Since then, something truly remarkable occurred. “I was sitting around for awhile waiting for the phone to ring after the Jonas gig and, in January 2005, a friend called me,” recalled Trager last week, as he was preparing to depart for Spain that evening on a European tour. The friend, Joseph Donovan, who has become a go-to Montreal producer of note, said ‘What are you doing tonight?’ I told him I was playing a small gig with a friend and then going home. ‘OK, yeah, do your gig, but then get over to Pistol Bar (St. Laurent) ‘cuz Corey (Sam's old drummer) quit the band.’ That’s exactly how it happened."

In case you’ve joined Rip Van Winkle in his lengthy fairytale sleep, you know that “Sam” is Pointe Claire-born musician Sam Roberts and that he and his band-mates, Dave Nugent, Eric Fares and James Hall, have achieved true success in recent years. They won a Juno for their 2003 first album, We Were Born in a Flame, which was followed by 2006’s Chemical City and then by their latest release, Love at the End of the World, which I raved to you about recently.

“I then auditioned for them after I had learned all their stuff, note for note, really doing my homework for this one. I thought I’d be jamming with them for a while, but just a few weeks later, I played some pretty cool shows with them, Canada Day on Parliament Hill, Live 8, etc., really memorable stuff.” Trager is credited as the drummer on Chemical City and has really left his mark on the latest effort. He is considered a highly talented musician, technically-speaking, but also looks great behind his drum kit.

Although he’s younger than the boys and didn’t share their history (Sam and most of his mates were childhood friends - he fronted several bands with the same group of musicians before forming the Sam Roberts Band), Trager clicked with them immediately. ”I had that scruffy look, for sure, and they were like big brothers to me… though now that I’ve been with them 3 ½ years, the hazing has dwindled,” he added, with a slight look of relief.

I asked him if he wakes up every morning asking someone, his doorman, perhaps, to pinch him.

“I don’t take anything for granted and I realize how fortunate I am to be able to do what I love every day... and with good people to boot."

More recently, Trager has teamed with a soulmate who can appreciate his love for music; Hampstead’s Lindsay Robins is lead singer for an Iowa-based metal band and has some noteworthy musical accomplishments so far...

“I can’t complain,” Trager concluded, as he stuffed his underwear into his duffle bag. “I have it pretty good.”

You will be able to catch the Sam Roberts Band’s Love at the End of the World Tour at three Montreal shows, November 20, 21 and 22, at Le National - Tickets went on sale last Friday. They are currently playing Europe (Spain, the U.K., Germany and Holland) before heading back to Canada in mid-October. The opening Canadian act will be the band’s good friends, The Stills.