Bottle Rock-it and Chase Morgan bring classic favourites to Strathmore

By Melissa Crispin-Piche Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Chase Morgan is used to surprising people when he starts to sing. 

“I’m surprisingly old school, I would say,” said Morgan, who will open for Bottle Rock-it at the Strathmore Musical Arts Society’s Nov. 21 concert at the Travelodge.

His musical influences include Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Ian Tyson, artists whose songs helped shape his taste long before he began performing.

“I grew up listening to all that stuff, and that’s sort of where my voice naturally sits,” he said.

Those country roots will open an evening that also promises plenty of opportunities to dance, with Bottle Rock-it bringing a mix of classic rock, country and familiar favourites.

For Morgan, picking up a guitar began with a much smaller ambition than taking the stage.

Growing up in High River, he started learning while recovering from a hockey concussion at 15, around the same time he was diagnosed with three autoimmune diseases. With his activities restricted, music gave him something to work toward.

He hoped he might eventually become good enough to play around a campfire with friends. Along the way, he discovered a music community that stretched well beyond the open mics he knew growing up.

Now usually a solo performer, Morgan particularly enjoys rooms where people settle in and listen. 

“I love a smaller, sort of more intimate crowd,” he said. 

For a singer-songwriter, an attentive audience makes the work that goes into a song worthwhile. “Whenever that effort gets recognized in an audience like that, it’s pretty special.”

His Strathmore set will include songs by George Strait and Ian Tyson, along with material from his debut EP, which is nearing the final stages of production.

Morgan’s project is called Neither Timid nor Bold with music beginning to roll out on streaming platforms early next year. Work began last October, and he has enjoyed developing a collection of songs together rather than releasing individual singles.

There may even be room for a seasonal request. 

“I’ve always got a couple Christmas songs in my back pocket, especially around this time of year, if they get requested,” he said.

When Bottle Rock-it takes over, the emphasis will shift to music that gets people moving 

“Our design with this band is cover tunes that people want to dance to,” said guitarist and lead singer Lewis Frere.

The four-piece band brings drums, bass and two electric guitars, with three members sharing vocals. Its repertoire draws on oldies, classic rock and country, honed through years of playing wedding receptions, rodeo dances and community celebrations.

Frere’s own experience playing dances began at 15 in a family band started by his mother. They performed at weddings and New Year’s Eve celebrations in communities along Highway 21.

That history remains part of the group’s identity. Around the Trochu area, many people still know it as the Frere Band, despite the different names it has used over the years.

Frere also shares a long musical connection with lead guitarist Jason Birch. Both played in The Elastic Band while students at Rosebud School of the Arts in the 1990s. Bottle Rock-it’s current line-up also includes Frere’s nephew Nick and Calgary drummer Wes.

While audiences may recognize Frere from the comedy folk duo Lewis and Royal, he said this band offers a different kind of evening. Bottle Rock-it concentrates on familiar songs that suit a lively, social room.

“They love the energy of a live band doing cover tunes,” he said.

A previous Strathmore appearance offered a memorable example of how those familiar songs can bring people together. Frere recalled inviting a local singer he knew through her school theatre days to join the band for “Hit Me with Your Best Shot.” They launched into the song together without a rehearsal.

For Frere, that shared familiarity is part of the pleasure of playing covers and so is the easy rapport among the musicians. 

“We just stand up there and have fun with each other.”

Tickets are $60 and can be purchased through the Strathmore Musical Arts Society website strathmorearts.com. The night begins with cocktails at 5:30 p.m., dinner to follow at 6:30 p.m. and Morgan will start the show at 7:30 p.m.