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Five Alarm Funk bringing their ‘punk funk’ energy to Salmon Arm’s Song Sparrow Hall

April 16 concert part of band’s 20th anniversary celebration
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ROOTSandBLUES favourites Five Alarm Funk get their Main Stage audience dancing on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022. The Vancouver band will be performing a concert at Salmon Arm’s Song Sparrow Hall on April 16. (File photo)

A ROOTSandBLUES fan favourite is returning to Salmon Arm for a funk-filled celebration

Vancouver-based Five Alarm Funk is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a tour that includes an April 16 stop at Song Sparrow Hall, hosted by the Salmon Arm Folk Music Society (SAFMS).

“Five Alarm Funk ignited the Saturday night main stage at the 30th annual ROOTSandBLUES, and our audience fell in love with their high energy performance,” said SAFMS artistic director Kevin Tobin in a Jan. 16 media release. “We can’t wait to bring them back this spring and see what they have in store for their birthday tour.”

The band’s latest release, Big Smoke, features 11 fine-tuned tracks and two collaborations with funk legends Bootsy Collins and Leo Pellegrino of Too Many Zooz.

“Big Smoke is the tightest, funkiest and most energized album we’ve ever created,” said drummer, vocalist and band leader Tayo Branston. “It’s the culmination of 17 years of creating, recording and performing together. We call it Punk Funk – it’s got the punch of heavy-hitting dance music with the energy of a ruckus live concert.”

Read more: In Photos: Back in the groove at Salmon Arm ROOTSandBLUES

Read more: ROOTSandBLUES: Celebratory atmosphere fitting for festival’s 30th anniversary

And, that live performance is where the band truly shines, as anyone who enjoyed Five Alarm Funk’s Main Stage performance at last summer’s ROOTSandBLUES can attest.

“What an incredible night,” said Branston. “The crowd was electric, the band played great, and the energy was unstoppable.”

Tobin said tickets will sell quickly and fans should not wait.

SAFMS said Five Alarm Funk’s energetic performance will set the tone for a season of celebrating that culminates in the 31st annual ROOTSandBLUES Festival, Aug. 17-20, 2023. Last summer’s festival welcomed more than 30,000 people to Salmon Arm including more than 600 volunteers, food vendors, artisans and local suppliers. Festival tickets, weekend camping passes, and volunteer and vendor applications are now available online at rootsandblues.ca.

Tickets to see Five Alarm Funk at Song Sparrow Hall on April 16 go on sale at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, January 18. Doors open for the licensed, all-ages show at 6:30 p.m., and the music starts at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and information, visit rootsandblues.ca or phone 250-833-4096.



lachlan@saobserver.net
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