BANFF – The kids are coming to rock the stage.
Banff’s Nameless will be in the spotlight at Melissa’s Missteak for a free concert on Friday (June 14) at 2 p.m.
“To see them perform live on stage, it’s just priceless for me to make this happen,” said Jean Michel Lamothe, owner of Banff School of Rock.
“I got to see those kids grow up throughout the years and it’s just unreal how much music has changed their life, and self-esteem and confidence.”
The local Bow Valley band is comprised of Fergus Langer-MacIntosh, Ryder Cook, Jasper Bachman-Soroman and Finn Shackleton.
Lamothe has been guiding the young band through musical endeavours since 2021.
“My purpose as a musician, songwriter, is to share my passion and just to pass it on to the next generation to make this world a better place to live in,” said Lamothe.
Kicking off the afternoon will be Dev Thakur, 9, who is going to be on stage for the very first time, jamming out with some country music.
“I can’t really spoil the surprise, but it’s a classic country song,” Lamothe said.
Following Thakur, 12 year old Olivia Shackleton, sister to Finn from Nameless, will be on stage before the band takes over.
“They’re all playing songs they all wanna learn, so it’s not like I’m putting them into something they don’t want to do, and it just makes things so much easier,” said Lamothe.
“I can’t take credit for their talent because they are really passionate and all I’m doing is technically just guiding them throughout the journey.”
The four members of Nameless will be jamming to some classic 90s tunes with the likes of Blink-182, Green Day and Nirvana.
“The songs they’re gonna play, it’s all the repertoire I used to play in high school,” said Lamothe. “It’s just so fascinating for me to live those days again.”
Those looking to hear the future of music are asked to come early or book a reservation to ensure they get a seat.
“We’re going to have to load the floor with chairs, so we’ll make sure there’s enough room for everybody,” said Lamothe. “But I would strongly recommend people to either reserve or show up early.”
Following the kids at 10 p.m., Lamothe will be hosting a jam night where anyone can come to serenade the crowd with their talents.
“It’s all improvised, we don’t know who’s next, how it’s going to be, but it’s always turns out to be great vibes,” said Lamothe.
