Down With Webster returns to Belleville

By Meagan Pecjak

Down With Webster is making its way across Canada and the United States, touring to promote their new album, Time to Win Volume II.

Belleville is one of the earlier shows that Down With Webster will be playing. This won’t be their first time in Belleville, said Cameron Hunter, who is one of the rappers in the band.

“Last time was crazy. I did not expect that,” said Hunter.

Andy Forgie, the spokesman for the Empire Theatre, said he expects a “very enthusiastic, and high energy performance.”

Hunter said he looks forward to new elements that they have added both musically and performance wise.

“Expect a lot of the new record. Expect high energy, cool new things possibly onstage that look cool and make the show look cool,” said Hunter.

According to their Facebook page, Down With Webster was formed for a talent show during the band’s junior high year.

They have come a long way since then and have produced two albums, Time to Win Volume I, and Time to Win Volume II. Volume II was released Oct. 2, 2011.

“We are playing our new record so all the songs are still so new to us and we still are not sick of them,” Hunter said.

Their music is described as hip-hop, alternative with songs that also fit into the rock and rap genre.

When it comes to the name of the band, Hunter said “the name means absolutely nothing and I know that’s a disappointment but, again when you name your band when you are 12 or 13 you tend to come up with weird shit.”

He continued by saying that it was really just a name that was “catchy” to them and their peers and that it just stuck.

Down With Webster offers “all styles of music. They kind of fuse it together,” said Forgie.

“It’s really fun to get up onstage and play these songs that we spend so many hours in the studio making,” Hunter said.

“Nobody will probably be sitting in their seats,” added Forgie.

Loyalist College student Andrew Swainson is in his first-year of media experience. He said “hopefully it is great,” when referring to the upcoming show.

“They (Down With Webster) are really good and pretty much top notch,” said Swainson.

Swainson, who has been to two other shows in Kingston, said the venue there is better but that the show in Belleville should still be good.

“They didn’t pick the greatest place to have it,” said Swainson.

Forgie said the Empire Theatre is expecting a “full house for sure” and that there is a lot of excitement around this show.

Swainson said that he knows of at least 20 or more people from the college who are going to the show.

Bands like Down With Webster bring a “jolt of young enthusiasm” to the Empire Theatre, said Forgie.

“It opens our doors to a younger demographic.”

“Most of our shows are for mid to late 30’s,” said Forgie when it came to the age range of viewers at the theatre.

Down With Webster plays at the Empire theatre on Jan. 24, at 8 pm. Tickets are available at the box office or online.