By Natelle Fitzgerald
After two decades of bringing crowds to their feet, The Paperboys continue to defy labels. The award-winning band celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with three stops in the BC Interior. They bring their genre-bending blend of folk-roots-Celtic-bluegrass-rock with a Mexican twist to the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre on Friday, Oct. 3.
Lead singer Tom Landa says the band’s intricate mix of musical styles and influences helps them connect with people from all walks of life. “Part of the reason that we’ve survived this long is because of the diversity of the music,” he says. “We all connect to music in a different way- our music is not for only one particular group or audience. There’s something in it for everyone; old, young, people from all kinds of different backgrounds.”
The Paperboys are renowned for their energetic live performances and travel extensively in North America and Europe. “We make our living that way. When you make original music you have to tour,” Landa says. The Vancouver-based band continuously sells out venues without the help of major record labels and commercial radio play. With a busy touring schedule this year, Landa says the band is looking forward to visiting Revelstoke. “We’ve gotten to see so many places and we’re always so impressed by BC. We’re blessed to live in such a beautiful province.”
Landa was born in Mexico to a Canadian mother of Irish ancestry, cultural roots which would influence his music. He later moved to Vancouver and founded The Paperboys. Since then, the band has produced seven albums, won numerous awards including a JUNO in 1997 and continued to evolve musically and creatively.
The upcoming show will feature a three horn section, whistle, flute, banjo, percussion, guitar and jarana (a small Mexican guitar). Landa’s expressive vocals, coupled with the rich and layered sound of the eight piece band promise an exciting evening.
Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre Theatre Manager Miriam Manley says that The Paperboys’ diverse appeal made them an obvious choice to kick off the October lineup at The Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre. “In Revelstoke we have such a varied community; we have new immigrants, we have a growing population of young children, we have a lot of people that work out of town, a lot of people who work in the logging industry, people who work in tourism,” she says, “What I love about looking at our lineup for October is that it really does achieve our goal which is to have a diverse range of events that will appeal to all different sorts of people.”
Here are some other October events at the Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre:
- The Paperboys. October 3, 2014, 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15;
- Black Dog String Quartet- Mozart to Modern: October 16. 7:30 pm. An exploration of classic and modern works written for strings and oboe, from W.A. Mozart to Phillip Glass. Tickets are $15;
- Like Father Like Son: October 29, 2014. 7:30 pm. This drama from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda tells the story of two sets of parents who learn their six-year-old sons were switched at birth. The film is part of the Revelstoke Multicultural Society and Revelstoke Perfroming Arts Centre’s Movies in the Mountains series which features the best multicultural films from the Toronto International Film Festival. Tickets are $8; and
- Heritage: October 24 and 25 at 7:30 pm and October 26 at 2 pm. A dark comedy starring Revelstoke youth produced by Flying Arrow Productions and the Revelstoke Theatre Company. Tickets are $10 for students and seniors, $15 for adults.
Other upcoming arts events for October:
- Official Opening at the Revelstoke Art Gallery: Friday, October 3, from 6 pm to 9 pm. Four new exhibits featuring Revelstoke artists Kip Wiley, Sense of Time (Relationships); Jennefer Rogers, Myriad-Myth Conceptions; Donna Naprstek, Light and Shadows and Theresa Browning, It’s Only Natural. All welcome. Admission by donation.
