The 24th Street Wailers

They arrived near dusk in a van and a car, with cartloads of equipment that needed to be navigated down the hill, past a couple of thousand people who were milling about playing frizbee, watching the music or looking for their children as night was coming in.
“You better rock this place after making us drag all this stuff down there,” we told them.
“Oh, we will,” said Lindsay Beaver, the band's drummer and driving force, “not to worry.”
An hour and a half later, after a highly entertaining performance by Coco Love Alcorn and Ian Sherwood, the crowd was ready to jump and jive.
Then the curtain rose on five musicians lined up at the front of the stage, the drum kit at the centre of stage, and Lindsay Beaver glaring out at the audience like a boxer ready to burst out from the corner.
“One, two, three, four,” she yelled and then hit the snare and bass drums as the other four players (sax, double bass, keyboards and guitar) all launched into the first number.
From then on it was a blur. The Wailers play no-holds-barred original blues/rock/R&B tunes that sound at first like they could be 50 years old. There is much of the manic Jerry-Lee Lewis vibe in what they do, but they are no throwback.
The genre they play was pretty much a macho domain in its early day, with women more often than not singing back up, or sometimes lead vocals. The women in Wailers - Beaver and guitarist Emily Burgess - are the songwriters and their drum and guitar work drives the music; no window-dressing there.
However that does not mean that the men in the band take a back seat. Saxophonist Jon Wong struts his stuff with the very best of them, as do bassist Mike Archer and Jesse Whitely, the newest member of the band, on keyboards.
Not to get wrapped up in gender politics - the band is not particularly bothered by them, but even in 2014 it is refreshing to see those rock and roll stereotypes stood on their ear.
The Wailers get hired to play blues festivals around the world, but it is hard to imagine a better kind of setting for them than in front of a crowd that wants to dance and shout. They played fast and strong; it was an engaging performance from start to finish. And they seemed to enjoy themselves doing it. I hope someone helped them get their gear back up the hill afterwards.
Julia Phillips is the artistic director of the Blue Skies Festival. In her third year on the job she brought a number of new faces to the little back-field on Clarendon Road.
Last year, which was the festival’s 40th year, featured some nostalgic elements and the return of some of the bands from earlier eras of the festival. This year was about looking forward. The only returning acts were Jaron Freeman Fox and the Opposite of Everything, who are in their early 20s, and the Rhythm Haints, a band of teenagers from Kingston who were rained out last year. Aside from that, there was a lot of variety in the mix of music: the Dardanelles (Newfoundland), Genitocurm (Quebec), manic Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers (Nova Scotia), Gregory Hoskins (Guelph), and the wonderful Sheesham and Lotus and Son (Wolfe Islands/Gatineau). It is a delicate mix between styles that is required by a festival that attracts a seamless mix of young families, teenagers and 20 and 30 somethings, along with the greying and balding set who have been navigating the narrow Clarendon Road since the ’70s and ’80s.
The Blue Skies Festival now has a website, and among the useful information on the site, the one controversial element is the line-up of musicians, complete with links to band sites. Many festival-goers are resistant to the idea of knowing what they will hear before they go to the festival and they now have to avoid the temptation to click on the links to the bands' web and You-tube sites. They want the artistic director to surprise them.
Julia Phillips delivered many pleasant surprises this year, and a revelation, the 24th Street Wailers. - Frontenac News (Jeff Green)

The 24th Street Wailers have a mighty set of wheels. A friend of mine says that the Wailers are like a big, sexy diesel truck. The truck’s destination doesn’t matter, you just want to be along for the ride. They have a smooth unstoppable groove that’ll get you where you are going.

From 2012's Unshakeable to this year’s CD Wicked they have been bowling over critics and filling venues across North America. Now Europe is beckoning as well.

The Wailers have always been a band to watch. Their recordings are fantastic, but live they are tremendous. They’ve logged enough road time to know how to perform. The don’t play at you, they play to you and for you. They will have you on your feet in no time, like they are practising some form of Blues voodoo.

