Yes, it’s true – the Windups are a cover band. In fact, they are quite possibly the best cover band this city has ever seen.
You’re not going to hear a shitty cover of “Brown Eyed Girl” or “Stuck in the Middle with You” during a Windups set; this band boasts only the best tunes that rock and roll has to offer and they do it with style to boot.
“We started as a pub-rock band; hard R&B from England in the Dr. Feelgood/Eddie & the Hot Rods mold,” stated Rob Pachol, guitarist extraordinaire. “We eventually decided to play whatever we felt like and though some of our decisions over the years have been somewhat ill-conceived (Tom Waits? Love is the Drug?), we’ve seemed to hit on what works. Can you ever go wrong with ‘Ace of Spades,’ ‘Neat, Neat, Neat,’ or ‘Under My Wheels?’”
Now, 10 years later, the band is getting ready to celebrate a decade of rock and roll with two nights of music, dancing, and good times on Feb. 8 and 9.
The Windups will be playing two sets each night – the first with their original drummer, Dean “Deano” Desrochers, and the second with their current line-up which includes bassist Rejean Ricard, drummer Jacques Dubois, and always stylish frontman Andy Morton.
The second set of music will consist of classic album Raw Power by the Stooges performed in its entirety.
“Raw Power seemed like an exciting challenge,” said Pachol. “There’s great rock and roll lurking under all that production racket. Figuring out those parts was like panning for gold.”
By far what makes the Windups the band that they are is their stage presence. While their musical talent is indisputable, it’s really the fact that they are having fun doing what they’re doing that gets the crowd going, and keeps people coming back for more.
Join the Windups for their 10th anniversary show at the Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club on Feb. 8 and 9 with the English Moccasins and Andrew Neville and the Poor Choices.
Windups are so good it hurts, a surprisingly close second to actually seeing any of the bands they cover, live in their heyday. So rad.