Canadian Celtic rock band, The Town Pants, will be making their first trip to Prince Rupert to headline the Seafest Summer Kick Off Party, taking place at the North Coast Convention Centre on Saturday, June 9.
The Vancouver-based band has released five studio albums, with the band currently working on their sixth, and have toured all over the globe, earning themselves a strong following in the eastern United States. The group also performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
“We’ve also wanted to do some tours on the west coast, but we’ve never gotten around to it. I’ve always wanted to see Prince Rupert, I’ve heard there’s a great scene up there, so it’s about time,” said The Town Pants’ lead singer and guitarist Duane Keogh in an exclusive phone interview with The Prince Rupert Northern View.
And Keogh isn’t the only member that is excited about visiting Kaien Island. Many members of the band will be flying in from all over North America to perform for their first time in Prince Rupert.
The Town Pants’ current line consists of Darla Daniels on the fiddle and backup vocals, Mike Mastin on percussion and Edward Croft on the bass, as well as long time members Aaron Chapman, who plays the tin whistle and sings backup vocals, and Dave Keogh, brother of Duane, who plays the banjo, mandolin and sings.
The Town Pants are currently in the studio, working on their newest album. The working title of the album is “Fifteen”, to celebrate the fact that the band has been together for fifteen years now.
“Fifteen” will stick with The Town Pants’ roots in Celtic music, but will also incorporate new sounds, including some Irish Punk, as well as a hybrid song, “Heavy Load”, with many musical inspirations including Eastern European and Australian music, as well as ska music.
“It’s a bizarre song for The Town Pants compared to what we’ve recorded in the past,” explained Duane.
On the night of the performance, there will be a barbeque starting around 8 p.m., with beef or vegetarian burgers being included in the ticket cost. Additionally, there will be a cash bar. The Town Pants will be starting their performance around 9 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at Teddy’s Music and Chances Gaming Centre. There will be an additional fee for those paying at the door. Must be nineteen years or older to attend.
After performing in Prince Rupert, the group will move on to performing a number of festivals in the United States.