Come out to Drumroll Stage for an incredible night of live music from Smilo & The Ghost and the one and only The Town Pants! Get your tickets in advance to for $25 or pay $30 day of show (if any are left)!
The Town Pants started 20 years ago playing small pubs which lead to performing at music venues in over 500 cities in 15 countries and eventually to headlining Celtic, Roots and World Music festivals internationally. Three thousand shows later their own brand of Celtic roots-rock spans seven albums so far and is backed up with a legendary live show that has garnered them fans from Hawaii to Norway.
The Vancouver BC based band combines aspects of Irish traditional, folk, rock and roots Americana, fusing their signature dual lead vocals from brothers Duane and Dave Keogh. With the addition of virtuoso violinist Johanna So and backed by the solid rhythm section of Jeff Tripoli and Blake Probst the band creates a unique form of high energy "West Coast Celtic" that remains in the heart and head long after the music stops.
There are many Celtic folk-rock bands out there, but rarely does a band have this combination of passion, energy and spirit in performance coupled with some of the most imaginative songwriting you’ll find in the genre.
Smilo and the Ghost's emotionally charged lyrics and vocals are backed up by the virtuosity of Wilber (who has toured the world with American blues guitarist Bernard Allison) and McKillip. Their setlist moves between gritty, hard-luck foot stompers like “Nothing’s Changed” and “Big Guns” to triumphant ballads like “Save Me” and “There’s Nothing Left.” All of which are highlights of Smilo & the Ghost live shows. The band’s songs share Americana country/rock DNA with Trampled by Turtles, Dawes, and Ryan Bingham, while maintaining a voice all their own. The recent addition of DeCecco on banjo has allowed for a deeper exploration of the band’s bluegrass and country chops. These old-timey roots are on full display in their highly-anticipated album, Fingers Crossed and Godspeed, which has been selected as one of Erie Reader’s “Top Three Albums of 2021.” The band isn’t sitting still, though, also recording a live album in early 2022. Smilo and the Ghost combine songs meant for singing and dancing with charismatic, high-energy performing on stage. They’re as comfortable on the main stage as they are in the corner of a local bar and shouldn’t be missed at either venue.