Over A Beer
-Kaleb Kaiser, frontman for A Gentleman’s Pact-
This lunch hour we are sitting down with Kaleb Kaiser, having a little bit to eat in Beaumont at his own music venue, Live City. Drink of choice for me? Today I am having MGD, bottle is cold, no mug needed. Kaiser is not a drinker normally but orders a White Russian to sip on. Beaumont is a small town and weekdays find Live City a little on the quiet side; a few VLT players and some lunches to go. As we get started, we are joined by Jacob “Jake” Kachowski who, along with Kaiser are the founders of A Gentleman’s Pact. Both gents, credit bands like Green Day and Nofx as influences in their lives. All that said, they seem to have come to this realization from different spots. Kiaser’s grandfather was the musician in the family and as such supported his grandson no matter the genre of the day. As for Kachowski, he grew up with punk in his soul or rather his house. Living with Kaiser and a punk band while in high school, he was lulled to sleep with the sounds of knife fights and loud music. While that might be a tough lullaby to most, Kacowski calls it heaven.
The guys make no bones about it, they are a punk band. Don’t bother trying to put them in some nouveau sub genre like pop-punk or alt-rock, it is what it is, so like it. It’s a bit of an oddity I say, A Gentleman’s Pact and punk rock. The name evokes a sense of folk or some down-home roots band, sitting on a porch and having an ice tea. This kind of makes sense as they started as a folk band. However, in actuality, the name comes from a note to a friend. The band had issues early on and sometimes music is not the first love. As can happen, a girl got between the music and the man. The then band mates split up. Over time, two years in fact, Kaiser snuck into Kachowski’s home and left a note; “Never hard feelings, a gentleman’s pact is forever”. The note took a bigger meaning as the band got back together, much like the special forces of any country, no man left behind. The band now consists of Kaiser and Kachowski, both taking shots at lead vocals and guitar. Darren Guy and recent addition Matt Koopman, both play drums and bass switching off as the feeling hits them. Previous incarnations of the band did record an EP together, Sorry For The Mess I’ve Made.
The current lineup is in the process of recording their debut LP and will have released their first single from it, Be Sweet, on February 27. The guys are really excited about the new music as they feel the first project was rushed. While the band is at Royal Studios, live gigs are few but they are there. Watch for the band trekking across Canada to Canadian Music Week in Toronto, with at least one stop in Winnipeg on the way.
Yours truly has seen A Gentleman’s Pact and those that know me know I am partial to two kinds of music, country and western. Trust me when I tell you I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The stage presence of these young men is incredible. They are unique and entertaining keeping the crowd of 175 at that show completely involved. To a person, from 8 to 80, they were all on board, laughing, clapping and encouraging. If you have the chance, I recommend getting out to see them at one of the two shows currently booked.
March 3 at the Sewing Machine Factory with Boreal Kinship and California Barking Spider March 31 at the Needle Vinyl Tavern with Fire Next Time, Point Place and Klusterfunk
You can contact A Gentlemans Pact through Facebook, Instagram, email or their website.
- Jazz Matthews