Rock and roll fundraisers coming to Kelowna, Vernon
Vancouver’s Jeremy Allingham is celebrating the release of his new rock ‘n’ roll record in April with shows in Kelowna and Vernon while at the same time raising money to help fight B.C.’s opioid crisis.
“I’ve got tour dates planned across B.C. for spring and summer, and that includes Kelowna on Friday, April 6th at Doc Willoughby’s. It should be a barnburner,” said Allingham (http://jeremyallingham.com).
As for his fundraisers, “last year, 239 people died in the Interior Health region alone. The opioid crisis is hitting every corner of the province and it’s important that we talk about it, and come up with solutions to slow this thing down. We know that raising a bit of money from a concert won’t solve much, but we’re of the mind that every little bit helps. And if we can help start a conversation too, that’s a bonus,” he said.
“I think there’s a bit of a perception that the opioid crisis is a Lower Mainland problem, but that’s just not true. The Interior Health region had the highest per capita rate of death from overdose last year. It’s a massive problem everywhere and we want to do anything we can to help.”
Following his Kelowna show, he travels to Nelson on April 7, back to Vancouver for an April 21 concert, to Squamish on May 26, then he hits Record City in Vernon on June 9 and back to Langley on June 22
Writing songs and telling stories has become his life’s work and he’s been at it for more than 20 years.
He has been chasing his rock ‘n’ roll dream since he first strapped on a guitar in a Langley garage at the age of 14. Punk covers led to grunge originals with his buddies in General Mayhem. That led to blaring rock ‘n’ roll with his cousin in Like A
Martyr, and that led to Americana folk with his brothers in Factories & Alleyways.
Run Wild, due to be released on April 20, is rock ‘n’ roll the way it’s supposed to be: loud riffs, soaring lead lines, thunderous drums and Allingham leaves nothing behind with his powerfully raw vocal performances.
The stalwart Lower Mainland artist pumps out anthem after anthem, from the life-affirming title track to the electrifying nostalgia of Wasted Too Long. Run Wild hits full-throttle right out of the gates, launching into fivestraight barnburners, slowing only for Dylan’s Shades, an homage to 1960s-era art rock and a love letter to his daughter on Cowgirl.
Allingham’s Vancouver roots shine through. On ‘Feel the Burn’, he tackles the city’s affordability crisis, and one of its best-known characters: “Well I ain’t got a million / And you ain’t got two / Bob Rennie says we’re gonna have to move.”
And bitching about housing prices aside, Vancouver can still be “pretty dang swell.” On Walk Away, Allingham dreams about a beer and a dog with his main squeeze under sunny skies at Nat Bailey stadium: “Fireworks seem to be exploding daily / Let’s catch a game together down at Nat Bailey / I got Chef Wasabi in the sushi race / What I’d give to see that look on your face.”
He is once again working with award-winning Vancouver producer Jesse Gander (Japandroids, Pack AD) at Raincity Recorders. However, Allingham shook up his approach to this latest record. Usually fastidiously prepared for recording sessions, this time he opted to keep things loose.
“This was by far the least prepared I’ve ever been for a session, and that was done intentionally,” he said. “It really worked in our favour. There were so many magical moments of inspiration and collaboration that couldn’t have been captured had the songs and the accompaniments been fully formed,” he said.
“I’m super excited about this new album. There are some real rock ‘n’ roll stompers on there, but there’s diversity in the sound too. I experimented with a beach vibe on one tune and even Velvet Underground-esque 1960s art rock on another. And of course, there’s always room for a couple of folk ballads. I’m looking forward to sharing this music at Doc’s on April 6th.”
His most recent career highlights include playing the legendary Commodore Ballroom, being featured in the Georgia Straight’s What’s In Your Fridge, having his previous record Memory Electric chart on college radio coast-to-coast, and playing a benefit show that raised thousands of dollars to fight the opioid crisis in Vancouver.
A two-time nominee at the Fraser Valley Music Awards, Allingham draws his deepest musical influence from Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Paul Simon, JJ Cale, Neil Young, Jim James, Jason Isbell, Pearl Jam, Rancid and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.