Both bands play hot indie jams on a cold night.
There were already a few small crowds forming in Ducky’s Pub at around 9 pm on Saturday when Sackville native son/rocker Lucas Hicks and his supporting drummer/Newfoundlander Brendan Allison took to the stage, kicking off a nice evening of East Coast indie rock.
Although the show started a tad late, in typical Sackville fashion nobody noticed and, perhaps ironically, Hicks began his set with “Take it Slow.” Hicks then proceeded to belt out some of his hits from the past year, including “Day Off”, as well as newer songs like “Bad News.”
Hicks’s local notoriety effected some playfulness from the crowd, such as when a member of the audience roguishly shouted “you’re only nineteen!” in response to Hicks’s suggestion that nostalgia was an prevalent influence on his work.
After a solid set by Hicks, Fredericton band Motherhood took Ducky’s into their warm embrace. The bar felt like an explosion right off the bat, as guitarist and vocalist Brydon Crain and bassist, keyboardist, and vocalist Keylee Stevens both hit it with a shared intensity and passion. Drummer and vocalist Adam Sipema rocked hard, drawing much of the room into the musical orbit of Motherhood.
Both acts played with a style best suited for George’s Roadhouse, but despite this, it was great to see the local hotspot, which usually does not host shows, sounding tight on an early Saturday evening.
The Sackville-based Hicks has a history with both the venue and Motherhood. He said, “I’ve played with them a few times, they’re great.”
Hicks said that Ducky’s “is a really interesting place, because it’s closer than George’s, and there’s plenty of cheap booze.” On a cold night, these are important factors to consider in choosing a venue.
Motherhood recently released their third album in June, titled Diamonds + Gold, which is available on Bandcamp. Also available to check out on the venerable music sharing website is the single “The Coast // Bad News”, the latest offering by Lucas Hicks. Be sure to give them a listen, if you are into that sort of thing.
Ryan Burnham is the News Director at CHMA.