Blues, more than any genre, prides itself on its genealogy. Fans can draw you flow charts of where this player got their licks, or who toured with who. One thing is certain, you don’t get recognition until the elders have spoken.

There’s a great video floating around the web this week. Blues legend Jimmy Vaughan steps on stage to jam with the 24th Street Wailers at the Apollo Club in Thunder Bay. That is the blues equivalent of being handed a torch. - Owen Sound Sun Times (James Keelaghan)

The 24th Street Wailers get "Wicked"

It has been a long hard road for The 24th Street Wailers these last few years. They have been dedicated to their music, diligent in honing their craft, and don’t settle for anything less than superior work from themselves. All this effort and dedication is finally starting to pay big dividends. They are a band whose star is rising, as their reputation for excellence continues to grow. In 2013 they were nominated for two Maple Blues Awards; for Entertainers of the Year, and Electric Act of the Year. Recently, the band added keyboardist Jesse Whiteley to the mix.

The 24th Street Wailers new self-issued album, Wicked, is a huge step forward for the band. Featuring 11 new songs and two covers, this outing is 38 minutes of pure swinging blues bliss! The album was recorded in Austin and produced by the amazing Billy Horton, bassist for Jimmie Vaughan and his Tilt-A-Whirl Band. Personnel are Mike Archer – bass and vocals, Lindsay Beaver – lead vocals, drums, guitar on track 10, Emily Burgess – guitar, Jonny Wong – saxophone, and T Jarrod Bonta on piano. In addition to producing, Billy Horton also served as the engineer, and did the mix, which is clear and concise. Sound quality on this album is also very good.

The band did not explore new sonic territory, nor did they experiment with different styles and genres with this release. Instead, they took a good thing and made it better. The music is more polished, the playing and technique more mature. This does not mean things have become boring though. We liked the title track with its fun guitar passages, awesome sax, and seamless time changes. “Where Have You Been?” is decadently slow, and inviting. Burgess’ guitar lines, fills, and tone are heavenly. The rhythm section is delicate, and smooth as glass. Beaver’s vocal is spot on! “Feel So Good” is straight out of the ’50s. Bill Haley and His Comets would be jealous! (They should be!) “I Need You” is a deep, smokey ballad with Beaver again delivering a killer vocal performance. “Boones’ Bounce” has both Burgess and Beaver stroking silky lines on the guitars in all the right places. “Help Each Other” shows a lot of Jimmie Vaughan influence on the band. This song features bassist Mike Archer on vocals, and is a finely crafted cut. “Shake It!” closes out the album with a bang. This cut is another ’50s Sock Hop masterpiece with a thumpin’ rhythm section, boppin’ sax, and seriously swinging guitar.

This band has really come a long way in a short amount of time. While each member is extremely proficient on their instrument (well beyond their years), they are emotionally proficient on those instruments as well. This is a stunning work from such a young band. Their future is looking brighter all the time. Take this for a spin today. - American Blues Scene (Barry Kerzner)

Toronto’s The 24th Street Wailers latest album, Wicked, is a blistering set of dirty, gritty, horn powered blues. Recorded in Austin with Jimmy Vaughan’s bassist Billy Horton, the songs on Wicked are fueled primarily by smoking saxophone improvisations and Lindsey Beaver’s whiskey soaked vocals. Reminiscent of ‘50s juke joint music, the collection is toe-tapping fun and catchy enough to sing along (see tracks “Aw Baby” and “Feel So Good.”) Other highlights include: the jazzy “Love Me Right”; the lovelorn “I Need You”; the Bo Diddley-esque “Chin Wagger”; and the toe-tapping closer “Shake It.” Wicked is one of the most enjoyable albums I’ve heard all year – give it a listen. – Written by JFelton - The Record Dept (j felton)

After recording their recent live album at Bearly’s House of Blues & Ribs in Halifax, Toronto rocking blues outfit the 24th Street Wailers decided on an even more exotic location for its latest studio project, deep in the heart of Texas.

