8/13/13

An Evening with The King's English and Try Not to Panic at the Cadieux Cafe (and, No, I Did Not Panic!)

image courtesy of www.cadieuxcafe.com
I have always thought of the Cadieux Cafe as a great place to eat mussels (really, who gets a burger there?!), play some feather bowling, and enjoy a nice Belgian ale. This last Saturday, I did just that. I particularly enjoyed the Mussels Citroen - steamed mussels with a sauce containing a fusion of butter, garlic, and dill. What I did not know, however, was that The Cadieux Cafe is also a good spot to catch some good live music. I did that last Saturday, as well.

TNtP: (l-r) Adam Scenna, Kevin Dunn, Scott Barnette
Enter The King's English and their guests, Try Not to Panic. Both bands, much like Mussels Citroen, manage to throw together a blend of different ingredients, which result in tasty treats to any person's ears. Try Not to Panic, which has been around for two years, started off the night. Singer and guitarist Adam Scenna's cites the band's primary influences as Silvesun Pickups, The Editors, Our Lady Peace, The Shins, and The Foo Fighters. What you just read is what TNtP delivers. I even heard a dash of The Clash in there, but maybe more for the "Euro/Indie/Punky" sound TNtP brings to mind, by King's English guitarist Mike Miller's own description. 

The King's English: (l-r) Mike Miller, Chris George, Ryan Tatti, and Max Prokop
Next up were The King's English. The King's English also put together a "Mussels Citroen-esque"  
melange of sounds, albeit differently than TNtP. According to guitarist Mike Miller, the three-year-old band's influences come from a diverse array of artists that range from Rage Against the Machine, Deftones, and Pantera to Coldplay, Pink Floyd, and The Police. Don't let the influences fool you, though, this is no metal band with a dash of old-school sounds thrown in. My own description of The King's English would be something of a soft hard-rock band with jazz, reggae, and classic rock elements. Don't believe me? The band played two sets, both of which included several covers from artists such as The Police, The Isley Brothers, Incubus, Coldplay, 311, Nancy Sinatra, The Doors, and Rage Against the Machine, as well as originals that draw from the above influences.

For good measure, The King's English brought out some guest vocalists to nail some of the covers. Chris George and Alan Keith Collier both complemented singer and primary bassist Max Prokop's smooth vocals well. Guest bassist Mark Panecki came in to allow Max to mix and match his instrument of choice, as well to allow him to go sans instrument. All in all, this musical version of Mussels Citroen keeps you on your toes with the variety of influences they throw at you.

Did I mention that I recommend the Mussels Citroen?

For more photos from the show, visit my Tumblr: jskphotos.tumblr.com

The King's English: https://www.facebook.com/thekingsenglish
Try Not to Panic: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Try-Not-To-Panic/124951987651264