Those familiar with Brampton/Burlington throwback rock quartet THE SWEET MACK know well what to expect when this four-piece hits the stage – a mash of 90s alt-rock sensibility with a layer of classic rock that’s amply accessible for all generations.

Essentially it all breaks down like this: start with a walking groove bassline and drumbeat, layer on some power chord distortion, belt out some call-and-response vocal lines, toss in some tambourine for extra flair, and tear out some solos for good measure. Blend. Mix. Dance. Spill your drink. Repeat.

This is probably one of the stand-out things about the band that lead the iM team to saunter up to our regular haunt at Rancho Relaxo for the end of CMW 2012 Day 4… we made a poutine run first though.

“It’s 2AM… so you should all be REALLY drunk,” joked lead guitarist Adam Montgomery after the band finished up the first song of their set. “We’re not really THAT drunk… well… we’re gonna get there.” Later on in the set after noticing that most of those still in attendance at the bar were dancing near the front, he added: “You guys have a lot of energy after 2 o’clock… you must all be strippers…”

If the members of THE SWEET MACK had actually been completely bombed on liquor or beer beforehand this wasn’t readily apparent during their show, as even this late at night everyone was hitting their cues and they frequently floated together on stage to rock out in time to their own dance-y grooves. Likewise – those still in attendance after hours on this Saturday were definitely still happy to hit the dance floor.

Needless to say if you’re looking for a late night good time, and you still have some energy to spare, you needn’t look any further than THE SWEET MACK.

…unless of course you’re looking for strippers… then they’ll apparently be in the crowd.

- Photos by LIZ GARERI