The long and storied career of cover band BC/DC has been written about many times, but their openers for the Nelson show (they also play Saturday night at Element in Castlegar) are lesser known, but one of my local favourites.
Cheddar Bunnies have been a band for two years, getting together as friends to learn how to play and write punk rock songs together. After woodshedding for a while, the three debuted their funny songs to fans, incorporating volume, humour, and fantastic stage costumes, to great applause.
Six months ago, their former drummer announced she was leaving the area, leaving Stacey Muchowski (guitar) and Trish Elliott (bass and vocals) high and dry — female drummers are a rare commodity anywhere.
Tryouts began and they had a few girls come out, but most were amateur, and none had their own drumset.
The band was at a standstill. Enter yours truly, who had met Eilleen Beaugrand as she worked behind the counter at Oso Negro Coffee. A new mom, she had taken a break from music for a while, but was eager to get back into it.
Talking to her on a sunny afternoon, she says she was drawn to music after she saw her brother having so much fun.
She began to play drums and bass, forming a band and playing her first show just three weeks later.
Being a member of Vancouver’s Pompoir for years meant playing shows in basements and clubs with other punk bands up and down the West Coast, often for little or no money, but she has no regrets and enjoyed the experience a lot.
After the birth of her daughter, and with so much time off, Beaugrand was a little nervous about tryouts for the Bunnies, but after one practice Muchowski and Elliott were smitten. “[Elliott] says I bring that Zuccibean Spin. [Muchowski] says I bring that Shuckula.’ In Bunny-esque, that means Beaugrand has remodelled the band’s sound, making it tougher and stronger, with her powerful drumming and great backup vocals.
The past few months have been spent learning the back catalogue, but Beaugrand says new material, and recording plans are in the near future.
She also promises there will be “tricks of the hilarious and magical nature” at the show, as well as the traditional crazy costumes, a standard at Cheddar Bunnies shows.
With song titles like Obama He Is Hot, Stephen Harper He Is Not, this all-girl punk band knows how to make you laugh and dance, and is a great choice for some post-MarketFest rocking Friday night at The Royal.
Tickets are $15 at the door. Come early, this is sure to be a sell out night.