The Quantum Internet offers up ten exciting tracks of Maritime bluegrass recorded live off the floor.
Matt Carter
Traditional music is alive and well in New Brunswick, and it has always been. The thing is, when we think of folk music and its place within the province, areas like Miramichi, Rogersville and Tobique Narrows are usually the first – and sometimes the only places – that come to mind. The Miramichi Folksong Festival has been going for more than 50 years now and The Rogersville Bluegrass Bluegrass Festival just past the quarter century mark. This year also marks the 25th edition of Fiddlers on the Tobqiue, an annual gathering of traditional music enthusiasts who come together each summer to play music while canoeing en masse down the Tobqiue River. But outside these of three prominent events that often welcome an international cast of performers and audiences, folk music in New Brunswick remains largely confined to Legion halls, occasional community dances and kitchen parties. But that’s slowly changing, at least in the Fredericton area, and we have The Montgomery Street Band to thank for that.
For the past couple of years, The Montgomery Street Band have been sharing their own fusion of bluegrass and traditional folk music with increasing regularity. As both a collective and as individual musicians, the group’s members – Scott Michaud (banjo & vocals), Patrick Gushue (mandolin & vocals),
Calum Jackson on (guitar, mariachi bass & vocals), and Liam Keith-Jacques (guitar, dobro, & vocals) – are among some of the city’s most active performers.
The Quantum Internet, the group’s debut full-length release, picks up where 2017’s EP, Margaret’s Choice left off. Continuing to record live-off-the-floor in what many consider to be true bluegrass fashion, The Quantum Internet offers up a mix of instrumentals and songs written entirely by the band with the exception of the traditional bluegrass standard, The Cherokee Shuffle. Across all ten tracks, the group effortlessly shifts tempos and rhythms in unexpected ways while keeping everything comfortably within the boundaries of bluegrass. Lyrically, The Quantum Internet balances between humour and politics referencing to everything from New Brunswick’s storied lumber industry and the ongoing effects of global warming to everyday concerns like paying bills and putting food on the table – “I spent my last cent on power and rent, so it looks like I’m giving up wifi for lent”.
The Quantum Internet is a must-hear for all ears.
Upcoming Performances:
Mar. 9 | Grimross Brewing | Fredericton, NB
May 6 | Signal Brewing Company | Corbyville, ON
May 10 | Burnt Brick Café | Woodstock, ON
May 12 | Brownstone Café | Orillia, ON
The Montgomery St Band is a four piece string band. Born and raised in New Brunswick, Patrick Gushue (mandolin/fiddle), Liam Keith-Jacques (guitar/dobro), Scott Michaud (banjo/guitar), and Calum Jackson (Mariachi bass/guitar) have dedicated themselves to carrying on the folk music traditions of the Maritimes. Along with masterful instrumentation, the bandmates also take turns leading four-part vocal harmonies. These avid street performers boast an impressive catalogue of old time music while also incorporating the blazing tempos and dynamic energy of a full fledged jam band.
The Montgomery Street Band | FACEBOOK | BANDCAMP
