They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In the case of cover music, this old saying rings especially true.
But what happens when the cover sounds nothing like the original?
On Jan. 25, musicians Daniel Péloquin-Hopfner and Kevin Roy will be performing ’90s pop-punk music in the style of folk-roots and bluegrass at the Good Will Social Club at the event BLINK I IV V.
The event came out of two established Winnipeg musicians jamming around a bonfire.
“Kevin and I have been picking bluegrass music since we’ve known each other, but somehow we started playing pop-punk songs at a bonfire party one night, and managed to get through hours of ’90s material we both knew,” explained Péloquin-Hopfner to the Manitoban.
“[Blink-182] was the catalyst for this moment, and we’ve been jokingly jamming them since then.”
The night will feature two sets, with the first set tackling Blink-182’s album Enema of the State. Released in June of 1999 by the Californian pop-punk trio, the album features notable hits such as “All the Small Things” and “What’s My Age Again?” Blink-182’s third album helped to establish them as one of the biggest bands at the end of the decade, selling over 15 million copies.
Given their popularity, Blink-182’s music has been covered by artists such as 5 Seconds of Summer and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Blink-182’s simplistic musical rhythms have also made their music a staple for anyone beginning to play the guitar.
In translating the pop-punk music into folk-roots jams, Péloquin-Hopfner admits the seamlessly easy adaptation based around similar chord structures of bluegrass music.
“Their songs all have simple changes, just like country and bluegrass music. The three most common chords are 1, 4, and 5,” explained Péloquin-Hopfner, referencing the event’s name.
“This event pretty much created itself.”
In addition to performing ’90s cover shows, both Roy and Péloquin-Hopfner are established folk artists in their own right. Roy is an alternative country singer-songwriter, having released his debut extended-play Taller than the Trees in February of last year. Roy has shared the stage with the likes of the Deep Dark Woods and Kathleen Edwards.
Péloquin-Hopfner is a member of folk-roots trio Red Moon Road. Playing everything from mandolin to lap steel, Péloquin-Hopfner and Red Moon Road have toured Canada and have 2012 and 2013 music releases to their names.
But all of their musical history is put aside as the duo translates late MTV memories into music more synonymous with the Folk Festival.
“We stayed faithful to nearly all the chord changes, hooks, and riffs, but snuck in some yodelling, talkin’ blues, fiddle tunes, and blistering solos,” said Péloquin-Hopfner.
The event BLINK I IV V will take place Jan. 25 at the Good Will Social Club, located at 625 Portage Avenue. Cover for the event is $10.
