Dojo Workhorse

Dojo Workhorse

"While lead singer Dan Vacon may be best known for penning the anthemic rock songs that have defined Calgary's beloved The Dudes, the man's softer side is laid bare in Dojo Workhorse, a group one shouldn't mistake for some half baked side project. the 7-piece group is comprised of some fellow Dudes members plus Brent Gough, borrowed from Key to the City and Clea Foofat, formerly of Consonant C. Vacon moves from barroom boozy to rock 'n' bluesy with Dojo Workhorse, taking the opportunity to bring some pleading honesty and gentle humour to his heartfelt odes to love, loss and the eternal hope of getting it right this time. Channeling Sam Cooke as much as Rivers Cuomo, Vacon cuts through the ironic gloss attributed to his generation and shows that beneath all those gimmicky t-shirts lies love-confused, tumultuous, passionate love. Dojo Workhorse harbours a voice that cuts deep while wailing of triumph and tragedy in all matters of the heart, arrangements that hide their complexity in hooks and harmonies, and lyrics torn from the journal we all once had-or wish we still did." -Derek McEwan/Tanya Laing-Gahr