Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew – March/April 2003
by Julian Mainprize
Who: Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew
What: Blues Jam Fusion
Where: Moncton, NB
To Contact: Monarch Music, (506) 863-3980, www.colepaugh.com
Since the release of their latest recording Trip, things have been going extremely well for Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew. They were recently featured and nominated for ‘Rock Artist of the Year’ at last year’s East Coast Music Awards. The band was also a finalist in the CBC’s Great Canadian Music Dream. They also had a song selected to be a part of the Great Canadian Talent Search compilation CD through a contest run by Canadian Musician. Singer/guitarist Chris Cloepaugh and bassist/singer Lynn Daigle have been with the band since its inception in 1996. Since that time the band has seen more drummers come through its ranks than Spinal Tap. Colepaugh, originally a drummer, decided to solve this problem on Trip by playing the drum parts himself -he clearly hasn’t lost his touch. As talented a multi-instrumentalist as Colepaugh may be, he’s no acrobat. The band uses drummer Remi Borque for live performances.
Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew definitely hail from a purer era of rock. Their funky blues style is not a far throw from better-known jam bands like Phish, Blues Traveller and the Grateful Dead. As they have yet to receive the right offer, Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew are happy to keep full independent control of their creative future. But as bassist Lynn Daigle put it, “As soon as a label offers us a good deal and a solid team to work with, then we would definitely consider relinquishing some of our control.” One thing the band has learned over the years is how to actively promote itself. As Lynn Daigle put it, “Time runs out very quickly with a new release on the independent level. Funding dries up and the industry gets hooked on the next new thing. Get it out, get it heard and get it going!”