The Rural Alberta Advantage is a dynamic rock band coming to the recordBar in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The date of March 2 is included in this year’s tour schedule, where the band will play all over the country. This tour serves rescheduling purposes as the band’s latest venture has been hampered by restrictions due to the pandemic.
“We tried to start touring early last summer and suffered from Covid,” drummer Paul Banwatt said. “Since then, we’ve been able to do a few tours and it’s been great to be back in front of people.”
Members of Rural Alberta Advantage include Amy Cole on keyboard and harmony, Paul Banwatt on drums and Nils Edenloff on acoustic and vocals. In 2005, all three Native Canadians met through the Toronto music scene, often hosting open mic nights at a bar.
“Nobody really came to our open mic nights, so we played each other’s stuff for hours on end,” said Banwatt. “In that process, Nils and I really hit it off, and then Amy started playing with us, so we landed in this trio setup.”
The group’s recent 2022 extended play record, “The Rise,” opened a new door. The six songs can be described by the band as literal and visceral and at other times hallucinatory and surreal.
Professional photographer Leroy Schulz worked on the EP. The band said they really credit him with the visual identity of the music.
“I think we’re finally getting more comfortable with what we like about our music,” Banwatt said. “Rather than insisting on how different the sound we need to record is to record to disc. We’re really pushing the envelope in what we do and trusting our instincts, which is leading us to more explosive and interesting music.”
During the tour, the band will test various new songs during their performances. They said they are excited to get live feedback, especially seeing how fans react.
“People come to our shows because there’s a bit of a feeling that everything could fall off the rails at any moment…but that’s the fun of live music,” Banwatt said.
“Plague Dogs” is another recent song the trio released in January and takes its inspiration from the 1977 novel “The Plague Dogs” by Richard Adams.
“We are really happy that people come to visit us,” said Banwatt.
The Rural Alberta Advantage will perform at the recordBar on March 2, which will be their first time performing in Kansas City. Tickets for their tour are available now as well as streaming and downloading of ‘The Rise’.
