Ottawa – “Your prom turns into a Tarantino soundtrack” is the intriguing description I read of The Pelts which drew me to The Rainbow Bistro on Saturday. Having never heard anything from this rockabilly/ garage/Mersey beat four-piece, from the moment they appeared on stage in skinny suits, with a little pompadour hair and two-toned shoes, I knew we were in for a good time. And boy, I was right. By the end of the night, there wasn’t a person left in a seat as we were all up giggling at their witty lyrics, and cutting a rug to their infectious tunes.
The band played a combination of their own great songs (such as ‘San Tarantino’, ‘Earnestly’ and ‘You Really Got a Hold on Me’) as well as a huge variety of covers (everything from Smokey Robinson to Vanilla Ice) that they clearly made their own. The success of their sound lies in the obvious skill of each of the members, and how much they enjoy putting on a great show together. Each of the three vocalists had a great solo tone, but even better were their spot-on vocal harmonies. Full of panache, Sam Menard on drums set the beat that got the Rainbow jumping. The Rev. Dr. D. Spanx alternated between lead vocal, a perfectly placed sax (too often overdone), and one mean harmonica. With Billy SLiM rocking out on lead guitar, even he couldn’t suppress the urge to dance that only some taps on his white shoes would top. Finally, Blazer Mack, on a beautifully grooving 6-string base tried to keep a cool front, which only made him more endearing when he would break out in a beaming ear-to-ear smile, clearly showing what a great time these guys have putting on a show.
Although unconfirmed, word on the street is that The Pelts are planning a tour in the not-so-distant future, so dust off your dancing shoes and plan to go when they make a stop in your town.