Baby Eagle & the Proud Mothers

Main Stage, Sackville NB August 4

BY Sandi RankaduwaPublished Aug 10, 2012

Many festivalgoers expected a secret guest at SappyFest this year. Rumours were abound. Most were far-fetched (Neil Young), some were deliberately bizarre (Raine Maida), but the most tangible seemed to be a Constantines show. Though there was no secret show, the closest thing to a Cons reunion was the afternoon set of Steve Lambke's solo project, Baby Eagle & the Proud Mothers, whose all-star band featured former Constantines bandmate Will Kidman on guitar, Spencer Burton of Grey Kingdom and Attack In Black on guitar, the Burning Hell's Nick Ferrio on bass, and Ian Kehoe of Marine Dreams and Attack In Black on drums. And it was glorious.

The crunchy chords that start off "Bone Soldiers," the title track of Baby Eagle's most recent album, seemed to summon spectators to the main stage in an unsuspecting daze. The rest of the rambunctious set was full of numbers from the same surprisingly underrated record, with Lambke alternating between quiet crooning and hard-hitting howls, and Kidman shredding to his side unpretentiously.

For their final number of a set that would seem to end too soon, Lambke sent out some love to his former bandmates and launched into Constantines' "Shower of Stones." Surprise.

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