Great Big Sea’s Alan Doyle Here in March
East Coast fusion is still the name of the game
Even though Great Big Sea disbanded back in 2013, lead singer Alan Doyle has been keeping busy. Very busy. He started working on his third solo album in November (which he hopes to release in 2017), published his first book last year, received the 2016 Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Red Cross Newfoundland & Labrador, and is still touring. On March 29th, he’ll be in Kitchener.
Doyle grew up in the fishing village of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, and only had CBC on the television. In an article from the National Post, Doyle explains the effort needed to get any other kind of music: “We had to work really hard to hear different kinds of music. My brother figured out a way to use a clothes hanger antenna so that late at night we would be able to catch Detroit radio. I remember that being the first time I heard Motown.”
In an article for The Record from last year, Doyle says he grew up believing it was normal to play a wide range of music. “I thought it was totally fine to like Johnny Cash and Pat Benatar,” he said.
Doyle always finds a way to magically inject some East Coast flare in his music. Whether it’s the Newfoundland-meets-pop-music sound of Great Big Sea or pop music on traditional instruments for his second solo album, Doyle’s never far from home.
He now tours with The Beautiful Gypsies, a band comprising Kendel Carson on fiddle, Cory Tetford on guitar, Todd Lumley on keyboard and accordion, Kris Macfarlane on drums, and Shehab Illyas on bass. Have a listen to the entire group, with Doyle, here:

You’ll be stamping your feet and singing along to Doyle and The Beautiful Gypsies at this concert, taking place Wednesday, March 29th. Get your tickets now.