Hot Damn!

With dark skies, cooler temps, and rain, rain, rain these last few days, it feels as though the "summer off" switch was hit precisely on Labor Day, much as the "summer on" switch was hit back on July 4th.

After being hunched over my keyboard most of the day (alas, not my piano keyboard) it felt great to step out. The evening air smelled fresh, washed clean by the day's rainfall. The dark of the night was punctuated periodically by small flashes of lightning, and leaves were floating down from the trees.

We landed at Boundary Bay's Beer Garden where their end of summer Garden Twilight Series, a joint effort with the Subdued String Band Jamboree, was underway. Hot Damn Scandal was doing their sound check as we settled in with our drinks. Comprised of lead singer and songwriter Pete Irving (soloing, above), along with four other band members on washboard, bass, violin, and slide guitar, their folksy, gritty, Americana-esque funk sound was earthy, rollicking, and tender all at once. They've been described as, "... your favorite boots, your lucky hat, your Saturday night shirt. Your old dog that disappeared after the rain.”

Hot Damn Scandal sounds hot damn awesome! They're definitely a band I want to hear again. If you're near Bellingham, I believe they'll be at Boundary Bay's Beer Garden again for the next few Thursdays, wrapping up the Garden Twilight Series. Grab a beer and check 'em out!