Sook Uncas loves performing in Jasper. More specifically, he loves performing at Pete’s. 

“For our kind of show, we need a bar where people can get substantially sauced,” he says with a laugh. “We love that place.”

Sook, along with his brother Futch, Merle Kasper, John Carpenter and Ace Wilkinson, collectively known as the Uncas, will grace the stage at Pete’s next Wednesday, as their latest tour of Western Canada winds to its conclusion in the Uncas’ hometown of Edmonton. The group has become familiar with the daily rhythms of the road, having toured clear across Canada several times since their formation five years ago. The Fitzhugh caught up with Sook as the band was loading gear on Vancouver Island, much to his delight.

“This is great,” he chortles. “Can’t load gear while I’m talking!”

The Uncas have been classified by critics as part of the group of new alt.country acts out of Alberta that have been impressing music fans all over the country. All this while being compared to Phish, Ween and other prominent stalwarts of the mainstream. Sook doesn’t want to put the band’s music in any particular box.

“It’s rocking music with just the right amount of Alberta twang. We try to avoid distinct labels because nothing comes close to what we want to express,” he says.

The Uncas prefer to define their work by the effect it has on their audience.

“It makes beer taste good, it makes girls 

go crazy, which is good for everybody,” Sook says.

 The group is renowned for their high energy show, one that has been known to include the sweet sounds of a skill saw.

“It makes an interesting sound,” says Sook. “Everyone loves it — we’re all sort of blue collar guys and we like to bring that to our music. Skill saws and cordless drills are a big part of our lives.”

The saw isn’t guaranteed to come out every night.

“If we’re playing Rimbey in front of six people we probably won’t bring it out,” he says, adding that if the usual crowd turns up at Pete’s, they’ll be seeing the saw.

That’s not the only reason for people to turn up — this tour is going to be the last one for a while for the Uncas.

“We’re going to go into our studio, do some demos. Practice,” says Sook.

With the group’s 2004 debut disc, ‘Sunny Uncas’, and 2005 follow-up ‘Drop the Ball’ both selling well and gaining popularity on university radio, the Uncas are planning to release a third full-length CD some time this year.  “We have applied to be in about 30,000 festivals this summer too, so we need to get ready for some of those, hopefully.”

That said, the Uncas are likely to be back to Pete’s even if they aren’t planning a lengthy tour.

“Jasper’s so close to home we can even come back that same night,” Sook says. “I mean, we get to bed by eight in the morning, but that’s okay.”