The members of Toronto-based indie folk-rock band The Wooden Sky are definitely no stranger to this area.
Lead singer Gavin Gardiner said they've played at the Townehouse Tavern a few times, and they've also performed at the River and Sky Music and Camping Festival.
Gardiner said he loved the beautiful, natural setting of Fisher's Paradise, where River and Sky is held, and is also fond of the Townehouse, an iconic Sudbury music venue.
“People like to let loose and have a good time,” he said. “I like it.”
The Wooden Sky is back at the Townehouse tonight, taking the stage at around 9 p.m. If you can swing it, do yourself a favour and go.
“Our shows are usually a bit of a party,” he said.
Having just completed a European tour to promote their fifth album, “Swimming in Strange Waters” — which Gardiner said has a bit of a “psychedelic” vibe — the five-piece group is now on a tour of Ontario and Quebec.
Their latest album's title is an abridged quote from Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel, Dune: “Survival is the ability to swim in strange water.”
Gardiner said he uses songwriting to try to make sense of the big problems of today's world, including oil pipelines and the refugee crisis.
He said one of his songs, “Black Gold,” references the Keystone XL Pipeline controversy.
“You start to feel so overwhelmed by the multitude of problems that are thrown at you constantly and you start to feel helpless,” Gardiner said. “Then you feel 'Here's something that I can do — talk about it.'”
Tickets to the Sudbury show cost $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Doors open at 9 p.m.
And to get you primed for the gig, here's the video for The Wooden Sky's tune "I'm Your Man."
