The PoCo Grand Prix may be the first time Groove & Tonic has entertained at a cycling race but Sean Dillon said the Vancouver party band is excited to headline the inaugural competitive event.
The high-energy ensemble performs on the Phoenix Entertainment Stage at Leigh Square Community Arts Village (beside PoCo city hall) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
And though its set list is a secret, Dillon promises a wide range of cover tunes to suit the post-ride crowd. "We will most definitely be playing hits of the day whilst mining the classic repertoire to appease any baby boomers feeling that nostalgia kick — those classic songs that everyone of all ages will know," he told The Tri-City News last week.
Race and city organizers have lineup four other outstanding acts for the day, with funding courtesy of Coquitlam's Phoenix Truck and Crane.
Company spokesperson Sabrina Cerclé said it wanted to get onboard as trucking and cycling go hand-in-hand.
"We have so much in common with the cycling community," she said. "We share the road, are very concerned about safety and love that adrenaline rush. We are both very passionate about what're we're doing."
Sponsoring an event in neighbouring Port Coquitlam is good for the Tri-Cities overall, Cerclé said. "I know that we're based in Coquitlam but we work around the entire Lower Mainland and the province. We're a big supporter of local events and we're happy to be part of something different, on a much bigger scale."
Cerclé said she was pleased to hear Locarno would kick off the day-long entertainment at the PoCo Grand Prix. As a previous organizer of Festival du Bois in Maillardville, she brought on the Mexican/Cuban-sound group this and last year (she also saw them perform at Music on the Grill at the Evergreen Cultural Centre in Coquitlam in 2011 with Babe Gurr).
Led by Juno award-winner and Paperboys' frontman, Tom Landa, Locarno hits the Phoenix stage at 1 p.m. at the Leigh Square bandshell.
It will be followed by The Bird & The Lion — a Port Coquitlam singing/songwriting duo — at 2:30 p.m. while Ache Brasil blasts off at 4 p.m. with its bright music, dance and acrobatics, a taste of what's to come at the Rio Summer Olympics next month.
The Fort Langley-based roots rock ensemble, The Sean Michael Trio, will have a set at 5:30 p.m. performing acoustic and electric covers and original tunes before Groove & Tonic wrap it up.
But the main entertainment stage isn't Phoenix's only involvement in the PoCo Grand Prix: It's also presenting the kids' zone and city hall garden activities from 1 to 5 p.m.
The popular children's musician Will Stroet — star of the television series Will's Jams, an educational series for preschoolers — plays half-hour shows in front of city hall at 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
There will also be performances from the Beshano Bike Trials Club, One Woman Circus and Circus West Unicycle Team.
• For the full lineup, site map and volunteer opportunities, visit pocograndprix.ca.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
@jwarrenTC
