The A-Sides – Night at the MET

THE A-SIDES

Leonard “Lewsh” Shaw

Keys, Wind, Vocals

Multi-instrumentalist Leonard Shaw’s music spans the genres from blues to R & B, jazz, funk and rock, and has been plying his keyboard-saxophone-flute-vocalizing talents all over Canada and USA. A graduate of Grant MacEwan Music College in Edmonton, Shaw, who began his career in Winnipeg with the seminal rock/funk horn based Mojo and the Nighthawks in the late 60’s, then moved on to Junior Barnes and the Cadillacs, In Toronto he played with Backstreet, and singers like Ian Thomas, Ian Hunter; Winnipeggers Terry Crawford and the late Dianne Heatherington. Both in Toronto and in Winnipeg, Shaw has been sought after as a sideman for numerous artists; including Bo Diddley, Del Shannon, Ben E. King, Peter Noone, Mark Lindsey, Lesley Gore, Sue Medley, Freddie Cannon, The Marvellettes, The Crystals, The Coasters, the Drifters and Jay and the Techniques.

Laurie MacKenzie

Guitar, Vocals

Fronted 2 bands in the 80s & early 90s (Laurie MacKenzie & the Bandits and The Laurie MacKenzie Band), performed and/or recorded with multiple artists and bands in all genres over the decades and has appeared on over 70 releases (including as producer/arranger/songwriter). He has performed and recorded with The Guess Who, Graham Shaw, Nicky Mehta (The Wailin’ Jennies), Carl Dixon (coney hatch), The Fuse/Jeffrey Hatcher and the Big Beat (also produced), Fred Penner, Heather Bishop (also produced), The Chocolate Bunnies From Hell, Rocki Rolletti, Luke McMaster (McMaster and James), Victor Davies and Ron Paley. He has recorded albums for Valdy and Australia’s Jaime Welles. Has performed with Kenny Shields (streetheart), Chantal Kreviazuk, Tom Paxton, Danny and the Juniors, Al Simmons, Joey Gregorash, Susan Aglukark and Leahy

Bill Wallace

Bass, Vocals

(Not a direct descendant)
Bass, vocals, semi-ardent tromboner, Brother, The Guess Who (2x) Kilowatt, Crowcuss, the Gettysbyrg Address, Logan Avenue Comfort Station, The Shondels, The Ramrods, and The WPO (Occasional Tuba)

Gord Osland

Percussion, Vocals

Gord has played live gigs and was the recording drummer for Wild Rice, Vicious Circle with Maclean and Maclean, Mood Jga Jga, Burton Cummings solo, Rick Neufeld and Prairie Dog, Graham Shaw and Sincere Serenaders, Fabulous George and the Zodiacs, Bob Fuhr and Zdenka, Danny Pelfrey, Rocki Rolletti, Elias Shritt and Bell, Gerry and Ziz, Shingoose, Be Bop Beluga, Fred Penner, Al Simmons, Valdy and CBC.

AND SPECIAL GUESTS

RENA SEMENKO

Vocals

Rena has been a professional musician for over 35 years performing with various groups as well as solo, across Canada and the U.S. Rena is a classically trained pianist who also plays acoustic guitar and is the lead singer/keyboardist for bands Hit Boss, The Buster Band, and many others. She has toured with Juno award winners Eagle and Hawk and Juno nominee Indian City. Her repertoire spans several decades of the pop, rock and country genres. She has also performed at notable venues such as Rainbow Stage and the Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans.

DOUG ANDREW

Guitar, Vocals

In a career that began in Vancouver’s independent music scene of the early 1980s, Doug Andrew has shared bills with everyone from The Ramones & The Replacements to Ramblin’ Jack Elliott & Raffi. He is recognized as an accomplished singer-songwriter respected by critics, peers and music fans alike. The Edmonton Journal has described his songs as having “slightly twisted, always interesting storyline lyrics” delivered “with an energetic thrust that falls just shy of reckless abandon.” SEE Magazine has said his songs “should shuffle him off into the Canadian musical songwriting hierarchy” and the Vancouver Province declared “Andrew is a great songwriter …while The Circus In Flames are his extraordinarily sympathetic band…a weird mix of musical eclecticism built on a dark folklore.”

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