Shred Kelly in Arden

Kate Turner | Jul 13, 2016

Last Friday, July 8, Arden was hot and humid, and rockin'! Those that made their way to see Shred Kelly at Kennebec Hall were in for an awesome night.

It all started about a year ago when Scott Bulbrook and Peter Riehm of Ottawa went to see the band perform at Raw Sugar in Ottawa. Already huge fans, they took the band out for a meal after and jokingly asked what it would take to have the band play at Scott's cottage.

To their surprise, the band agreed and “Lake Up! Arden” was born. Bulbrook quickly realized his small cottage on Kennebec Lake was not going to be big enough, so he rented Kennebec Hall. With financial support from 14 friends, the planning began.

Scott Bulbrook's hope was not only to have a great night, but to hopefully have a positive impact on the community. He had been very disappointed in “The Lost Highway”, a documentary that was made about the local community and released in 2014. “I found that documentary a bit depressing and downright offensive,” he said - a sentiment shared by many members of the community.

“When we first started cottaging in the area, the thriving local art scene and the few stores in Arden were something we thought of as just another nice feature of our cottage. As everyone knows, over the last few years there's been a bit of a decline,” he said.

The members of Shred Kelly are also from small towns and fully understand that even a tiny concert can have a positive impact on a community. They were excited to be in Arden.

Shred Kelly is a band based in Fernie, BC, and have been re-defining the term “folk-rock”. Members Tim Newton, Sage McBride, Jordan Vlasschaert, Ian Page-Shiner and Ty West come from all over the country and bring unique backgrounds and talents to the group. This allows for a depth of sound and musicianship that leaves listeners wanting more. By pushing the boundaries of traditional folk with a wide range of influences, they have created a unique sound called “Stoke Folk”.

The stop in Arden was part of an extensive tour promoting themselves and their third album titled “Sing To The Night”, which was released in January of 2015. They continue to sell out shows to crowds of a thousand people or more and perform at some of Canada's premier festivals. With their high-energy and crowd-engaging live show, they are receiving a growing list of awards and recognition for their unquestionable talent.

There were four opening acts Friday night, including the Burban Guerillas, Amnesty Load, Ash Perry and the Shiners, and Arden locals, Sympathy Ghost. Around 90 tickets were sold and approximately 20 volunteers helped the evening run smoothly.

As the sun set, Shred Kelly took to the stage and they did not let the heat hinder what they are known for. With beautiful vocal harmonies, ambient keyboard sounds, amazing banjo riffs, dynamic guitar, bass and drums and an intense “There is absolutely no way you cannot dance” live show, there were very few people left sitting in the hall. Kennebec Hall seemed to swell with the sounds - an old hall, with great acoustics, thrilled at the music that was being played there again.

“It's like a giant house or kitchen party” Peter Riehm said, “Fun for the band, fun for the crowd, fun for the town! Shred Kelly are sincerely nice people, so it is a thrill to have them and to introduce some new fans to their brand of Stoke Folk.”

As the show was coming to an end, guitar player Ty West crowd-surfed on an inflatable surfboard and lightning erupted outside, bringing the show to a final peaking highlight. Guests left the show sweaty from dancing so hard and in a daze of smiles, laughter and thankfulness that they did not miss such an incredible night. Most are now officially deemed Shred Heads.

Rumour has it Bulbrook is already making plans for next year. Will Shred Kelly return?

If they do, you'd better not miss it.