The trip paid off, as the quartet tapped Billy Horton from Hot Club of Cowtown to produce, and he captured the band’s wild energy intact without any unncessary studio gloss to dull things down.

The 13 tracks—most of them written and growled by Halifax drummer Lindsay Beaver—have an authentic, regional rock ’n’ roll feel about them and sound like they just poured out the door of a 1950s juke joint. Slathered with slapback echo, Emily Burgess’s tube amp guitar and Jon Wong’s honking tenor sax jump out and punch you in your earholes with their vintage vibe, while bassist Mike Archer cooks along and keeps everything from flying off into outer space. - Halifax Chronicle Herald by Stephen Cooke

There's certainly no shortage of fine blues talent in the Maritimes. That goes way back, the area has always been a stronghold for the form, since the 70's heyday of Dutch Mason, Matt Minglewood and the like. We have so much blues talent, we can even export it. That's the case with the rising national stars, the 24th Street Wailers. Although Toronto-based, the band actually has roots in Halifax, where some members were going to school, and started playing local clubs. In fact, their last album was recorded there, called Live In Halifax, a rockin' club set recorded in their first haunt, the well-known blues club Bearly's House of Blues and Ribs.

The Wailers have taken off since finishing the school scene, and relocating to the Toronto address that serves as the band house, and gives them their name. In addition to last year's live album, there are two other studio discs, and this brand-new one, called Wicked. The group stands out; it features two women and two men, including Lindsay Beaver, who does the trick of playing drums and being the lead vocalist, quite the rare thing. The lead guitar player is Emily Burgess, Mike Archer handles bass and Jon Wong is on sax. That was the lineup for the album, but since then their pal Jesse Whiteley has joined up on piano, making it a quintet.

The band has a great thing going. With Beaver on vocals and drums, they have a much different sound and look than any other blues group around. Plus, they are simply great musicians. Individually, they have all been singled out, and Jon Wong has already won a Maple Blues Award for best sax player, and the group was nominated for Entertainers of the Year, and Electric Act of the Year for 2013. That recognition is growing each year, and they now tour constantly across the land, and with this new disc are about to start a major U.S. swing.

Wicked was made in one of the music capitols of the world, Austin, Texas, with Billy Horton producing, the bass player for Jimmy Vaughn. Wisely, this wasn't to get some slick, modern production, but rather the authentic sound of their influences; some jump blues, a little of the Texas feel, classic energy and fun music. There's even a country ballad, called I Need You, which gives Lindsay a chance to shine, and she leans into it for some extra power, not unlike an Etta James performance. The overall sound is party though, R'n'B from the 50's and 60's. I also like the simplicity of the production, with the occasional distortion on the vocals, just like it happened back in the 50's, only then it was by accident and they couldn't afford to do another take. Here, the Wailers want that roughness.

We're going to have to wait a bit to see the band in New Brunswick. This trip to the States is going on for several weeks, but they will be here in May. They're going to play the annual Paddlefest in St. Andrews, the kick-off May 15 at the Red Herring, and you know that's going to be a party. - CBC East Coast Music (Bob Mersereau)

24th Street Wailers, Railway Club, October 24: This Toronto blues quartet played an impossibly early show at an empty bar and were so slamming that they pulled almost everyone there up front to listen. Watch for this crew the24thstreetwailers.com - The Province (Steuart Derdeyn)

"A 21st Century upgrade of jumpin' jivin' juke joint blues!" - Dan Aykroyd (Elwood Blues)

See website - Jeffery Morgan(Official Biographer of Alice Cooper and The Stooges)

Funky, low-down blues is featured on this second album from the Toronto quartet. Featuring Halifax-born singer/drummer Lindsay Beaver, it's nasty and raw, with honking sax and distorted (on purpose) vocals, and tough and sexy lyrics. Guitar solos are knife-sharp, and the whole thing might even be a bit sinister if it was so darn danceable.

