One band with enough instruments to fuel an orchestra will be filing into Legacy Guitar and Coffee House Feb. 8 for an 8 p.m. performance.
Of course, that orchestra would be one of a kind, considering the band, The Kimberlites, will be performing ‘Celtic-cajun-zydeco’ music, or perhaps better termed as a ‘musical jambalaya’.
The five-piece has been kickin’ it Louisiana style for the better part of two decades in Calgary and will be showing up to Legacy in three-piece, acoustic format.
“The band started out as a very ‘folky’ kind of group,” said bassist, Lorne Reimer, who has been holding down the bottom end for the group since 1999.
“We’re more focused on Celtic-rock-zydeco music now,” he said, laughing at how confusing the description comes out. “This is North American music — quite accordion-based.”
Not only is there an accordion, but also a ‘rub board’ (a variation of a wash board), penny whistles, spoons (when the Celtic stops are pulled out), congas and even cowbell.
So much percussion, it keeps full time percussionist, Kevin Phillips busy (he even plays mandolin, for good measure).
Phillips and Reimer (who plays a fretted and a fretless bass) join the ranks of Mark O’Neal on lead guitar, Myron Nowoselski on drums and founding member, Mark Hendriks on lead vocals and accordion (also penny whistle and djembe – ‘a rope-tuned, skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands’).
Their sound has evolved organically since their inception some 20 years ago — unlike their random name selection: a ‘kimberlite’ is a geological term referring to cylindrical rock formations or ‘pipes’ with diamonds in them, named after the town of Kimberley in South Africa.
“A long time ago when the band was first starting out, the original members had a gig and didn’t like their first name, the promoter phoned them and asked what the name of the group was and Mark (Hendriks) opened up a test book and grabbed the first thing that stood out: kimberlite,” laughed Reimer over the unromantic musing that earned the band their namesake.
The band released Cruise of the Bigler in 1998 (before the ‘death of the record label’) and Nothing to Worry About in 2009. Reimer said the band is looking at getting back into the studio in the coming months to begin their next recording project — likely releasing singles to radio before coming out with another full-length album.
The fellowship has amassed a reputation as engaging performers and high-energy entertainers over the years. Infusing their set list of originals with their take on favourite cover tunes is something the band has always done.
“People are weird,” laughed Reimer. “They know you’ve got an accordion, but they ask for Metallica or AC/DC, and so we actually learned an AC/DC song to appease everyone…the cowbell is used very liberally.”
Learn more about the offbeat bunch at thekimberlites.com. Visit legacyguitarhouse.com to inquire about tickets to the show.
