A Victoria musician coming to town for the Coldsnap Festival is willing to risk a different arrangement for old favourites.
"We like to do things differently to always have that aspect of wonder and joy about what we play and I don't think I've ever been more excited about a live group because all these people are my musical heroes and absolute best friends all at the same time," said Aidan Knight. "I hope that translates more than anything. We bring a lot of fun and sort of awkward humour on stage."
Aidan Knight and the Friendly Friends will be appearing with Brasstronaut at ArtSpace, 1685 Third Avenue, on Wednesday at 8 p.m.
Knight's live ensemble includes Olivier Clements, flugelhorn, wurlitzer, percussion; David Barry guitar, percussion, Colin Nealis, viola, bass of The O'Darling and Julia Wakal, flugelhorn, omnichord, glockenspiel.
Knight, who is also a hardcore drummer known as Iron Aidan to his friendly friends, started in school bands as a teen as a guitar player who wanted to have his own shows and he said everything he is doing now is a culmination of his hopes and dreams from the past.
Knight got to record with band Maurice at a Warner Brothers studio in LA but moved on before the recording was released about two years later. After that experience Knight said he wanted to take control of his own music, which is definitely different from working with a record company.
"I feel like I've done more by myself than I ever did with the big label," said Knight.
Brasstronaut will also be appearing at ArtSpace, with John Walsh on guitar and bass, who was born and raised in Prince George and now lives in Vancouver.
Other members of the band include Bryan Davies, trumpet, flugelhorn, glockenspiel; Brennan Saul, percussion; Edo Van Breemen keyboards, vocals; Tariq Hussain, lap steel, electric guitar and Sam Davidson, clarinet, EWI - a wind synthesizer.
When Walsh was growing up here he played in Supercab, also known as Swirl.
"I like to think my musical influences have become very eclectic since I left Prince George, culminating in Brasstronaut," said Walsh of his experimental pop band.
Some of the band members come from classical, jazz and rock backgrounds.
"It's all very interesting and it comes together to create what we do but at the heart of it, it's really just pop music," said Walsh. "It's got a form. It's got a hook and they are concise songs."
There's quite a lot to look at when Brasstronaut takes to the stage.
"There's six of us in the band and most of us are playing more than one instrument - maybe not at the same time - although some of us do play more than one at a time - at any given song somebody is always switching off to something else. Our music is something you can bob your head to but there's also a lot to listen for, as well."
Tickets for all shows on sale at Books and Company, 250-563-6637; Studio 2880, 250-563-2880 and the UNBC Bookstore.
