The Thirsty Monks

What’s your style/genre: What do you call a Tasmanian devil frontwoman, musically backed up by potential Tower of Power love children? The Thirsty Monks have struggled with placing an exact label on our musical style for years. But for the record, let's officially classify us as drunk-funk-rock!

Who’s in the band/group: Jennifer Swistun – vocals/bass, Bernie Wolski Kennedy Larson Tribe – drums/vocals, Michael – saxophone/vocals, Erik – guitar/vocals, and Richard – keyboard/vocals.

How long have you been around: The band has come a long way in five years. The Thirsty Monks have been through a couple different bandmates but have locked in with five core individuals.

Favorite song you cover: Bernie Wolski: I will speak for the band when I say that our favourite cover is “Dancing Shoes”by the Arctic Monkeys.

Best song you’ve written: Jennifer Swistun: I have taken a band vote, then thrown the ballots away! I think the best song that we have written is “Weapon of Prey.”

If you could collaborate with any musician/band, living or dead, who would it be and why: Erik Larson: Earth, Wind & Fire or Red Hot Chili Peppers. I think our style of music (funk/rock) would work well with both bands. Michael Kennedy: Jamiroquai would probably be sweet because we love the band already. We could definitely make some pretty sweet acid jazzinfused funk.” Richard Tribe: Tedeschi Trucks Band. All of these artists share the same musical sound and positive vibe that he goes for. JS: Collaborate with Björk.

What would be your dream gig: Any gig at this point is a dream gig! Only because we were not sure when we could play again.

What’s new: Thirsty Monks got to play three awesome venues in 2021! We never even thought this would be possible, but we got to play our beloved Tumblestone Festival this year! We were surrounded by a strong community, wonderful volunteers, and an amazing amount of artistic talent. In October, we got to play all over Thunder Bay! These dates included the Save the Apollo Fundraiser as well as THE THIRST 2 at Branch 5 for Halloween. There will be more music on the horizon as we plan to start recording again at the new studio in town, Pickled Egg Studios.

What’s the best thing about being part of the TBay music scene: Thunder Bay is overflowing with writers, creators, and amazing artists. And now more than ever, the community is reaching out to restore the live music culture that was dormant over the past two years. During the pandemic, the Thirsty Monks took some personal time to write and relax. However, they are now more than ready to start it up again! All the members came back to the drawing board with something new and exciting. So, stay tuned!

Contact: Facebook: @thethirstymonksmusic