'That was the craziest show we've ever hosted' (7 photos)

Crowd surfing isn't an activity one might immediately associate with a small club in Sault Ste. Marie.

But every time My Son The Hurricane comes to town, frontman Jacob Bergsma manages to somehow pull it off.

And that's how the night ended at Loplops this past weekend as the 14-piece brass hip hop outfit played the wildly enthused sold-out room.

"That was the craziest show we've ever hosted," said venue owner Steve Alexander following the show.

Founded in late 2009 by Nelson Beattie (tenor saxophone) and Sault Ste. Marie's Danno O'Shea (drums), the original intent behind the formation of My Son The Hurricane was a straight-up New Orleans-style band along the lines of Stanton Moore, Dr. John and Professor Longhair.

"We were both touring sidemen full time and we decided that since we had been making a living playing other people's music, it would be nice to have a side project of the music that we loved," O'Shea told SooToday. "The only reason we're a hip hop band is by default. It's because of Jacob. He brought in the hip hop element, and once that happened we ended up with a mix of New Orleans Boogaloo and The Beastie Boys."

Once O'Shea and Beattie had assembled their 'dream team' of musicians, My Son The Hurricane was only supposed to play one or two gigs just to prove to themselves they could.

But the fan response was such that the band continues to perform regular shows with an EP and a full-length release under its belt.

O'Shea reports that another album is currently in the works.

"Hurricane is definitely about quality over quantity because everyone is a touring musician and we don't have a lot of time to do this," he said. "So it's all about bringing a big show once or twice year."

"There's something to be said for bringing out instruments that aren't commonly seen and used in a popular context," O'Shea said, explaining the band's popularity. "It's a real testament to Nelson's songwriting. He's a great songwriter and Jacob's a great frontman. And everyone individually, because they've been sidemen, they really understand how to add their little bit to the band. You can't have one star of this show. Everyone really does have to work together."

O'Shea, currently employed with a touring company, finds himself on the road approximately 240 days a year with various artists playing across the globe.

Endorsing Silverfox Drumsticks and Savior Custom Drums, he also presents regular clinics and seminars, often telling participants that "you can't judge success by your hometown reaction."

"Having said that, I have nothing but love for my hometown," he said. "It's amazing to go back and see all these people who have had a hand in my success whether they know it or not. It's cool that they come out and support, and it blows me away every time."

"For us to drive to the Sault, as you can imagine, it's quite a haul. But nobody in the band ever complains because it's always amazing."

The fact that this most recent My Son The Hurricane performance was sold out almost a month prior to the show date is living proof.

To keep up to date with everything My Son The Hurricane, follow the band on Facebook.

To view some performance footage and a post-show interview with O'Shea and Bergsma, see the latest episode of Tuned on Local2.

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