Rockin’ in the Garage Majal: Cana Road Band and the caged bird

Cana Road band

One benefit of being a “mature band” is that egos were left at the door long ago. Cana Road Band earned their chops a while back, and the pleasure these days is being able to play while sharing camaraderie with the bandmates and just plain having fun. The juke box hero left the stage a while back, and this experienced group puts together an excellent show with a number of recognizable—and some not so recognizable—renditions.

“We don’t always play the classic rock hits,” said Steve Masonek, guitar and keyboards. “Some songs are the deep cuts on any given album. The die hard fans of the group will recognize the cut right away, but it may not be a top-twenty hit.”

“On our set list, we don’t emphasize crowd pleasing necessarily,” said guitar player David Sloggy. “If we like a particular song, we want to play it. A lot of the time audiences like to hear something different.” Guitarist and vocalist Ron Pope emphasized this. “Sometimes we get requests for songs we might not want to play. Free Bird is a classic example. You can only play it so many times.”

While the pandemic has had a negative effect on many local groups, it gave Cana Road an opportunity to hone their music and cohesiveness. Sandy Masonek, vocals and percussion, pointed out, “We were lucky because we have the perfect music space to practice, and it’s big enough for social distance.” Indeed, their practice facility, the Garage Mahal, is not only big, it’s also inspirational. You look out one upstairs window and it’s endless walnut trees off into the distance; you look the other way and it’s almonds. The entire location is pretty incredible. There’s plenty of room and more than enough for Darrel Smith’s drum kit.

Another benefit of having ample practice time is it helped keep the band together. Not only is music being played, but also plenty of teasing and reparte during the sessions. “You get to know each other well,” said Steve. “We have a lot of fun up here, and that’s the point,” Other groups have not been so lucky. Bassist Mike Bassi, who played for Sapphire Soul, said, “They aren’t together anymore. Some people moved out of town and some joined other groups. It’s happened to a few groups.”

The Cana Road Band has managed to keep on going since 2018. The group basically formed when the members of the group played at blues jams, often called “the dating service,” because that’s where musicians meet. “I feel very fortunate to be a part of this group,” said Steve. “We do things together with our spouses and get along well.”

While the group made an agreement not to play every weekend—they too like to go out and listen to other bands—they do have dates coming up. Check them out on Facebook for the latest news and contact information.