One-day concert replaces Music Madness

Shred Kelly to Headline Show

The March Music Madness festival has been replaced by a one-night outdoor concert on March 26 headlined by Fernie folk-rock band Shred Kelly.

In previous years, March was a month filled with live music throughout Sun Peaks with outdoor concerts performed each Saturday and smaller shows happening in indoor venues throughout the village.

“Weather being unpredictable in March, at least two of those weekends it would end up being in a restaurant, so it limits who is able to see them and enjoy them,” said Janice Hoppenreys, events manager for Tourism Sun Peaks. “Instead of spreading it out over the whole month, we’ve chosen one weekend to put on a bigger show that everyone can enjoy.”

Shred Kelly was a part of the Dew Tour AM Series in Sun Peaks last year. They performed as a special guest with Tokyo Police Club on March 27.

“Shred Kelly does have a really good following within ski resort towns and mountain communities so we were looking for a band that would be a good fit for both families and younger people coming up for the weekend. Shred Kelly seemed like a good fit,” Hoppenreys said.

They will play the closing set of the night from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Kamloops talent Jeremy Kneeshaw will open at 3:30 p.m. followed by John Welsh Band, who also performed in Sun Peaks last March, at 5:30 p.m.

“(John Welsh Band) were a good hit, they were very well received. Their type of music really fits with Shred Kelly, kind of that folk-rock type of sound,” Hoppenreys said. “(Jeremy) is very talented and I think his style also fits in with John Welsh Band and Shred Kelly. Being able to include someone local is always something that we like to try and do.”

The concert will take place at an accessible area of the village, but will depend on the weather. Hoppenreys said the ideal location is the bottom of the Sundance chairlift, but a decision will be made closer to the date.

Although the month-long music festival will not take place in 2016, there are still a variety of bands scheduled to play throughout Sun Peaks in March. More information is available on the resort’s online events calendar.

“There’s definitely live music around the village for the month of March but people are kind of doing their own thing a little bit separate to it,” Hoppenreys said.