Three years ago they broke the world record for most people jumping on one rope (260). Two years later, they staged a wheelchair parade for senior citizens. Now, students at Canada's unconventional Yorkton Regional High School are holding rock concerts during the school day.|
Industrial rockers Econoline Crush visited Yorkton last Wednesday, June 17, playing an exclusive, standing-room-only show to about 1,000 students and faculty members at the school's Anne Portnuff Theatre.
"It definitely ranks in the top of things that happened ... this year," Garry Gawryliuk, faculty advisor to the student council, told JAMtv. "The band put on an awesome show."
The concert was the culmination of a contest held by What! A Magazine, a general interest magazine distributed in Canadian schools. Co-sponsored by the Wrigley Corporation, the contest drew interest from more than 300 schools.
Gawryliuk orchestrated the Yorkton participation, submitting the students' entry forms in bulk. "You have zero chance unless you enter, and our kids know that," recounted the happy advisor. "When we heard they drew (Yorkton student) Ben Calef's entry, the place just erupted."
This past Wednesday, just days before final exams were scheduled to begin, the band's tour bus pulled up to the school, and the party was underway. Student bands Fluid and Crowned Vic opened the festivities with Econoline Crush watching from the wings. After congratulating the young musicians, the industrial rockers took the stage, with frontman Trevor Hurst sporting the school's orange, brown, and white marching band uniform.
An hour and a half later, after a set which featured "the usual stuff, you know, crowd surfing by men and women," according to Gawryliuk, the students presented the sweaty musicians with orange cowboy hats.
"Our mascot is the 'Colonel Raider.' He looks like Yosemite Sam, and he wears an orange cowboy hat," explained Gawryliuk. "We're kind of known for that across Canada."
"The band really liked [the hats]. They played their encore in 'em," he chuckled. "We told 'em they'd become honorary Raiders."
Econoline Crush's most recent record, The Devil You Know, has been receiving heavy radio play across Canada and the United States. Check out the full-length video for their single "Home" here on JAMTV. (Scott Hess)