The Trews Treat the Viper Room to a Dose of Canadian Rock

Labeled “Best Rock Band of Their Generation” by Premiere magazine, The Trews have a lot to live up to. 

“Our manager has that as the tag at the bottom of every email. I kind of want him to stop, because it’s a lot of pressure,” jokes guitarist John-Angus MacDonald. Adds brother Colin, the Canadian band’s lead vocalist, "It forces us to be good every single night.”

The band gets a lot of opportunities to show off those skills, opening for legends such as The Rolling Stones, KISS, Guns N' Roses, Cheap Trick and, recently, Kid Rock. Since forming in Nova Scotia while still in high school, the Trews have released 11 Top 10 rock radio singles in Canada and topped the charts on several occasions. 

They're currently touring across the U.S., including a stop in West Hollywood last week at . 

The Trews are used to playing for big crowds in their home country, so the Viper show was a nice change of pace. As the curtain lifted shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday, the band took the stage to serenade an eager West Hollywood crowd.

The evening kicked off with minimal small talk as The Trews dove into “The World, I Know,” “Not Ready to Go,” “So She’s Leaving,” and “Tired of Waiting," which halfway through included a punchy medley of “She’s So Cold” by The Rolling Stones.

Well into the set, Colin MacDonald thanked the crowd for coming and shared tales of the band hiking to the Hollywood Sign earlier in the day. “We took a picture by the Hollywood Sign, which was surreal, but they must have had surveillance cameras, because helicopters came after us,” the singer joked.

The show was very high energy. John-Angus MacDonald jumped around on stage, working himself into a sweat as he ripped killer guitar solos. Sean Dalton banged away on drums, proving his worth while rocking a Ramones T-shirt and a funky purple hat, and bassist Jack Syperek dazzled the crowd in a stylish ensemble—a black hat, skinny jeans and bandana strategically tied around his wrist.

The Trews have a very versatile sound. Transitioning from song to song, they took listeners through a variety of musical genres—classic rock to folk, and even the blues. 

The band continued their set with “Tired of Waiting,” “Luv Is,” and the title track off their latest album, Hope and Ruin, whirling the crowd into a dancing frenzy. One brave girl approached the stage to show off her moves, dragging her friends to the front, and minutes later, half the audience was on their feet.

The four-piece has established itself as a household name in the rock scene throughout Canada. The guys are now playing across the United States and converting American fans, one state at a time. Judging by the reception they got in Weho, it won’t be long before many American rock fans know their name.

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