14 Jeremy Stewart and The Rest perform at Arstpace, September 22. Jeremy Stewart and The Rest Launch New Album TYLER CLARKE Propbuction CoorbDINATOR Local musician Jeremy Stewart celebrated the launch of his new solo album last weekend during two shows at Artspace, the venue above Books and Company on Third Avenue, to much fanfare. Stewart’s first set on Saturday included a couple covers, in- cluding Words from Neil Young’s Harvest album. The Neil Young cover could easily rival the original, with eight people backing up Stewart, called The Rest, filling the venue with easily enjoyable sound. Stewart started the show alone onstage, playing a few more personal songs. One of these songs was previously recorded by his former band The Lines We Drew, which was fitting, as both of his former band mates, Erin and Justin Arding, were in the audience, and later joined Stewart as parts of The Rest. The crowd, although unsettlingly calm throughout the hour and a half show, seemed to take in all the music as it thundered through Artspace. To make the album launch particularly special was Raghu Lokanathan’s return. Lokanathan and Stewart made up local group The Cottonweeds, wherein they played both tradition- al and self-penned songs for the better part of the last year. Lokanathan moved away earlier this month, forcing the group to break up, but flew in so he could join Stewart and several others who make up the band The Rest for the two upcoming shows. He played accordion as well as adding his vocal talent into the mix. During an interview on Prince George bus number 15 a week before he was to take stage, Stewart said there was now way he couldn’t invite Lokanathan, who also performed on the album, to the show. “He’s like a giant. He’s got powers,” Stewart said of Lokanathan’s vast musical talent. Other members of The Rest included Dave Routley, also known as Downtown Dave for having played music in front of the Generator for years, will add additional vocals alongside Jessica Thompson. Other local musicians will also be thrown into the mix, including Jim Sayle on violin, and a keyboard- ist. “T love playing with people,” Stewart said. Stewart and I discussed his extensive musical career in Prince George, and as it turns out, this album launch is just the latest of a long string of musical endeavors he has been. a part of in the Prince George musical community during the last 11 years. He began writing songs on guitar at the age of 11, during a time he said he wanted to be Kurt Cobain. Elysium, the first group that Stewart was a part of, formed in 1996. “We were a cheap knockoff of Nirvana,” Stewart said of the band that he now finds to be embarrassing. Luckily, he said, _ they never recorded their music. They played at a now defunct venue called Spy Market, lo- cated in the basement of a building on the corner of Fourth OVER THE EDGE September 26 - October 10, 2007 TYLER CLARKE, PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Avenue and George Street. Stewart moved on to play in bands that played a mix of clas- sic rock and deth metal, “which led to some interesting hair- cuts,” he said. Those bands, and the ones following, broke up after short periods of time. Stewart found that other musicians, although talented, were not willing to devote their lives to their musical work, and had other priorities. In order to meet his musical desires, and to spend more time doing what he wanted, Stewart dropped out of high school to move to Vancouver. He ended up working in the fast food industry. “Tt turns out that’s not where it’s at,” Stewart now says. “I didn’t want to be broke and miserable for the rest of my life.” He went on to upgrade his education at CNC, eventually becoming a English graduate student at UNBC, where he is currently studying. During shows and in person Stewart tends to go on in great length about obscure poets, philosophers, or artists few have heard of. For many this can come across as pretentious. What makes Stewart different from others is that he generally knows what he’s talking about. This certainly adds a unique spark to Stewart’s onstage presence. “TJ can’t shut up and I’m extremely happy,” he said. For those who missed the album launch shows, Jeremy Stewart and The Rest’s album is currently for sale at Meow Records.