You'd think it was the work of seasoned and toughened bar-band veterans, but these Wailers are actually fresh-faced music school products, all young but obviously getting the right seasoning fast. They've been climbing the Toronto bar and club seen, and now touring the country in all the right spots, plus becoming festival favourites. It's easy to hear why; Beaver belts with authority, and the songs move great. With Emily Burgess on lead guitar, the group also holds the distinction of being a rare thing in the blues world, two women and two men, and everybody with superior chops. I didn't think it was possible to go to school to learn the blues, and maybe they had it down before, but the formula sure works here. - Bob Mersereau's Top 100 Canadian Blog

“Beyond the 12 bar blues bands and weekend warriors, it is amazing to see the 24th Street Wailers among a new breed of young acts creating fresh material and proving there is such a thing as Canadian blues that is as valid as Chicago, delta, West Coast, British or any other kind of blues out there.”
-Chris Martin, CBC Music Blues Community Producer - Chris Martin

“Hard work, a passion for playing and a thirst for discovering the roots of blues, gospel
and vintage R & B music have resulted in huge steps forward as a band for The 24th
Street Wailers. They are committed to the music, continually write better new material
and bring a sense of joy to the stage.”
-Holger Petersen – CBC’s Saturday Night Blues, CKUA’s Natch’l Blues and Stony Plain Records - Holger Petersen

Big sound, dynamic and raw edged sincere vocals, that’s what this band of youngin’s bring to our ears and musical tent. Led by drummer, vocalist, Lindsay Beaver and bassist Michael Archer they kick it off with ‘Home cookin”. A sassy strut with horns and wonderful double entrendre lyrics by Ms. Beaver as she sits on the shuffle beat and the horns accentuate the heat of the special that’s cookin’ up in the kitchen. This is one hot ‘n nasty track. PHEW

The title track ‘Unshakeable’ is a biographical song that flatly states the belief that Ms. Beaver is just that. Destined to be what they are from the start, being born three months early and will always put up a fight and go further to gain more. Again we are treated to greasy horns (courtesy of Jonathan Wong on sax) and bottom feeding bass lines.

Ms. Emily Burgess, guitar player and other songwriter contributes four of the eleven tracks here. She sparkles with Love Triangle”. A sordid but tasty instrumental that features Marc Doucet and Carter Chaplin completing this triangle with Ms. Burgess. Hot licks and more twists than a Saturday night dance party makes this track an example of how damn good instrumentals can be, and we need more of them.

‘Jack, Jim, Johnny and Me’ is a whirlwind of swing blues that starts in high gear and goes forward from there. The tale of her three best friends of the night (all of the liquid variety) if you ain’t dancing (even in your chair) when this hits the air then ‘Jack you’re dead’.

With talent like this, the future of the Blues is in good hands. Support keeping the Blues alive and thriving by getting this release for yourself and one or two friends who may not know about these kool kittens and hip-kats, they will thank you over and over for turning them on to the 24th Street Wailers. - Blues 411

Big sound, dynamic and raw edged sincere vocals, that’s what this band of youngin’s bring to our ears and musical tent. Led by drummer, vocalist, Lindsay Beaver and bassist Michael Archer they kick it off with ‘Home cookin”. A sassy strut with horns and wonderful double entrendre lyrics by Ms. Beaver as she sits on the shuffle beat and the horns accentuate the heat of the special that’s cookin’ up in the kitchen. This is one hot ‘n nasty track. PHEW

The title track ‘Unshakeable’ is a biographical song that flatly states the belief that Ms. Beaver is just that. Destined to be what they are from the start, being born three months early and will always put up a fight and go further to gain more. Again we are treated to greasy horns (courtesy of Jonathan Wong on sax) and bottom feeding bass lines.

