Celebrating 25 years as one of Canada’s perennial favourites, Spirit of the West is coming to the Algonquin Theatre on Wednesday, Oct. 29, for what promises to be a great evening of music.
Popular on the Canadian folk music scene in the 1980s, before evolving into a blend of hard rock, Britpop, and Celtic folk influences, the group became one of Canada’s most successful alternative rock acts in the 1990s.
The band started in 1983 as a Vancouver-based folk trio called Evesdropper, consisting of John Mann, Geoffrey Kelly and J. Knutson, playing neighbourhood pubs for very small amounts of money. Armed only with a love of music, the three recorded their first album the next year. They soon changed their name to Spirit of the West and independently released a self-titled album in 1984 before signing to Stony Plain Records, an Edmonton, Alberta, roots music label.
PARTY TIME: Spirit of the West, the ultimate feel-good party band, and alternative rock group, with hits such as Home for a Rest, stops in Huntsville for one concert on Oct. 29.
Stony Plain released Tripping Up the Stairs in 1986. Following that album, Knutson left the band and was replaced by Hugh McMillan.
Twenty-five years later the group continues to make records and has developed a following across the country.
There have been some personnel changes through the years, but Mann and Kelly have been there from the start. Over the years McMillan, Vince Ditrich and Tobin Frank joined on to form the band as it appears today.
Along the way, the group has recorded 12 CDs and has toured throughout Canada, the U.S., U.K. and Europe. They have four gold and two platinum albums to their credit, and are responsible for such songs as Home For a Rest, And if Venice is Sinking, Five Free Minutes, Save This House, and The Crawl. The band’s newest album Star Trails is the first studio recording in several years.
This month, Spirit of the West will be inducted into the West Coast Music Awards Hall of Fame, and drummer Ditrich, who produces House of Doc and Quinzy, has been nominated for Producer of the Year.
In addition to the release of the 25th anniversary anthology, Spirit also taped a live show on St. Patrick’s Day weekend in March this year at one of their favourite venues, the Commodore ballroom in Vancouver. The taping is meant for a Bravo! Network television special to be broadcast in 2009. As well, the band is planning to remount its live symphonic show Open Heart Symphony, recording sessions toward an album of brand new songs and a live, in-concert DVD.
At the very least, Spirit of the West has earned a reputation as Canada’s favourite party band. Their unique blend of pop, rock and Celtic music has been imitated, but rarely equaled.
Concert tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for youth under 18 and can be obtained from the Algonquin Theatre box office, by calling 789-4975, or online at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca.
