Mike LeLievre bassist with Slowcoaster at Hunter's Charlottetown PE

Non-stop party with reggae ska Cuban rock from the dean of Maritime Indie bands

The dancing and party kings of the Maritimes rocked the night away at Hunter’s Ale House July 4th. Slowcoaster who hail from Sydney, Cape Breton, started at 11:30 and played non-stop long after we left two hours later. The joint was jumping, best party in ages.

Slowcoaster has been my favourite Maritime band for five years in a row. Some say they have lost their creative edge and a lot of the great Slowcoaster songs are now oldies. Whatever, they deliver fun.

When I first heard them at Brennan’s in 2004 they were the most danceable band in a decade and that is still their best hand.

Last night they played “My brakes don’t work”, an early favourite with a country feel. I wanted to post that but the only copy of that on YouTube is my Halloween party. The fan video from St. John last week is Patio. Thanks to Corazon Richardson for filming and posting it.

For the packed crowd at Hunter’s, the vibe was dance, dance, dance. The floor was full of bodies moving to the music. You had to dance until there was no energy left. Then other people held you up and you danced another hour.

Sometime about 1 AM, lead singer and songwriter Steven MacDougall mentioned a break and Mike LeLievre and drummer Brian Talbot lit another flame and off they went.

I remember when they used a second percussionist. The rhythms were more subtle then but not last night. It was straight ahead dance music.

Hunter’s is the perfect spot for Slowcoaster in Charlottetown. They have a big enough dance floor, if you like body dancing. In a bigger venue, you get too many people drifting at the edges, not getting engaged. Slowcoaster is best enjoyed inside a dancing throng.

We sat in the open window to cool off after 1 AM. There are booths for the tired or disconnected.

The staff at Hunter’s are friendly, attentive and remember who you are. Steve Barbour, the owner manager is the perfect host with a friendly greeting and “thanks for coming” on the way out. We had great wings and mozza sticks to while the time while talking to friends before the music started. The dinners are Hunters have come a long way. The portions are big and the quality is very good for a bar.

For a sample of the Slowcoaster video I shot with the Apple iPhone 3G S, see Slowcoaster music video with iPhone 3G S.