The Trews rose out of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, mixing hard rock crunch with tuneful hooks and a touch of Celtic bite. After years of cross-country grind, the core of brothers Colin and John-Angus with Jack Syperek and drummer Chris Gormley has become a tight, road-tested unit.

From Antigonish to every bar room

Expect a punchy set that leans on Not Ready to Go, Poor Ol' Broken Hearted Me, So She's Leaving, and a soaring Highway of Heroes singalong. The room usually blends long-timers from the early-2000s radio era with newer fans who found the catalog online, and the vibe stays warm and communal. Lesser-known note: they issued the live acoustic set Friends & Total Strangers, showing how easily they flip songs into unplugged form.

Songs that built the callouses

Another quiet detail is their habit of stretching outros so the crowd can echo guitar hooks. For transparency, all setlist and production details here are informed guesses drawn from past tours rather than a promised script.

The Trews crowd, up close

The scene feels friendly and grounded, with weathered denim, plaid shirts, and well-used boots more common than trend pieces. You will hear quick hey shouts and claps just before the last chorus of Not Ready to Go, a cue the band often stretches into a full-room moment.

East Coast energy, city by city

Older fans from the 2000s radio era stand beside newer listeners who discovered deep cuts through streaming, and the mix comes off easy rather than split. Merch skews practical: black tees with simple logos, tour caps, and the occasional screen-printed poster, plus vinyl of House of Ill Fame or Civilianaires when available.

Shared rituals, not rules

Between sets, people trade stories about small-town gigs and compare first-show years, sometimes pointing to faded wristbands and patched jackets. After the closer, feeds fill with wide shots of the bow and short chorus clips, mostly to tag friends for the next stop.

How The Trews build the roar

Colin's voice sits bright on top, with a sandpaper edge that cuts without shouting. The band stacks harmonies on refrains, usually two or three voices, which thickens the hooks while keeping words clear.

Hooks first, flash second

Live, John-Angus drives arrangements by switching between chunky riffs and ringing chords while Jack locks singable bass lines to Chris's straight-ahead kick patterns. Tempos stay brisk, but they often drop to half-time in bridges to make the last chorus land harder. A small but smart trick is tuning a half-step down on older staples, adding weight and keeping melodies in a sweet spot on long runs.

Small choices, big payoff

They like to cap Not Ready to Go with a short call-and-response guitar tag, turning the ending into a rally. Visuals stay clean and bold, with warm whites and reds that frame the songs rather than chase them.

Kindred spirits on the road with The Trews

If you ride for Sam Roberts Band, you will feel at home because both acts favor driving grooves, warm vocals, and sing-ready choruses.

Guitar grit, big hooks

Fans of Big Wreck overlap thanks to guitar-forward songs that still leave room for melody over muscle. Arkells bring a community-minded, chant-friendly show that mirrors The Trews' inclusive energy on mid-tempo anthems. The Glorious Sons share Canadian bar-rock roots but lean scruffier, which lets a playlist swing from polish to grit without whiplash.

Why these crowds cross paths

The Trews keep structures tight while those bands sometimes stretch jams, so the crossover is about feel more than solos. If you like guitar lines you can hum and choruses built for voices, these circles already intersect.