– Layla Bozich, staff
Club NV will be booming to a different beat when The Trews take the stage Thursday. With special guests INAMBUSH and Steven Branchaud, Club NV is sure to experience a one-night transformation from nightclub to house of rock.
The Trews have been a fan favourite of Brantford’s own Hockeyfest, a music festival held in union with the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey tournament, for two years in a row, and are the first show in a plan by Ralph Spoltore, Hockeyfest organizer, to deliver more shows to the student population in downtown Brantford.
“My goal is to do more shows for Laurier Brantford and Mohawk,” said Spoltore, who is also organizing the show at NV. “There’s not a heck of a lot [for students] to do.”
Spoltore’s idea is to keep the events cheap for students, charging nearly half the cost for tickets than what normal ticket distributors would ask. He is taking a chance by inviting The Trews to play at Club NV because he is not sure how the turn out will be.
“I’m doing whatever I can to bring popular bands to Brantford,” Spoltore said. “First, they have to find Brantford on the map, [and] then I have to convince them of a good crowd.” He mentions that Club NV is the only venue in Brantford capable of holding an event of this size.
Spoltore notes that he has already sold at least 300 tickets, and is hoping the club will be in pristine condition for the bands when they arrive. He hopes the renovations that the the club is currently undergoing will be beneficial to the show and include improved lighting and sound.
“I’m spending thousands on production to make sure sound is top drawer,” he said. “I’m not going to skimp on production.”
The Trews released their newest album, Hope & Ruin, in April of this year. Within three weeks of its release, the first single of the album, “Hope & Ruin”, entered the top ten list on Canadian rock radio. Originally from Nova Scotia, the band has made their mark on both the Canadian and worldwide music scene and has shared the stage with The Rolling Stones, Robert Plant, The Tragically Hip, and KISS.
Spoltore notes that the band is full of great guys, and he hopes he can produce a promising crowd for them. Despite spending a large amount of money and time on the event, Spoltore hopes to enjoy the show himself and find success in the turnout.
“I’m going to be a fan [at the show],” he said. “They’re one of my favourite bands.”
