipe of conflict and confusion is what makes the Wannamaker Band
interesting, unusual and unpredictable. Led by singer/songwriter Chris Pegel,
who chronicles the ups and downs of his life with his haunting and sometimes
disturbing lyrics, the band plays its own style of original music ranging from
acoustic driven melodic ballads like Comin' Down and Tomorrow's Haze, to hard
rocking distorted grunge rock with piercing leads from lead guitarist Dave
Crawford on songs like Pulsing, Better off Forgot and Save It. Just when you think you've figured them out, they launch into a bluesy, danceable tune like the Edmonton Song or Carling. Leon "Thunderfoot" Mez
hammers the drums channeling John Bonham, and rhythm guitarist Todd Phillips
and bass player Dan Axworthy try to provide the rhythm to rein in the mayhem.
Dave "Harpo" Hardy chimes in on harmonica and occasionally mutters
vocals. The list of band members who have come and gone is too long to post
here, but the Wannamaker Band soldiers on without skipping a beat. The remaining band members try to have a good sense of humour about it and try to keep it all in perspective. No looking back, only moving forward.
Nine bands took the stage at the Georgina Salutes rock and rally hosted by the Wannamaker Band to show support for Canadian soldiers and their families. For the grand finale, the bands performed Wish You Were Here as a tribute. Many thanks to the Connors Brothers, the Median, the US Band, Manahan and the host Wannamaker Band for performing, and for all the bands including: Stumblin' Sunday, the Day Street Brothel, Jimmy Kincaid and the Smokin' Guns and Days Left. Thanks also to David Kennedy (and Brayden Szostak for recording and editing this video and Billy for providing footage from Canadian soldiers. Bands looking for skilled videographers contact David at: dave.kennedy18@gmail.com
Pulsing: "I want to take you on a ride... I want to make you feel good inside... I'm pulsing!" A nice grungy, distorted early Wannamaker Band tune recorded March 2010 at the Horseman Tavern in Newmarket, Ontario.
For F$@K Sake's Tony! The boys were cooped up one winter night and to avoid cabin fever and any more band scraps, they went out to play a couple sets at the Horseman Tavern in Newmarket, Ontario. For F$@& Sake's Tony is a fun song, a tad raunchy, but the crowd didn't seem to mind much! This was the first song before the soundcheck... Raw, noisy, distorted, grungy... just the way Chris likes it!
Unplugged but plenty of volume! The Wannamaker Band welcomed singer/songwriter Pat Mete to an informal jam session in Keswick. The band accompanied Mete with his cover version of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic Simple Man. Mete's powerful and soulful vocals rung out above the four acoustic guitars and one bass guitar. Check out the video. Stay tuned for more collaborations. Like what you hear? Drop us a message on our message board.
The Wannamaker Band blended some original tunes with some country and a little rock and roll at the 2nd Annual Arts in the Parks event in Keswick, Ontario.
The show was featured in an area newspaper, Snap Georgina.
Here's a snapshot of the coverage: "Georgina Idol contestants kicked off the musical portion and local favourites the Wannamaker Band (http://www.wannamakerband.com) closed out the day with a couple of sets consisting of some popular songs mixed in with their own original songs, including South Simcoe shores, a song the band is about to release on video, about ice fishing, family and life in Georgina. But the only ice in sight on this afternoon was in the coolers!" -- Snap Georgina (www.snapgeorgina.com)
Thanks to all our fans who came out on Father's Day afternoon to enjoy the sunshine and a little rock and roll!
The band is working on some more videos from this show, so come back soon to check them out!
(Band and Arts in the Parks photos by Jessica Cowan)
