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Old Fashion Country Music and a Swift Kick in the....

Loplops Lounge would like to give you a swift kick in the.... No, that's just not true. Loplops is a kind and gentle sort of place. Of course, I am only exagerating in order to catch the reader's attention with my witty banter.
Chris Belsito
arts-swiftys
Loplops Lounge would like to give you a swift kick in the....

No, that's just not true. Loplops is a kind and gentle sort of place. Of course, I am only exagerating in order to catch the reader's attention with my witty banter. What Loplops is doing is bringing you a kickin' band that has shared the stage with Lucinda Williams, The Sadies, and Fred Eaglesmith.

The Swiftys are a proud "old school country" band that hails from the land of beef, Alberta.

Forming in 2002, the Swiftys modelled themselves on the "outlaw" image of country greats like Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Steve Earle. Throwing in a dash of The Band, they created a rootsy, honky-tonkin', yearnin' and cryin' in yer beer good time musical outfit.

Led by front man and multi-instrumentalist, Shawn Jonasson, The Swiftys apparently know what it takes to break into the high-lonsome scene of independent country music. Yes, folks, it indeed requires a clever nickname for each band member. Jonasson's nickname is 'Swifty' and apparently he is the brightest of the bunch (as his name would suggest). After all, he did name the band after himself. Not to be left behind, the rest of the band followed suit with the nickname routine. Rounding out the unit are bassist Jody "Thump" Johnson, and drummer Grant "Stovetop" Stovel.

All these clever nicknames and boot kickin' tunes even earned the band a #1 CD on the Alberta charts. Not bad for country boys who like Doc Martens (see picture). If someone bought these boys a good ol' pair of cowboy boots, they would not only be able to honky tonk, they would be able to kick the eyes out of snakes. Until then, we will have to rely on the kickin' country vibe of their songs for entertainment.

The Swiftys will be playing at Loplops Lounge on Saturday, November 13th starting at 9:30pm. There is no cover charge for this show.

For more information on The Swiftys, visit www.theswiftys.net.

Loplops Lounge is located at 651 Queen Street East (next to the Duke of Windsor). For more information, visit www.loplops.com