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Cod Gone Wild, Williams Lake Youth Fiddlers team up for matinee show

Okanagan band will incorporate Cariboo Chilcotin youth fiddlers in matinee performance
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Cod Gone Wild, an Okanagan band, will be performing a matinee show April 16 at the Sacred Heart Hall in Williams Lake with the Cariboo Chilcotin Youth Fiddle Society. (Photo submitted)

Cod Gone Wild will be swimming north this April, as they do a four-day tour with tour stops in 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Fort St. John and Prince George.

The Williams Lake show will be a matinee show held on Sunday, April 16 at the Sacred Heart Hall. The Cariboo Chilcotin Youth Fiddle Society will join the Cods for this show. The fiddlers will perform a set to begin the show.

A portion of the proceed will go to benefit the local fiddle society.

Cod Gone Wild is focused on giving traditional music a modern edge and they blend the varied talents of musicians whose classical, folk, rock and jazz backgrounds fuse together to create a dynamic and unique sound that instantly connects and resonates with audiences.

On Friday, April 13 Cod Gone Wild is set to perform live at the 100 Mile Community Hall. Lead singer and band founder Andrew Mercer said this marks their first-ever performance in 100 Mile House.

“It’s always nice to do a new venue, and I think our favourite shows to do are in smaller communities,” Mercer said. “The overall vibe of smaller, rural communities seems to be better, and we always get bigger turnouts than larger communities.”

Mercer started Cod Gone Wild back in 2009 after he moved to Vernon from Newfoundland. He said music has always been a big part of his life and that he played in bars across St. John’s while attending university. This passion is what led him to establish his own band to create a niche for Celtic-inspired music.

Over the years band members have come and gone as Mercer has built a group of experienced musicians from diverse musical backgrounds including jazz, classical, folk and rock. The band today consists of fiddle player Shamma Sabir, bassist Dan Fogarty, electric guitarist Sean Bray and drummer David Mihal.

“It’s great to bring all these people together to create the sound we have now,” Mercer said. “They bring their own music into the mix and that brings the uniqueness. It does create something a little more modern and edgy, and I think that appeals to a wider audience.”

Getting the chance to tour again is exciting, Mercer said, noting this tour is the first time since the pandemic the entire band has played together publicly. They’ve all missed the thrill of playing together on stage.

“When people come to the show they’ll see five people on stage who genuinely like each other and really enjoy what they’re doing,” Mercer said. “That really comes across when we play. We have so much fun up there, and sometimes I forget I’m on stage performing.”

Tickets for the show in Williams Lake are available at The Open Book, 247 Oliver Street or online at www.codgonewild.com/shows.

Tickets are $25 in Advance and $30 at the door, $15 youth (16 and under). Youth tickets are available only at Open Book.

Doors open at 2:30 pm, showtime is 3:00 pm.

READ MORE: Parade of Choirs events back in Williams Lake in April



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Patrick Davies

About the Author: Patrick Davies

An avid lover of theatre, media, and the arts in all its forms, I've enjoyed building my professional reputation in 100 Mile House.
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