Off the slopes and into the Wood
Victoria alt.-rockers the Michael Wood Band are making their way up Silver Star Mountain this weekend as part of the band’s cross-country tour.
The band, led by Michael Wood, has already played Kamloops’ Sun Peaks Resort as well as shows in Kelowna and Salmon Arm, where Wood has a local connection as his family is the pioneering Ritchie family of Salmon Arm, and his grandmother, aunts and many cousins still live there.
An active humanitarian as well as musician, Wood and the band, including Jon Baergen (bass/vocals), Josh Weed (guitar/vocals), and Alex Campbell (drums/vocals) have a sound described as “The Killers meets Kings of Leon with an infectious groove,” reflecting multiple influences ranging from jazz to pop to classic rock.
Their debut album, Occupy This, recorded at the Barn Recording Studio (where Randy Bachman and Buffy Sainte-Marie have both recorded) was released in May, and was written while the band’s members were still in high school.
The songs reflect diverse topics such as the Arab Spring (Should We Be Afraid) to over commercialism (End of the World) to finding your own path (I Think I’ll Just Go to Bed), and are receiving radio play nationwide.
“It’s really great to see people responding so positively to our music,” said Wood. “People hear the songs and see our video for the single End of the World and are really excited to have us out to play. It’s been really encouraging.”
More than 66,000 fans have also viewed the band’s YouTube channel, and in particular, the video for End of the World, and I Think I’ll Just Go To Bed won them the new artist of the month on Ontario’s CKXS 99.1 FM.
Extensive performing has also ensued, with the band playing everything from small charity shows to large festivals, including a performance at the Calgary Stampede.
More recently, they were selected as finalists in the Amp Records and Fox FM Band Fight held this fall in Vancouver.
The Michael Wood Band takes the stage at the Saloon in the Vance Creek Hotel at Silver Star Mountain Resort, Saturday Feb. 9 at 9 p.m. Seating is limited, so best to arrive early. Cover is $2.
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