Things got a little Scottish at Average Joes,Oct. 20 for Scotchtoberfest IX, the Lethbridge Firefigthers Pipes and drums’s annual fundraising show for the Alberta Firefighter Burn Camp for Children.
I missed opening sets from local funk rock trio Adequate and the Lethbridge Firefighters Pipe and Drums themselves, but caught a freewheeling jam from the Bashed Tatties, featuring several individual members of the Firefighters, taking on a few different instruments for different songs.
Drummer Brady Valgardson, who usually plays country music with Corb Lund, anchored the music behind the kit, easily donned his rock an roll hat for a variety of covers.
Cal Toth, who is a regular fixture at Average Joes with his Duelling Pianos show, beamed as he sang lead vocals on several songs and danced behind his keyboards and even brought out a keytar for a version of Kansas’s “Dust in the Wind” which also featured Adequate’s Scott Mezei on acoustic guitar.
Some of the highlights included U2’ “Where the Streets Have No Name” and a bass heavy version of “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which featured some hot fiddle playing.