Ms. Emily Burgess, guitar player and other songwriter contributes four of the eleven tracks here. She sparkles with Love Triangle”. A sordid but tasty instrumental that features Marc Doucet and Carter Chaplin completing this triangle with Ms. Burgess. Hot licks and more twists than a Saturday night dance party makes this track an example of how damn good instrumentals can be, and we need more of them.

‘Jack, Jim, Johnny and Me’ is a whirlwind of swing blues that starts in high gear and goes forward from there. The tale of her three best friends of the night (all of the liquid variety) if you ain’t dancing (even in your chair) when this hits the air then ‘Jack you’re dead’.

With talent like this, the future of the Blues is in good hands. Support keeping the Blues alive and thriving by getting this release for yourself and one or two friends who may not know about these kool kittens and hip-kats, they will thank you over and over for turning them on to the 24th Street Wailers. - Blues 411

Looking at The 24th Street Wailers, you might take them for a bunch of fresh-faced college kids. Nothing could be further from reality! The maturity, skill and poise they show on this release is astounding. There are bands out there with 20 years experience on them that could not, and have not, produced an album this real and technically proficient. And the music sounds killer too!

For those who are unfamiliar with the band, a brief history is in order. Together one year, in 2010 they won the Toronto Blues Society talent search. This led to a raised level of exposure and the band began playing higher profile venues and festivals. In 2011, their debut Dirty Little Young’uns was released and charted in various venues. The band is Lindsay Beaver on (amazing) vocals and (driving) drums; Lindsay’s husband Mike Archer on bass; Emily Burgess on guitar, and Jon Wong on (funky) sax.

Unshakeable is 40 minutes of fun, blues and funk. The album opens with “Home Cookin’”, a slow Big Band throw back to a bygone era. This is followed by “Unshakeable”, which sounds like Sound Of Philadelphia soul, with a NOLA backdrop. Archer’s Bootsy Collins style thumpin’ drives and Beaver’s Peggy Lee tinged delivery envelopes without smothering. Very impressive cut! “Love Triangle” is something that will transport you to the Gruene Hall in Texas: It has a chickin’ pickin’ start and a Texas rockabilly vibe throughout. This cut also features guests Carter Chaplin and Marc Doucet on guitars. “Trouble” is a well done bluesy Chicago sounding shuffle with some great sax playing by Wong. “Howlin’” sounds like a throwback to early 50's juke joint recordings with that distorted vocal, live edgy aural quality – just haunting. Another standout is “I Will”, with great guitar by Burgess; she knows when to play and when to lay back. “Jack, Jim, Johnny, and Me” is straight-up jitterbug action, with guest Gary Potts doing a fine job on drums. The closer, “Don’t Make It Easy”, is a fine 50's style rocking swing with more excellent sax and vocals.

There are many qualities that make this album a keeper. There is the low-fi almost “live” sound quality similar to what Jimmy Vaughan has done on his last two releases that really adds to the overall vibe. Wong’s sax playing is confident and belies his youth; it’s gonna be interesting to hear how good he is 10 years from now! Archer plays a mean bass and adds the right touch to every groove. Burgess is an excellent guitar player that checks her ego at the door and plays for the song and she is damn good. Beaver’s vocals are good and provide the perfect flavor for each cut. This band is exceptional and has earned a whole lot of respect from everyone, especially their elders and mentors. We can’t wait for their next album. Until then, catch them live if you can. - American Blues Scene

“raw and authentically funky…these young players have the natural rhythm and looseness of studied musicians, which is a breath of fresh air.” - thebluesmobile.com

“a worthy representative of the new face of the blues”

-Richard Knechtel - Richard Knechtel (Summerfolk/Georgian Bay Folk Society)

“The 24th Street Wailers are an exciting young band that really deliver the goods. Wailing sax, dynamic keyboards and skilled electric guitar ride overtop of a first class bass and drum combination. Whether its down home and dirty, or smooth and sophisticated, these fine up and coming musicians rise to the occasion, both vocally and instrumentally.” - Four Time Maple Blues Award Winning Trumpeter/Composer Chris Whiteley