On Monday night the Pack a. d. sonically assaulted a packed (pardon the pun) O’hanlon’s Pub bringing their blistering, blues based guitar licks and furious rhythms to an excited, albeit nervous looking crowd.
Quite a reputation preceded this Vancouver duo before the Regina show. From rave reviews from friends, “must see” recommendations from my most trusted musical allies, to planned cover shoots for one of the finer magazines in town, the Pack a.d. had Regina ready and waiting for their triumphant return. The good news: the Pack a.d. delivered.
Guitarist/Vocalist Becky Black, besides having the perfect name for a tattooed, pure rock n’ roll singing babe, wailed out some amazing, bombing blues rock as if she were 6’ 3”, African and born and raised in D-troit f**king city, circa 1967. Drummer and master of the between song segway Maya Miller wailed on those skins. Miller smashed, crashed and rocked that back beat all night long. She seemed equally as comfortable operating a wrecking ball as she was keeping a beat. Heavy White Strips influence coming from the rhythm section with crisp, straight-forward beats and ripping guitar that can only be summed up as “the heavy shit”.
With only two members, the Pack a.d.’s stripped down sound really lets listeners tap directly into their musical ability. A very genuine feeling advances from their performance. They are the antithesis to synth driven, over populated, collectivist indie rock band scene where many hands work delicately to create a general sound. Rather, the Pack a.d. aggressively and passionately shred through their tunes and move on .That style makes for a killer live experience.
The crowd was right into it, despite an early, but brief bout with some sitting down, which I can equate to trying to read Chicken Soup for the Soul, drinking a can of tomato juice during a revolution. This band totally wails.
Photos by Kim Jay
