Having the opportunity to perform at Casino New Brunswick on New Year’s Eve is an opportunity that has not been lost on Alert The Medic’s Troy Arseneault.
In fact, when the band takes the casino stage on Thursday night, it will be the second time in just over a year that the group has had the opportunity to play the venue.
“It is such a big deal for us to have received the call to play with Our Lady Peace and I Mother Earth,” Campbellton native Arseneault begins. “We had the opportunity to open for Moist last November and were just blown away by what a great vibe there is in that room. It is going to be a great evening.”
Arseneault shares that while Alert The Medic has performed with both Our Lady Peace and I Mother Earth in the past, it was a unique concert experience they delivered with the latter group that remains one of his fondest memories.
“This past summer, both our band and I Mother Earth were slated to play a music festival in Northern Ontario that ended up going belly-up at the last minute. Someone came up with the idea of hosting an Alert The Medic / I Mother Earth show at this relatively small restaurant, honouring the tickets that had been purchased for the festival. There was no formal stage or anything in the venue, we just ended up setting up on the floor and playing, and it was one of the greatest experiences we’ve had.”
Arseneault says not only was the overall atmosphere jovial, the gratitude expressed by the 200+ fans continues to find its way to the group today.
“Seeing people’s reactions at the time was great, but the gratitude we have felt since has just been amazing. We are still hearing from people that were at that show telling us what a great time they had and how grateful they were that us and I Mother Earth were able to pull that show off for everyone.”
The Nova Scotia-based Alert The Medic spent the bulk of 2015 touring throughout Canada in support of their third full-length effort, The Phantom Moves, which was released in May 2014.
The release of the record marked the end of a nearly four-year drought between albums, which proved to largely be the result of the band holding themselves to the high standards that their fans have come to expect from the group.
The good news is, Arseneault says the group is already in the midst of writing material for their next studio album, which he projects should be released in Spring 2017.
“We are in the very fortunate position of being able to go in and make another studio album. That’s a victory in itself. We have about six or seven songs ready to go, but ultimately want to have a collection of upwards of 25 songs before we get to make the album.
“Writing new material is an enjoyable process for the group,” Arseneault says. “We all love playing live; there isn’t anything like it. We are also big fans of hunkering down and getting new material in our back pockets as well.”
What: Alert The Medic, special guests of Our Lady Peace and I Mother Earth
When: Thursday Dec. 31, 9 p.m.
Where: Casino New Brunswick, 21 Casino Dr., Moncton
This event is sold out