Ministers of Cool raised the roof at CD Release!
by Vickster304 on 2011-02-19West End Cultural Centre - WinnipegLocal favorites The Ministers of Cool (MOC) took their monthly Thursday ministrations to a new venue last week, the West End Cultural Centre (WECC), It's not a bit ironic that the WECC is a converted church with heavenly acoustics as the MOC faithful gathered on a snow-swept night. Defying winter is the Winnipeg way. The show started with a welcome warm-up by local comedienne Heather Witherden who gave a new definition to the term, "yummy Mommy". Playing to a full house of fans from near and far, the band (Daniel Roy, rabble-rousing drums, percussion & vocals; Paul McNair, powerful vocals and guitar; Greg Lowe, rip-roaring guitar riffs and vocals; Leonard Shaw, AKA Mr. Versatility, organ, keyboards, vocals and sax; Gerry Attwell, clever keyboards and deep-velvet vocals; Don Benedictson, blasting bass guitar and vocals PLUS special guests Walle Larsson on scintillating Sax and flute and Dave Lawton on triumphant trumpet, ) rang the rafters as they opened with tunes from their brand-new CD, which Gerry Attwell joked was "10 years in the making". I have had a chance to hear several of these original tunes in development during earlier performances, and they just keep getting better. One of the great things about the music community in Winnipeg is how fellow-musicians come out and support each other's shows. Steve Bell and Tim Elias were in the crowd, enjoying the tunes, Each member of the MOC is a stand-alone star, but together, they prove the principle of synergy - they are even better together. After a brief intermission, the band returned with party-pleasing Steely Dan tunes, which pried even the most reluctant bottoms (darn that gravity!) out of their chairs to make their way in front of the stage to dance. After an encore, the show ended sweetly with the band signing CD's in the lobby for their grateful audience.