Fresh off a successful tour of Alberta, Vernon’s Cod Gone Wild is excited to announce its St. Paddy’s Week tour.
The tour will see the band perform four shows in theatres around the Okanagan/Shuswap, leading up to St. Patrick’s Day.
The shows kick off March 13 at the Shuswap Theatre in Salmon Arm. The Cods will then do a special matinee performance at the Creekside Theatre in Lake Country March 15, followed by the Charles Bloom Theatre in Lumby March 16, before rounding out the tour in Vernon at the Powerhouse Theatre on St. Patrick’s Day.
The Vernon show will see part proceeds from ticket sales go to Sun FM’s Have a Heart Radiothon.
“Over the past several years, Cod Gone Wild has donated more than $5,000 to the radiothon, which supports the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation,” said Cod Gone Wild frontman Andrew Mercer.
Joining the band for three of its shows (Lake Country, Lumby and Vernon) is the Okanagan Celtic Choir, which Mercer directs.
“The Okanagan Celtic Choir has grown over the past few years and we now have around 45 members,” said Mercer. “Although it is a fun, non-audition choir, there are so many talented vocalists in this group and I am excited for everyone to hear them at the shows.”
The choir will perform a mix of Irish and Newfoundland songs to open the shows. Audience members can expect a high energy concert, with brand new original and traditional music from the Cods as well as special musical guests throughout the evening, including multi-instrumentalist Ben Beveridge on mandolin, guitar and fiddle.
Now a Vernon resident, Beveridge is acclaimed as one of the best fiddle players to emerge from Saskatchewan’s talent-laden musical community and has twice been named the Saskatchewan Grand Champion Fiddle Player.
“It is nice to add in some extra instrumentation to our music every now and again to give it a different dimension,” said Mercer. “Ben is such a talented player and we are excited to have him involved with these special St. Patrick’s Day shows.”
Detailed show information:
– Friday, March 13 — Shuswap Theatre, 41 Hudson Ave. NW. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime at 7:30 p.m. Cost: $25 adv.,, $30 at the door. Tickets available at Acorn Music, 122 Lakeshore Dr. NE, Salmon Arm and Shuswap Pie Company, 331 Alexander St. NE, Salmon Arm.
– Sunday, March 15 (matinee show) — Creekside Theatre, 10241 Bottomwood Lake Rd. Lake Country. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., showtime at 3 p.m. Cost: $25, adv., $30 at the door. Tickets available at the Lake Country Municipal Hall office or by calling 250-766-9309.
– Monday, March 16 – Charles Bloom Theatre, 1894 Glencaird St., Lumby. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime at 7:30 p.m. Cost: $25 adv., $30 at the door. Tickets available at the Monashee Arts Council office, 1961 Vernon St., and the Lumby Health Food Store, 1998 Vernon St .
– Tuesday, March 17 — The Powerhouse Theatre, 2901 35th Ave., Vernon. Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime at 7:30 p.m. Cost: $30/adult, $25/student, senior, available at www.ticketseller.ca, 250-549-7469.
More information available at www.codgonewild.com.
