Rum Runner hates Avril Lavigne

By Adam Goetz

You don’t have to look far to find some local talent in Calgary; in fact, one of the founding members of Rum Runner had been sitting beside me in my film class the entire time.

Now, to quickly bring you up to speed: Rum Runner recorded their first album independently in April and they are opening up for Kim Mitchell on November 21. That’s today (assuming you got the paper hot off the press), so get down to the Back Alley and support some local talent!

“When I found out that we were opening for Kim Mitchell I laughed my ass off,” Brad chuckles as he explains how they got their “gig.” It’s funny because Rum Runner has been tossed into the all-encompassing punk rock genre, which in no way resembles washed-up ’80s synth-rock genre.

“Our influences are very wide,” Al pauses as he tries to articulate their sound to me. “I have heard bands describe what their new recording sounds like in such an absorbed and disgustingly proud way, it’s like hearing asshole yuppie parents talking about how their reject and failure of a child is such a champ–that he will undoubtedly one day be the king of the whole universe.”

Even though they try to avoid labeling their music, their high-energy live show is worth seeing. You may have already caught them during last year’s BSD or possibly the extravagant anniversary show at the Underground.

“We only have two shows in November, which is pretty rare for us,” Brad explains. “They are pretty big shows and we didn’t want to drown the crowd out.”

Another reason for the light schedule is because the band plans on recording a split CD with the Blotto Boys, covering old Pogues songs at the end of the month.

“Recording with Casey [Lewis] was good because he would listen to what you brought and then he would try to add something–like a different harmonic–but keeping it within the realm of what you wanted.”

Like many bands today, Rum Runner is taking advantage of the Internet and its accessibility for fans. You can preview three of their songs at www.mp3.com/rumrunner or you can pick up the entire album at their shows for a mere five scoots.

If you want to check out a great local band (and Kim Mitchell) and save yourself some money, run up to the Gauntlet office to pick up a coupon for the show. If not, it’s your loss.