Back in the early 1980s, there was a real reggae-inspired punk and new wave vibe happening in Windsor, and at the centre of the scene was a little trio called Contradance.

Made up of three former Windsor students – Ken Montague on guitar and vocals, bassist Dave McDonald and drummer Arif Qureshi – they became all the rage after putting out an EP in the summer of 1982 called Black Preppies: Look Buffy, four songs just for us!

“We kind of became this hot local band for a while,” said Montague, numbering the student centre pub, Faces on College, The Radio, Delta Chi frat parties and some locations at the University of Michigan among the venues they used to play.

The band got a big push from CJAM, the campus community radio station which back then, was just in the process of becoming an FM station. To mark the station’s 30th anniversary on the FM dial, and to join in the festivities for the university’s 50th anniversary weekend, Contradance will get back together for a reunion show at the FM Lounge on Sept. 21.

Now a well-known dentist in Toronto, Montague said he got a call from CJAM station manager Vernon Smith asking if the band would consider reuniting for the event.

“He said they still play the record there,” said Montague. “That was a very nice surprise.”

A graduate of Kennedy Collegiate, Montague grew up in Windsor with parents who were Jamaican immigrants. There was always a lot of Bob Marley and other reggae on in the house, but he was also turned on to popular hard rock of the day by artists like Neil Young, Patti Smith and The Cars. But then along came The Clash with their reggae-infused punk, ska-inspired bands like Madness, The English Beat and The Specials, and Montague was hooked.

Between 1981 and 1983, he was a student at the university, taking a mix of science and music courses. The band was offered a record contract and Montague was accepted to McGill University for music, but he passed on both, choosing instead to go to dental school at the University of Toronto.

The decision wasn’t a bad one. He’s been voted Toronto’s Best Dentist by NOW magazine and has done work for celebrities like Russell Crowe and Nelly Furtado.

Still, the itch to get back into playing music was too much to ignore. Montague sat in with other musicians occasionally, but missed being in a band. He was married earlier this summer and members of Contradance played at the reception. He said when the band got back together to rehearse they hadn’t lost a step, even though they hadn’t played a gig together in more than 25 years.

“It was right there,” he said. “It was like riding a bike.”

Montague, who founded Wedge Curatorial Projects - a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting art that explores black identity, and also established the Dr. Kenneth Montague African Diaspora Scholarship at the University of Windsor, said he’s really looking forward to the reunion.

“It’s really a great time to think about the early days,” he said. “We wouldn’t have had the success we enjoyed if it weren’t for the University of Windsor experience and the support we got from CJAM.”