A house concert at Serenity Center for the Performing Arts near Birch Island on Saturday, Dec. 1, was the first time the band has been in the North Thompson Valley.
It wasn’t the first time for one of the band’s members, however.
Guitarist and mandolin player Mike Meroniuk grew up in Barriere and went to grades 3 to 8 there. His family left after his father, who had been working at Tolko’s Louis Creek sawmill, lost his job following the wildfires of 2003.
They moved to Salmon Arm for a few years, and then to the Lower Mainland. Meroniuk now attends Capilano University in North Vancouver, where he studies music.
His band plays what is commonly called indie folk, said singer-songwriter Greg Drummond or, as he likes to call it, “folk and roll”.
Two years ago Drummond gave up his day job in corporate industrial sales to devote himself to his music career.
A year later he wrote himself a cheque for $10,000 and propped it next to his computer in order to focus his attention and push himself outside his comfort zone.
Recently, he got a call telling him that his song Walking Man had won $10,000 in a radio station contest for the best song in B.C.
After he hung up he saw the cheque he had written to himself. He felt that if the cheque could talk it would say, “I told you so.”
The third member of the band taking part in the house concert was Michael Lothian, a largely self-taught musician who performs wonders on the keyboards, accordion and other instruments.
Drummond said they definitely plan to return to Serenity and play on the main stage.
The house concert at Serenity was one of a series being held during the winter. For more information, check the music center’s website or call 250-676-9456.