Christmas show to delight

By Melissa Piche Times Contributor

With the holiday season right around the corner, a good festive music performance always hits the spot. The Arts on 817 is pleased to welcome the Heebee-jeebees, who are sure to deliver on all the Christmas feels on Dec. 7.

Chris Herard and Jonathan Love make up half of the Heebee-jeebees – who were happy to boast about their group.

“I think we can probably say it’s everybody’s favourite Christmas songs with probably all of the wrong lyrics,” said Love, who is the lead baritone with the group and also the head songwriter. “We have a good time with it.”

Herard is the high tenor, the ‘soundman’ and the recording engineer of the group.

“It’s super fun, and it’s for a lot of people – it becomes their kind of non-tradition tradition in terms of the facts that we are a little irreverent towards the standard Christmas carols, but in a very fun and clever way,” said Herard. “People seem to have a really good time, it’s very upbeat and people will laugh as much as they’ll want to sing along.”

The Heebee-jeebee are an award winning Canadian four-man comic a cappella quartet who formed the group in 1993. They have released nine recordings and they are internationally recognized for their unique style and harmony.

Herard and Love have known each other and performed together since the ripe old ages of six and nine. 

“We just celebrated our 31st year … we were in the Calgary Boys Choir together and we sort of adopted each other at that age,” said Love.

In University, the band was formed.

“(We) decided that the best way to get dates was to become a gigging musician because they tended to get more dates,” laughed Love. “So, we started a band.”

The humour shines through Love’s laughter as he recounts the beginning of their careers.

Herard said the show is an all-ages show with “a lot of play on words.” One song they will be playing is called ‘Arrest This Bearded Gentleman,’ an obvious homage to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

“People will hear some of their favourites, but maybe not in the way that they’re used to and we hope that they will become their new favourite way of hearing their carols,” said Herard.

This isn’t the group’s first time to Strathmore. The group has performed with The Arts on 817 and also for the Strathmore Musical Arts Society in the past – they are welcome visitors by everyone.

“In some of these wonderful holiday situations we’ll strap on some instruments just to kind of appeal to a different demographic and see what they like of us as instrumentalist,” said Love. “It’s a family-friendly show – we are looking forward to audiences coming out, singing along (and) really having a good time. The more fun they have, the more fun we have and that’s what we’re aiming for.”

You can catch the Heebee-jeebees’ concert on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Strathmore United Church. Tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for 17 and under. They can be purchased at The Vault or online (www.smoreuc.com).