The band began at a jam session in a quonset. Now, they’ve played at a Northeast SPCA cabaret for the second year in a row.
Forty Ounce Philosophyperformed covers of rock and country-rock music ranging from the 1950s to present, with a focus on the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, at the Jan. 14 event.
“They’re a local band. They’re from Humboldt,” said Lori Marchuk, one of the event’s organizers. “They get the crowd going and they have their own following, so just having them, alone, brings people. They’re really, really good.”
There were 200 tickets sold, with organizers expecting the event to sell out this year like they did last year.
“It’s after Christmas and [there’s] kind of a lull in everything,” Marchuk said. “It’s a good time for people to come out and have some fun.”
Brian Grest, the band’s vocalist/bass player, said they got involved because the lead guitarist lives in Melfort and the guitarist’s wife is active in the NESPCA.
“Needless to say, when they were looking for a band, she volunteered us.”
Grest said Jan. 11 he hoped the crowd was as good as it was in 2016.
“It was a mixed crowd and our music caters to a mixed crowd, so it was a good fit.”
The vocalist/bass player said his band got together by chance.
“There were a few people in Humboldt who, through word-of-mouth, got together and just had a jam session, literally in someone’s quonset. There was never any intention to form a band,” he said. “We were just jamming in the quonset, but we played one gig – we had our arms twisted to play one gig – and we enjoyed that so much we thought: maybe we should do this. So we did.”
The band has been together for a little more than seven years.
As for the band’s name, it came from an experience Grest had with a man who thought he was becoming more intelligent as he got drunker. So Grest called him the 40 ounce philosopher.
“When we were looking through a band name, we had run through name after name after name and just out of the blue, I had mentioned I had used that phrase at a wedding one time and everyone went: that’s not too bad.”
Marchuk said the NESPCA was hoping to raise $5,000 at the event. All of the funds raised up to $5,000 will be matched by the Melfort Scotiabank. While most of the funds needed to build a new animal shelter in Melfort have been raised, there’s still a need to fundraise to pay for operating costs. Those interested can donate on the NESPCA’s website.
