Music in a Higher Gear from Peterborough’s Rev-Tones
High-energy Local Rock Band Performs at Market Hall Nov. 8
by ED ARNOLD Special to The Examiner
The Rev-Tones, an eight-piece band of local musicians, performs Nov. 8 at Market Hall. - SPECIAL TO THE EXAMINER
It was last November at Showplace when the local band The Rev-Tones opened for Andrew Martin and the 70s Revolution. Maybe it was the professionalism the locals showed or the music from the 1950s and 1960s, but the band stole the show and audience members wouldn't have been hurt had they played all night.
Press Conference for The Decades Show in Peterborough is a wrap. #AndrewMartinMusic — with John Rowlands and George Sicker.
Well, that's what the eight-piece band of local residents is going to do on Nov. 8 at Market Hall in their solo performance and first at this venue. Tickets are $33 including fees, and are available at the Market Hall box office and at markethall.org.
The band, which began in 2014 when leader George Sicker was looking for musicians and local rocker Rico Fama suggested some names, will spend the night rocking out the tunes of Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Chuck Berry, Conway Twitty and so many others of their favourites from the 1950s and early 1960s.
The band consists of George who does lead vocals and guitar; keyboardist Dan McCarthy, bass guitarist Doc McCallum, drummer J.R. Robertson, saxophonist Cam Brien, backup singers Cliff Walsh, Jeff Craft and 17-year-old Noah Abrahamse.
COMING SOON TO A SOFT SEAT THEATER NEAR YOU.........THE REV-TONES. ROCK AND ROLL THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN TO BE PLAYED! Copyright John Robert Rowlands 2017 — with George Sicker.
If you haven't seen or heard them you're missing some quality talent. Most of the members have been performing in rock bands for decades so they have polished their talents playing in the bars, dance halls, Legions and festivals.
George was the leader of a Travis Tritt tribute band that toured full time, and Danny was in the Continentals, Fugitives and various bands in Toronto while Doc and J.R. followed similar routes. They are the four original members of The Rev-Tones, named by Fama who thought of the combination reverb and tone while George thought it was because "we revved it up, so I really liked the name."
They don't do too many gigs, as most of them work full-time and they like quality over quantity.
Their latest gig was at the successful '50s and '60s festival in Prince Edward County before more than 5,000 people in the outdoor environment.
After ETA Thane Dunn’s show. Photo Credit: C. MacArthur.
It might seem strange for George at the age of 50 enjoying the sounds of those decades but he says he has been hooked since he was about eight years old.
His parents, who had a country band in Bancroft, instilled the love of music but it was on the family's car radio one Christmas when they were in Peterborough that Elvis Presley's Blue Christmas came on.
"I said to my Dad 'who is that?' He was surprised I had never heard of Elvis but from then on I loved him. We were at my grandmother's house for that Christmas and I asked if she knew that song, she just laughed because she had the album. She gave it to me and I still have it today."
He is an Elvis fan with a huge collection of memorabilia of the man who helped bring rock and roll music to the world back in the 1950s.
November 5, 2016 ·With Steve (Michaels) Kabakos. Photo Credit: George Sicker.
But George has been in bands playing the hard rock of AC/DC and Guns 'n' Roses while also playing guitar for Rattlesnake. "To me the music of the 1950s and '60s is the hit, this is the music that people of all ages enjoy even today," he says. "The music is so great and we try to play it as it was played in those days."
One of the best-known rockers from the era, Geoff Hewitson, will be the master of ceremonies and if The Rev-Tones could talk him into performing just one of the songs he did when he was with the Fugitives or the Continentals fans would be in for a treat.
George has seen Geoff performs and knows how good he is but also knows Geoff doesn't perform very often and they are lucky to have him as the MC.
The tickets are on sale at Market Hall for $33 regular seating or $38 for cabaret seating on the floor, which George hopes will also leave some room for dancing.
"After the concert at Showplace we had plenty of people saying we should put on our own, so we are doing it," he says.
Thank you Elaine Wren Huras for this wonderful pic from last Friday night! — with Sharon Bowers Walsh, Karyn Jones-Sicker, Sharon Roebuck, Steve Michaels as ELVIS, Steve Kabakos (Michaels), Jo-ann Daponte and John Rowlands.
It's a risk, but one the band is willing to take to play the music they love in a nice venue before a Peterborough crowd. Last November's memories still linger and as much as they would like to think it is their talents that people will come to hear, they know it is the quality of the rock and roll music from those days that will give the audience an enjoyable night.
Learn more at http://therevtones.ca/
The article about the Rev-Tones is credited to Ed Arnold, for the Peterborough Examiner. Additional photos have been added to the body of the original article, and credits appear with each photo. Thank you, George, for sending this great article.