Video Funky Snow Monkeys’ Sunday reggae night snowballs

Revelstoke’s Funky Snow Monkeys have been building their reputation as the go-to party band since starting Sunday’s Reggae Night at the Last Drop Pub in November. Their following has been snowballing ever since.
It was a pretty full pub with standing room only last night at the Drop when the Monkeys took the stage just before midnight. It’s a mixed crowd, but skews younger with a lot of new faces and some familiar ones. A group of European skiers sit around a table and snap selfies, looking pretty pleased with their entertainment selection. It’s not quite what Wednesday open mic night at the Drop was several years ago, but it’s definitely something new for a Sunday night.
“It’s turning out to be a really good locals night,” said singer Chris Chayko, who stopped by the Mountaineer office last week to chat.
The Funky Snow Monkeys have been around for about a year and a half. Maybe you saw them at the Kokanee festival in the summer. Since then, the band has gelled and got serious, and convinced Last Drop Pub music organizer Johnny Price to let them take a run at Reggae Night.
They’ve turned a slow weekend-hangers-on night into a weekly anchor live show, drawing in bar and restaurant staff from other establishments that shut down early.

The Funky Snow Monkeys are building a following in Revelstoke, based in part on their regular Sunday night reggae shows that are drawing crowds. Photo: Revelstoke Mountaineer

Chayko said the band – which is Chris Chayko on guitar and vocals, Dave Marfleet on bass and vocals, and Jayme Wenzel on drums – has got serious about their music, and strive to progress and learn songs each week. If they can’t handle a request you shout out on Sunday night, maybe they’ll have it for you the following week. “We do take requests that are achievable,” Chayko said. “We play anything – whatever.”

Singer Chris Chayko of the Funky Snow Monkeys. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer

The Funky Snow Monkeys play party music. They’re maybe best described as rock-y reggae/ska, and draw inspiration from Toots and the Maytals, the Cars, Lou Reed, Mason Jennings, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, RHCP, a bunch of hip hop and Sublime, to name the main vein.
They’ll take a run at diverse sounds, including doing instrumental hip hop covers. Bassist Dave Marfleet’s background in jazz improvisation enables their diversity and adaptability.
The important part is getting people dancing, and getting people into the show, Chayko said. “We’re kind of loud. We play mellow music, but we’re loud.”
The trio has played a lot of gigs in town recently – like the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association fundraiser the Big Eddy Pub last weekend.
And they’re available for your party. “We’re down for whatever,” Chayko said. “We are definitely looking for gigs.”
We’ve posted their latest video above, which was created with producer Scott Lehman of Blowhole Sounds, an Edmonton-based producer who operates a mobile recording studio. He recorded this mashup (above) of a Sublime and Rage Against the Machine song here in the Big Eddy, and the video was released about a week ago.
Find the Funky Snow Monkeys via their Facebook page.