Tonight is the grand finale for the Music In The Plaza centennial music series. For the past five days, Canada Games Plaza has been energized with noontime concerts by Socks & Shoes, Zavan Trio, Bright City Heights and Circadian Rhythm. The last day, though, is an evening affair with double-bill punch. Two of Prince George's best loved bands are on stage together: The Pucks and Black Spruce Bog.
For The Pucks, it is a return to form. The three players in the power-folk group - Cindy Marcotte, Lloyd Larsen and Murray Gable - have not performed together in a formal setting for a few years.
"When I got called about this, I actually had to phone the boys to see if they wanted to do it because I didn't even know if we would all be in town," said Marcotte. "They are all so busy, but they had the time, they were thrilled to get asked, so we're excited. I'm actually a little nervous. We actually have to rehearse."
Marcotte admitted there might have been a little dust on the group's sousaphone (the tuba-like brass instrument that wraps around the body of the player). But when you have as many instruments as The Pucks, there's bound to be some upkeep required at the best of times.
For the uninitiated, The Pucks play contemporary adult-alternative folk music. There is a tinge of The Beatles and Crosby, Stills & Nash in what they do, but also the spirit of Bedouin Soundclash and Dan Mangan woven in.
And you can be forgiven for being among the uninitiated. "We realized right away that there would be many people in this audience who had never heard us play before," said Marcotte. "Fresh ears. That works for me. We'll do our best to give them the best Pucks show we can."
On the other hand, The Pucks certainly do have a substantial body of work and national reputation. They were a featured act at the Western Canadian Music Awards, many CBC Radio performances, tours in Canada and into the U.S., and just about every major sporting event in recent B.C. memory that included music: opening for Barney Bentall at the Western Canadian Summer Games in Abbotsford, the Canada Summer Games in Kamloops, the B.C. Summer Games, and opening for Crash Test Dummies on the mainstage at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, on the lawn of the Legislature.
"That was a surreal night," said Marcotte. "There we were, the little band that shouldn't as I used to call us, the only band on the bill that wasn't represented by a major record label, surrounded by all this star power, and we just couldn't stop thinking about how great it was to be there from Prince George showing everyone what this city could do. It was such a thrill. Now we've got lots of bands out there showing the world."
One of them is Black Spruce Bog, and their drummer Danny Bell is set to sit in as a special guest during The Pucks set before he and BSB pound the plaza just like they did triumphantly during the recent Canada Winter Games festival.
The Pucks did not attend that festival or any of the arts and culture events associated with the 2015 Canada Winter Games although the trio did much to help in volunteer and sponsorship capacities.
"We didn't apply, on purpose," said Marcotte. "Because we've played all those games in the past, it felt odd to not submit for the P.G. games, but we made a choice not to. I really gave it a hard think, but we have had so many fabulous moments in the sun. Somebody else deserved a chance. We still get to perform if we want to, but we didn't want to take away a place on the stage for all these great musicians we now have here. It is their time, now."
The Pucks and Black Spruce Bog perform - rain or shine - starting at 6:30 in between the Two Rivers Gallery and the Civic Centre.
