Gimme Dem Beets!

Kingston is really becoming a hot spot for music these days. It always kind of has been but it seems to be growing at a crazy pace as of late. With bars opening up their minds to having more live music and great establishments such as the great newly renovated Grand Theatre and the KRC, new bands and old are sprouting up all over town (here’s to the great line up at the KRC as of late!). One band that is not so new but is going stronger than ever is Kingston’s Tea for the Voyage.

If you’ve somehow managed to miss these guys, here’s the lowdown. The band is made up of six young brass, keyboard and percussion players who play an eclectic mix of reggae, rocksteady, ska, funk, punk, dixieland and classical music. The guys have been together since 2004 and released their first, self-titled album independently in 2007. The album was praised all over Ontario and the east coast and topped college radio charts in Sackville, NB, Toronto and Windsor. In addition to getting time on the airwaves, Tea for the Voyage has played college events and several festivals in Ontario and Quebec including The Sound of Music Festival in Burlington, the Ottawa Ska Fest and Kingston’s own Skeleton Park Music Festival and the Kingston Chili Fest.

Next week the guys will be releasing their second album, entitled Gimme Dem Beets! with a show at Time to Laugh Comedy Club (394 Princess) on Sunday, March 15th. They will be sharing the evening with special guests Gagner, The Day Before Next and El Skibo. The doors will open at 7pm and tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door (although after the last CD release, you’d be hard pressed to get in at the last minute, get your tickets now!). You can pick tickets up at Brian’s Record Option, The Jungle or Renaissance Music.

With all the great music in Kingston it’s hard to choose which show to see but I’d recommend putting this one at the top of your list.