“PAKT” – A Very Mystifying Event
Steve Obrien 
On Tuesday, July 15th, some musician friends and I, attended the Warehouse Concert Hall in St. Catharines, Ontario for an event that was, in essence, mystifying.
Why mystifying? I’ll get to that.
Performing for an extremely intimate crowd, (less than 50 of us diehards), was the experimental musical ensemble “PAKT”.
The band’s name is an acronym comprised of the first initial of each members first name.
As for the first letter, “P”, well, that’s the mystifying part. It stands for “Percy”, as in Percy Jones, the immensely talented, legendary bass player whose low end wizardry has propelled such luminary acts as Soft Machine, Tunnels, MJ12, and most famously, the British jazz fusion legends Brand X (the latter’s drum chair once occupied by none other than Phil Collins).
Now, as much as I hate to age myself here, I first stumbled onto Brand X back in 1978, when I bought the “Masques” album because I thought the cover looked cool (remember those days?).
I was immediately struck by the incredibly unique and creative style Percy conjured up on his fretless bass.. I had never heard anything like it. Even when another musician was soloing (and each member of Brand X brought the heat) my ears were continually drawn to Percy’s beautifully complex yet languid bass work. (I got to tell him this in a post show conversation on this night, and he just gave me a coy smile).
He instantly became one of my all time musical heroes, and remains so to this day.
So to see him in a small club, in my home town, 15 feet away from me, was surreal to say the least, and yes, “MYSTIFYING”
As far as his musical comrades that evening, they weren’t exactly musical newborns either.
On guitar we had Alex Skolnick, of the bands Testament and Trans – Siberian Orchestra fame
Tim Motzer on guitar, electronics and various sonic landscapes.
And on the drum kit the incredible Kenny Grohowski
Right out of the gate, the audience was made keenly aware that we were in for a surreal and sonically twisting ride.
The band maintained a flowing freestyle approach throughout their set, pulling us in to their half utopian, half dystopian musical world. One of their improv pieces was aptly named “Angel Inn Pub” after the band members spent some time in Niagara on the Lake’s beloved historic pub the previous evening.
It was a good example of the “born of whatever inspired us at the moment” aptitude the band seemed to purvey throughout their set.
Both Skolnick and Motzer executed sharp, at times illusory guitar work that never “collided” musically, but rather, complimented each other to great effect. As a drummer, I envied Kenny Grohowski for the absolute freedom he was provided. He was allowed to utilize his considerable percussive skills to the highest end, with nary a rule to abide by.
As for Percy on bass, he amply displayed why he remains a true maestro of the instrument.
As most musicians know, a typical bass players duty is to follow the root melody of any given piece, “A- Bm- C- Dm, etc.” But Percy, from the first note played to the last, was a non-stop volcano of creative phrasing, and musical conversation in a language that is uniquely his own.
HUGE kudos to the Warehouse Concert Hall in St. Catharines for having the courage and appreciation of the arts to present an event that holds little promise for large numbers at the box office ( after all, this wasn’t exactly a Beyonce tribute)
Special thanks to Katie, who comped me a couple of tickets just because I was so damned excited for this show and helped spread the word.
“Finally, personal thanks to Tim and Percy himself, for taking the time to chat with us fans after the show. Both were extremely affable, gracious and downright personable, especially right after playing such a super charged set. It just added to what was already a memorable evening.“
For those who appreciate some mystique and unpredictability in music, PAKT surprises at every turn.
HIGHLY RECOMENDED
PAKT Social Media sites:
Website: https://www.timmotzer.com/news/pakt-no-steps-left-to-trace-featuring-percy-jones-alex-skolnick-kenny-grohowski-tim-motzer
Website: https://pakt-moonjune.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/PAKT-feat-Percy-Jones-Alex-Skolnick-Kenny-Grohowski-Tim-Motzer-100071761532912/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealAlexSkolnick