From their seaside home base of St. John's, Idlers are well practiced at loading and unloading their tour van to bring their foot-moving, polit-reggae-ska-rock to cities and towns from coast to coast.

 Their current odyssey is a 56-day cross-Canada adventure that has seen the band play to an ever-expanding fan base. Kicked off sharing the stage with The English Beat, Idlers are soon returning to the East Coast and will finish the tour in Petite Riviere on July 3.

 With thousands of miles and dozens of dates, this tour even included a live in-studio performance and interview broadcast on CBC Radio 2 Drive. Earlier this spring Idlers set the unprecedented record of having all 10 of the top-requested songs on CBC's World Music charts, a tribute to the momentous run they are on.

 With a core band of at least seven, often stretching to a massive 11 players at times, Idlers' high-energy sound and infectious lyrics have earned the group fantastic reviews of their live shows, including their memorable show at the summer solstice last year at Little River Folk.

 Much of the playlist is original material from their energetic debut release "Corner" (2007), and their brilliant latest release "Keep Out" (2009). The reviews for the new record have been consistently positive.

 Idlers take their inspiration from the roots-reggae music of the mid 1970s. Staying true to the conscious voice of the genre, Idlers' lyrics speak of the human condition, discussing issues of war, capitalism, social and personal struggle.

 Musically, Idlers are hardhitting, relentlessly pushing the limits, creating a sound that is entirely their own and impossible to ignore.

 Idlers will be back in the studio later this year, but first they'll be on the road, playing across the country on the Better Day Tour, winding up on the South Shore to officially kick off summer.

 The fabulous Zac Crouse opens the evening, with his fine trio. In-between tours with multiple-ECMA-nominated group Caledonia, Mr. Crouse is finishing up his solo album, due out this fall.

 Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Mr. Crouse taught himself to play bass guitar and sing at the same time as a means of avoiding depression while at work away.

 His songs are a collection of upbeat, acoustic pop songs about ladies, politics and adventure. Most were written on ukulele (it fits in the back of a sea kayak), but are performed with banjo, bass and drums. As he likes to remind, "The world does not need another guitar player."

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 Doors open at 9 p.m. at the fire hall in Petite Riviere. It is a licenced event (19 and over) and a limited number of tickets are available.

posted on 06/22/10