Cat 5 guitarist Jerry Thomas West jokes with audience members before the start of the show.
The band, Cat 5, begins to set up for the show as audience members find their seats.
Jerry Thomas West wails on his guitar as night closes in on the second day of the White Lake Water Festival
Rock band Cat5 kept the White Lake Water Festival excitement going with a show featuring earth-shattering guitar solos, powerful vocals, and amazing covers of your favorite oldie’s hits among their own original, award-winning music.
Cat5, a band that blends the genres of country, rock and beach music, performed during the second day of the White Lake Water Festival. The band performed many of their hit songs such as “Beach and the Boulevard” which won Song of the Year at the 2021 CBMA’s. They also performed songs from the 70s and 80s like Journey’s “Separate Ways” and even Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose.” The band also performed a number of country hits including “Beer Never Broke My Heart” by Luke Bryan. This diverse lineup provided a myriad of listening options for the crowd to partake in.
Similar to Jim Quick’s show the previous night, Cat5 also took a short break in the middle of the show. During this time band members took photos and had conversations with fans while tech set up for the next part of the show. They also had a standoff to the side where audience members could buy CD’s and t-shirts.
The 2021 CBMA’s, or Carolina Beach Music Awards, provided a big win for the band. This was also only their second year performing together. The band ended up getting nominated for 10 different awards.
“Cat5 ended up taking a total of 5 awards home in only their second year of performing,” The band’s website, Cat5live.com states. “Including the prestigious award for Group of the year, Song of the Year with “The Beach and The Boulevard,” Smoothie of The Year for their remake of the popular song “Something Said Love”, Songwriter of The Year for “The Beach and The Boulevard” and Instrumentalist of the year for Cat5 Drummer Camron Dudley.”
The band’s name is the brainchild of guitarist Jerry Thomas West. West happened to throw out the name during the band’s planning process, and the rest is history.
“We were just throwing out some names and I’ve always been obsessed with weather, so I happened to suggest the name Category 5 Hurricane,” West said. “The guys loved it but it was a little wordy. Someone suggested to shorten it to just Cat5, because it rolled off the tongue a little better, and it stuck.”
West’s fascination with weather permeated through most of the band’s theming. An example of this is the thunder and lightning sounds played at the beginning of the show through the loudspeakers. Other examples include the band’s fanbase known as “The Stormchasers.”
West was also responsible for the band’s guitar and some vocals. His solos could range from soulful and melodic to something so loud and powerful it could wake Jimi Hendrix from the dead.
“I’ve been playing since I was 17, about when I graduated from high school,” West said. “I just kept practicing with it and driving people crazy and that’s sort of how I got to where I am today.”
Though Saturday’s show might have gone off without a hitch, the morning of the event was a completely different story for the band. The band’s regular drummer, Cameron Dudley, was unable to make the show due to scheduling conflicts. This left the band scrambling to find a replacement drummer for the show. In walked Frankie Burney, the drummer for the band “The Pink Slips.” Burney was able to come in and fill Dudley’s shoes by providing drum licks to mimic the crowd’s pounding heartbeat, all with no practice. This turned what could have been a catastrophe into a collaboration for the ages.
“God bless Frankie, man.” West said. “We’ve been trying to get our drummer’s schedule to line up. He’ll be with us full-time next week, but he wasn’t able to make it today. We called a few people and Frankie was able to come and fill in.”
Judging by the crowd’s thunderous applause and movement on the dance floor, Burney’s lack of practice provided nothing more concerning than a small bump in the road. People sang along with the tunes, danced, and just overall had a blast at Saturday’s show.
West has a deep passion for music. He’s been playing in different bands since the 70s. As a result of this, he does not stray away from helping young artists embrace their own passion for music. When it comes to playing music, there is nothing West encourages more than passion and fun.
“I don’t see anything wrong with people getting into music,” West said. “It’s a universal language. We all understand it. I think if it’s something they genuinely want to do, I say go for it!”
You can listen to Cat 5 on Spotify, YouTube Music and Apple Music. You can also follow them on Facebook or Instagram and visit their website at Cat5live.com