The snares pop and the guitars whine, feet tap and heads bob. The irresistible pull of funk is back, and it is brought anew with the help of southern Alberta band, Adequate.
Good things often come in three. For Keenan Pezderic, 28, Scott Mezei, 31, and Josh Thorlakson, 26, three seems to be the magic number.
A whirlwind of activity has surrounded the burgeoning trio since they began gracing the stages of southern Alberta in 2014.
“We just realized we couldn’t do any better, so we settled for each other and started making music,” joked Pezderic.
Fusing 1970’s rock with soulful funk, the unconventional threesome has collected fans with their earth-shaking vocals, boisterous concerts and attention-grabbing outfits.
“We’re having a pretty good time doing all of our funk stuff,” said Pezderic
The triad of multi-dimensional musicians don’t limit themselves to just one tool. All three lend their voices on various vocal lines while expertly playing their assigned instrument.
Mezei not only plays bass, he and Pezderic take turns driving the bands beat on the drums while Thorlakson plays lead guitar.
The moment the music shoots from their fingertips, you know all three belong on a stage.
As the cymbals ring out you can tell Pezderic is not only a master but a zealous music lover. While he started his pursuit of music in other genres, he quickly realized his heart lived for funk.
“My dad is a country bass player so I always had roots in country and rock. I didn’t get into funk music until I went to college in Nelson, BC, and I got introduced to a whole bunch of different music I had never really known before.”
He continued to speak about his transition into funk music with light-hearted passion.
“I had to diversify myself so I played a ton of different genres. Someone finally said to me ‘I need you to play a funk song’ and I realized how much more fun it was than all of the other stuff I had been playing and I fell in love with it,” said Pezderic.
Mezei says building a life centred around song is key for the band’s happiness.
“We all kind of make our lives focus around music. Sometimes we have to have other jobs outside of that but it’s all working towards a common goal of making music,” said Mezei.
The multi-instrument playing Mezei has been a key member of New West Theatre’s house band for just over 10 years.
He says the experience of playing with Adequate provides him an opportunity to not only focus on music throughout the year but also share the stage with his close friends.
“It’s just way different. We have known each other longer and spent time together and not just in a work or music environment,” said Mezei.
The humourous Thorlakson says he started playing classic rock, but always had the funk inside of him.
“Funk was always a thing I was down to do, but I never had the people to make it happen. I consider myself somewhat of a Dennis Rodman on stage,” said Thorlakson.
Showing off their light-hearted spirit Mezei was quick to retort.
“I could not think of someone more different than you…bisexual, 7-foot-tall, basketball player,” said Mezei.
Thorlakson clarified.
“Ya, but what I mean is he is a showman.”
While their talent is evident to all in attendance of their shows, the band believes their success comes from their comical approach to music.
“People don’t want to just see someone play music, they want an atmosphere. We bring that happy-go-lucky feeling and I think that’s where people have the most fun. We are having a great time when we are on stage, and as a result people that come to see us have a better time.” said Thorlakson.
They know the people who come to their shows are there to experience their whimsical magnetism.
“The thing about us is we understand that you have to have fun. The Adequate charm is that we aren’t perfect,” said Pezderic.
Along with perfecting their skills, putting friendship first has been a key building block for the band. While they have been a band for just over three years, their friendship spans over a 15-year time period.
“One of the things that makes this band successful is we get along off stage. You spend a lot more time with each other in the vehicle or in a hotel room than you do on stage. I could play on stage with anybody, It’s that eight hours that I spend to the show somewhere I want to have my friends with me,’ said Pezderic.
Mezei mimicked his sentiment.
“We still get together when we aren’t playing music. We are still friends and have been friends for a long time. It’s pretty natural and we all enjoy playing the music that we get to play.”
While the band has built much of their stage show around classic funk from the 1960’s and ‘70’s, they have begun their pursuit of original content.
They have just recently formed a partnership with Coaldale’s Cottonwood Records to procure a full album. Their first single, Get the Funk, was released in mid-November.
The band gushed about their experience with the newly established record company.
“Those guys are amazing. They put in so much work to get our new video out,” said Mezei.
Partnering with the local company helped propel the band forward and push them to expand their musical library.
“Working with the guys at Cottonwood kind of helped get us in gear to focus on more of our own original content. We weren’t the easiest people to work with, but they insisted we weren’t terrible,” said Thorlakson.
Remaining humble and knowing much of their success stems from the relationships they have built along the way, the band doles out thanks to all those who have made this three-year journey possible.
“We’re very thankful and grateful for everyone who has helped us out along the way and took the time out to get our music out there. We owe a lot to people like Cottonwood Records and all the venues around town that have welcomed us. Thanks for putting up with us,” said Pezderic.
Adequate will work towards releasing their full length album early in 2018. Their next public show is Dec. 8 at The Slice.
