Bong Mansion – Episode 03: What About Kenda?

An ongoing oral history of the saga of Bong Mansion by Into the Weeds’ Ben Rispin and Puff Digital Editor-In-Chief, Connor Lovat-Fraser. This week, the two – along with a variety of Bong Mansion creators, known as the “Bong Mansion Goose Skulls” – praise fellow Mansioneer, Kenda Legaspi as she leaves for tour with her band The Creepshow…possibly leaving Bong Mansion for good. 

Ben Rispin – Man! As we continue to roll out the massive amount of content we’ve created here at Bong Mansion, we’d be remiss if we didn’t take a minute to discuss Kenda Legaspi. Kenda is the front person of Toronto based punk-a-billy rippers, The Creepshow. I met Kenda back in the mid 2000’s and we became friends shortly after that. When Shawn Mcnab of The Creepshow was looking for a new singer, I suggested Kenda. Sure enough, she got the gig and, in my opinion, took that band to a new level. Not that other incarnations of the band weren’t incredible, but Kenda seemed to take the role on in a different way. Over the years we stayed friendly and always stayed open to collaborating on something, sometime…

Fast forward to the summer of 2019 and Bong Mansion, where we are currently creating content. I knew we had something special and I really wanted Kenda to be involved so I invited her over to shoot an acoustic “Pool Session”. We had just begun doing recordings in our empty pool here and she went off with an emotional, honest portrayal of her song, My Soul To Keep. 

After that, Kenda didn’t leave. She became a fixture of this place. Inspired by the creativity, Kenda rallies behind every creative that has come through Bong Mansion. She’s definitely a key member of the Bong Mansion Goose Skulls, which you’ll learn about on our next episode. Kenda has been an inspiration on so many levels to all of us here. We wanted to make sure that as she left for tour, she knows how much we appreciate her around here, and if there’s no Bong Mansion for Kenda to come back to, that she’s been an instrumental piece of the magic that has been Bong Mansion. 

Bong Mansion loves you, Kenda Legaspi!

Connor Lovat-Fraser – I haven’t known Kenda for as long as Ben, but she’s definitely an inspiring tour de force. She has an incredible voice which she showcases masterfully as the lead singer for The Creepshow, she can play guitar and write incredible songs, and…well…she can do just about anything!

The first time I met Kenda was definitely while seeing The Creepshow perform live. I was absolutely floored by the presence she brought to the stage and by the way she engaged the crowd. I’ve been the lead singer for a whole lot of bands, but I could definitely stand to take a pointer or two from her. 

When I found out that Kenda was going to be a fixture here at Bong Mansion, I was incredibly stoked. Her “Pool Session” brought a whirlwind of emotion, and she’s been instrumental in many of our Bong Mansion endeavours. I even had the opportunity to do a few photo shoots (shot by Mr. James Heaslip), and let’s just say that she stole the show for those! 

Kenda has proven herself to be an absolute powerhouse of a Goose Skull, and as she tours the globe with The Creepshow, I hope she realizes how much all of us at Bong Mansion miss her. I really hope that there’s a mansion here for her to come home to!

Previous episode: Bong Mansion – Episode 02: Who Is Jake Reimer?