Roots Rockin' Gospel Magic! Easily the hardest hitting and most dynamic band in Roots-Rock today, the Schomberg Fair combine inspired lyrics with a devastating live performance not to be missed! Akin to Dan Sartain or the Gun Club, these Torontonians summon up the soul of the deep blues and pair it with the frenetic spirit of early punk. Expect blistering banjos, gospel inflected vocals, bleeding fingers and thunderous drums.
The Schomberg Fair’s third release “Providence” (due June 2012) is the band’s second in just 8 months, the follow up to 2011’s “Mercy” which garnered the band rave reviews across Canada and was credited for sonically pushing the boundaries of Roots-Rock. The album held a position in campus radio’s national top 40 for airplay for a total of seven weeks as well earning regular rotation on CBC3. Providence, produced by Brian Moncarz (Moneen, Neverending White Lights), continues this sonic evolution and will be supported by a cross-Canada tour with Oregon folk-punkers Larry and His Flask. The band is no stranger to touring however, over the past six year they have crossed Canada five times and shared the stage with top Canadian bands such as The Sadies, Ron Sexsmith, The Handsome Furs, as well as international acts such as Deertick and T-Model Ford.
The Schomberg Fair were born from the near destruction of the musical ambitions of lead singer, guitarist/banjo and primary songwriter Matt Bahen who at 24, cut off all of the fingers from his left hand in a construction accident. With fingers reattached and recuperating, he reconnected with high school friend/ bassist Nathan Sidon and the two bonded over their mutual appreciation of pre-war blues. It was as Bahen regained movement in his digits that The Schomberg Fair was born. With the addition of drummer Peter Garthside’s high-lonesome vocal harmonies and thunderous beat, the Schomberg Fair combine to create an electrifying musical inferno and an unforgettable Saturday night!
“They’re Awesome!” - Craig Norris CBC Radio 3
“You'd have to be iron-hard-hearted, deaf drunk, dead, or all three to not appreciate the rumbling blues-punk roots of Toronto tripod of "speed-gospel" The Schomberg Fair” –Ottawa Xpress
“The Schomberg Fair’s CD knocked me on my ass with their Gun Club take on traditional form, so for those of you who like their twang a bit on the dark and gloomy side...” - Montreal Mirror
“Just when everybody’s feeling a little too drunk and tired, these guys will swagger on to the stage and tear the place up with their unusual style of speed-gospel. People who were putting their scarves on will be tearing off their shirts.” - CHARTattack
“Mixing traditional instruments like the banjo and harmonica with electric guitar, The Schomberg Fair fuse the soul and spirit of the deep blues, singing about desperate times and desperate people, while still managing to do it with a frenetic energy that is undeniably fun” - The Monitor, Montreal
"...it's safe to say that the Schomberg Fair will deserve to be included in the conversation about not only Canada's best roots rockers, but Canada's best bands, period." - EXCLAIM!