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“The Thinking Man's Party Band...one of the best violinists I've ever seen."
Victor Bonderoff - The Vancouver Sun

 

     

 

 

The Devils

There are reasons The Plaid Tongued Devils have been going strong for 20 years. They are the world's only klezmer ska band. They have toured Canada, the U.S. and Europe countless times. They've headlined over 30 festivals worldwide, crafted rich soft seat shows with educational Q&A, written and performed plays for theatre and muscled out countless knock down, drag out, dance-on the-tables, hang-by-the-rafters club shows. They've never failed once to completely win over a crowd.

 

They've got 5 CD's, 1 DVD and receive generous airplay, in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, and have an ever growing fan base. Thousands of people, from age 12 to 80 have and love their albums.

 

Their music combines elements of Klezmer (Jewish), Roma (Gypsy), and middle eastern dance beats with rock, pop and ska. Fun, with unbridled virtuosity.


A room of 200 people or a field of 20 thousand, get the same show. The same over the top party. If it wasn't so fun, it wouldn't have lasted 20 years.

 

"Known around the globe for their punk-rock bastardization of klezmer music, their sedated approach to ska, their belly-dancing cabaret mayhem and, most of all, their enthralling gypsy melodies,"

-Christine Leonard, FFWD, March 31,2005

 

The Band’s Name

In 1991, Kolodziejzyk and Semaka were searching for a name for their duet. While at a party, mutual friend Rob Miller accused Semaka and Kolodziejzyk of being womanizers saying "You two are a couple of silver tongued devils" (which in North America means "smooth talker").

 

At the exact same moment Semaka and Kolodziejzyk turned to each other and both said "more like plaid". 

 

It was this synchronius mind meld that sealed the name. The use of the word "plaid" was never meant to infer "celtic".  Semaka and  Kolodziejzyk both considered plaid to be ugly so they were saying that they were NOT smooth talkers with the ladies. 

 

The name was also fitting because the two felt as though their music was hip one day and not  the next, just like plaid.  Plaid was hip with the grunge scene at the time, but they had both been around when red and black hunting jackets were cool about 8 years earlier when they were in junior high. Plaid was something that resurged in fashion every couple years and they suspected that their music might have a similar pattern (pun intended).

 

Shared Stages

The Plaid Tongued Devils have opened for or headlined for Blue Rodeo, The Odds, Jim Cuddy, The Skydiggers, The Violent Femmes, The Pursuit of Happiness, Wide Mouth Mason, Bruce Cockburn, Leahy, Bob Wiseman, Steven Fearing, Art Bergman, Age of Electric, Captain Tractor, David Wilcox, Zuckerbaby, Tariq, Big Rude Jake, Shooglenifty, Bocephus King, Mocking Shadows, Hoven Droven, Boiled in Lead, Kris Demeanor, Nathan, Rant Music, The Dead Milkmen and countless others.

 

Line-Up and Album History

In 1990 lead vocalist and lyricist Ty Semaka met guitarist Alan Kolodziejzyk while working for Kolodziejzyk's brother at a company called Image Club.  Kolodziejzyk's signage company was situated in the back of Image Club and  that's where the two hit it off.

 

The two started jamming in Kolodziejzyk's basement with various musicians and within a year, the two were writing quirky folky tunes about girls and...well, girls. They soon started playing coffee shops and street corners around Calgary and gained a loyal fan base almost immediately.

In 1991 they added violist Geoff Wheatley.  Wheatley remained for about a year. During this time a cassette tape named The Experimental Farm was recorded and released. Kolodziejzyk and Semaka agreed that the viola was something they wanted to keep so they began looking for a viola player.

In 1992 they found a talented multi-instrumentalist named Barry Coulter. Coulter played fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo and piano.  Coulter remained with the band for about 2 years and recorded several tracks on their first CD, Running With Scissors (released in 1994).

 

Then in 1993 Semaka and Kolodziejzyk met multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Lewis, who took the band to new heights of musicality.  Jonathan plays, viola, violin, mandolin and piano. Lewis' first recording with the band was the album Running With Scissors, and he has been with the band since.

 

Drummer, John McNeil joined in 1994.  He appeared on Live as Heck, an extremely rare live recording with Semaka, Kolodziejzyk, Lewis and Coulter and on 4 tracks from Running With Scissors. In 1994 McNeil left the band for a business opportunity, returning in 1998 and has been with the band since.

In 1994, drummer Jim Buick joined the fold to record 8 tracks on Running With Scissors and all of the bands second CD, Tongue & Groove. Buick remained until 1997.

 

In 1994, bassist Brian Doss joined and recorded Tongue & Groove with the Devils. Doss remained until 1997 and left for a just signed band called Zuckerbaby.

 

In 1997, Aaron Harvey replaced Brian Doss on bass and Troy WarkentinIn joined on drums. While writing the album, In Klezskavania, the two didn't care for the less commercial direction the band was taking and left the band.

In 1998, most of In Klezskavania was written with Semaka, Kolodziejzyk, Lewis, a returning McNeil and new bass player, Chipp Robb.

Since December 2002 Chipp Robb has moved on to pursue a career as a Technical Director for the City of Calgary.

 

In 1998, while Jonathan Lewis was performing in Calgary's One Yellow Rabbit's Mata Hari, he mentioned to OYR writer/director Blake Brooker that the Devils were working on a "theme album" with a quirky story and creepy cast of characters. Intrigued, Brooker invited Ty Semaka to submit a rough script of the story.  The OYR Ensemble and Semaka then co-wrote the finished script and the play In Klezskavania was mounted in February 1999.  The play was sold out every night and held over.

 

In 2002, violinist Matt Woodward was brought in to sit in for Jonathan Lewis as Lewis became busier during the winter with theatre engagements.  Woodward occasionally sits in for Lewis and on rare and very special occasions, the two play the same show - together.

 

In January 2003 Jonny Nordstrom joined the Devils on bass guitar.

In February 2004 Kaley Kinjo joined the Devils as second bassist.

In March 2005 drummer Charlie Bullough joined on as sit-in drummer.

On April 1st 2005, the Devils released thier 5th album and first DVD together, entitled Monsteroma, to rave reviews and record sales.

 

Added the double violin assault to become a 7 piece Gypsy Rock army.

 

past shows