There will be shrieks of joy instead of fear as The Legendary Lake Monsters return to the stage this Saturday night at the Vernon Jazz Club.
Club patrons may remember them from when they performed at the Monster’s Ball Fundraiser.
The Legendary Lake Monsters are Paul May (vocals, guitar, percussion), Anita Baturin (vocals, percussion), Steve Durant (vocals, keyboard), Rod MacDonald (bass, vocals), Rennie Sirianni (drums), Al Szeliga (trumpet, flugelhorn), Dave McDonald (trumpet, flugelhorn), Brian McMahon (bass), Alex Barss (alto sax), Craig Carmody (tenor sax, flute), and Alec Szibbo (baritone sax).
This sizzling 11-piece band will have the audience grooving to hits like Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder), Just a Gigolo (Louis Prima), I Feel Good (James Brown), and Kiss (Prince).
“Dance was the reason that The Legendary Lake Monsters formed in 2012,” said bassist and vocalist MacDonald, who joined forces with Szeliga and Carmody to piece together the band. “We wanted to put together a dance band unlike any other bands in the Okanagan Valley, a group that was fun and didn’t take itself too seriously, but really rocked across a wide range of genres.”
They have done just that. Their sound is a true mix of swing, R&B, ‘60s pop and rock, ‘70s funk and disco, ‘80s new wave, Latin, salsa and 21st century.
MacDonald has always appreciated a variety of sounds.
“The music of the British Invasion got me hooked on music,” he said. “The Beatles’ amazing ability to transform themselves and their music with every new album they released, and Paul McCartney’s unique bass lines that were outside the framework of the chord structures being used is still inspiring me.
“In high school we’d listen to Miles Davis, King Crimson, and Frank Zappa and be in love with the sound of all of them.”
In the past few years the Legendary Lake Monsters have played to large audiences at Vernon’s Funtastic Music Festival, the Penticton Peachfest, and of course the Vernon Jazz Club.
The band continues to please crowds out of sheer love of creating music with each other and sharing it with the audience. Each band member has been a musician for most of their lives and the act of performing means something a bit different now than when they were growing up.
“One of the great advantages of playing music as somewhat mature individuals is the ability to use this facility we’ve developed over a lifetime to make the best music we can with good friends,” said MacDonald. “It’s no longer about career, fame, or God knows, money, so we can play without ego to share a moment with the audience.”
You can check out the band at: www.thelegendarylakemonsters.com
The Legendary Lake Monsters take the stage at the Vernon Jazz Club (3000-31st St.) this Saturday at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $20, available at the Bean Scene, Bean to Cup and at www.vernonjazz.ca
