A Soul Band That Can't Be Missed: The Outfit

Few are the genuine soul bands in Montreal these days. Lucky for us, we have a hell of a good one here. You might think that I'm biased since the drummer is a friend of mine. So I guess you'll have to take my word for it. They've got soul!

Formed over a year now, they are certainly not new to the music scene. And it shows. Veteran musicians, they definitely are quickly becoming a polished act. During last Friday's gig, the energy was palpable. They played the Quai des Brumes on St-Denis Street. This small bar, full of character and charm mirrored the mood to a T. Compared to the first time I saw them, they were the only band on the bill. So it was obvious that the crowd was present for one reason. It was to see them play and that, on a night of a hockey playoff game. That says a lot because in Montreal, hockey is a religion.

I was not disappointed. I would even go as far as saying that I was quite impressed. After seeing a few cheesy soul acts on Bourbon Street in New Orleans last month, this was quite refreshing. Alex, the singer, has a warm, smooth, soulful voice that suits the genre perfectly. Since I'm not a musician, the voice is usually the thing I notice first. And Alex not only has the voice, but also has the attitude. The horn section complemented the rest of the band nicely. And what can I say about my friend Eric "Boom Boom" Boulanger? Put him behind a drum and he will bang those skins like there's no tomorrow.

They played a good selection of the classics and my favorite has to be their rendition of Papa Got a Brand New Bag. I'm already looking forward to the next show. I'm hoping that one day I'll be hearing some original material.

Check out their MySpace page:

http://www.myspace.com/theoutfitsoul