Jonny Stevens and the Racket / The Squaredance Kid

The Capital was anything but full when Jon Bowie, aka the Squaredance Kid, took the stage. Though it was a slow start it wasn’t long before he was playing to a decent sized crowd. Bowie spends most of his time playing guitar and singing in Fredericton melodic hardcore staples Missing. But his acoustic project doesn’t hide his affection for melody and hooks, as he opened the show with a No Use For A Name cover. This project also allows him to express songs peppered with maturity and humble storytelling. Despite only a handful of recent shows, songs like "A Song for Oak Point” and "Northside Disease” still get people singing, probably because they are wonderful narratives of a local nature. The Squaredance Kid was talkative through his set, often providing humorous anecdotes to introduce his songs. Jonny Stevens took the stage to a fan base stemming from his former band the New Breed. Nevertheless, most of the songs played were new to those in attendance as he was touring with his new band, the Racket, in support of their recent self-titled debut. On record Stevens manages to keep a punk edge on his songs, but that edge is displayed much sharper live. He stuck mainly to songs off the new album, including the single "Starting Over,” as well as "You Can’t Take Me” and "I Know How it Goes,” but he found time to throw in a Social Distortion cover as well. Stevens comes across on stage as his does on recordings, as an unassuming every-man and his blend of punk and country are capable of winning over anyone at his shows. While he might not have a huge following yet, seeing him in a small and crowded room felt perfect.