Nackawic Boy Creates Band's Album Art

Well, the mystery of Wyatt has been solved. You probably didn't know there was a mystery, actually. But, there was, and now the cat's out of the bag. Wyatt the cat. Or rather, Wyatt the drawing of a cat. Let's go back to the start of this musical mystery.

It involves a band called The Danger Bees. They are from Toronto, but originally, from Dartmouth. Three years ago, they were in Fredericton playing a gig. Before the show, they saw a banner advertising a cat show. These guys are big cat fanciers, so they decided to check it out. Part of the fun was a display of cat drawings by kids. Bass player Mike Dorton saw one in particular he liked, a kind of wonky, crazy one with the name Wyatt on it. He showed lead singer David Macmichael, who took a picture of it with his cellphone.



Everybody in the band loved the picture. It's hard to say why. The cat has a kind of pained expression, but the group found it was full of joy too. They really liked it. They felt if the band's music was a cat, it would be Wyatt. The picture became their mascot, their logo. Their calling-card. They put Wyatt on everything to do with the band. Pins and posters and promotional materials, that sort of stuff. And when it came time to make their new album, well, there was only one choice for the cover, really. Wyatt it is. And the album is named Wyatt as well.

The band decided it would be wonderful if they could find out who drew that picture. It was a tall order, since it had been three years before. But, the mystery needed to be solved. They first went to the Chickadee Cat Club, which had sponsored that fateful cat show. They remembered the display, and where it had come from: Nearby Nackawic Elementary School. Next, they found the art teacher, Peter Gorham, who had asked the kids to draw cat pictures. The only clue they had to identify the picture was the name Wyatt. Well, Peter had the answer. The cat wasn't named Wyatt, the artist was. And Peter Gorham was able to put the band in touch with Tracy Saunders-Pike, Wyatt's mother.

The whole family is bemused by the saga of Wyatt's drawing. Wyatt himself is a little perplexed they even liked the drawing once he saw it again. It turns out he can't even remember doing it. Nor has the original been found. He had to see it from the band's website, copied from that original cellphone shot. No matter, permissions were granted, the family is proud in fact. Pleasantries were exchanged, and promises of meeting up some time soon.



That time has come. The new album, Wyatt, from the Danger Bees, is coming out at the end of June. In the meantime, David Macmichael and Ed Kramer from the band are on the road, doing some acoustic shows to start the buzz about the album. Since they had some East Coast appearances, they figured they should stop by Nackawic. And that just happened today in fact. This morning at 11 AM, The Danger Bees went to Wyatt's school, and played a concert for the whole place. Band meets Wyatt.. Wyatt meets Band. Real Wyatt meets Wyatt the cat. Mystery solved. I don't know about you folks, but I think that's rock and roll.

(photo by Mary Stewart)