Copyright vernonmorningstar
More than just movies, Vernon’s Towne Theatre is ready to rock. The historic downtown venue has amped up its sound and is now featuring bands on stage. Decades-old Econoline Crush has added the theatre to their New Gold Magic tour. The Vancouver-born band, whose roots stretch back to 1992, are in town Nov. 6. Econoline Crush recently came out with a new single, New Gold Magic, following their 1997 breakthrough The Devil You Know. Frontman Trevor Hurst frames it succinctly: “New Gold Magic is about getting your swagger back.” Fans will recall the band’s collisions of metal, electronica, and arena-sized hooks in other titles such as You Don’t Know What It’s Like, Surefire (Never Enough) and All That You Are (X3). Where many of their peers fossilized in late-’90s nostalgia, Econoline Crush mutated. After early-2000s label setbacks, Hurst briefly stepped away, later reemerging as both musician and psychiatric nurse, working in Indigenous communities across Manitoba. That second vocation inflected his songwriting with lived empathy, tethering rage to resilience. The band returned with When the Devil Drives in 2023. “There was a period of time in my life where I found myself surrounded by doubt and a choir full of discouraging voices,” said Hurst. “New Gold Magic is about feeling triumphant, defiant, and confident when the vision, the dream, the song starts to connect.” The Canadian rock veterans are opened by Okanagan band Freeze the Fall. Doors open at 6 p.m., show at 7. Tickets, including VIP options, available at thetowne.ca. Following the show, music fans can catch Okanagan veteran rockers Redfish on Nov. 16 at the Mainstreet Mixtape event at the theatre. Doors open at 5 p.m., Redfish plays at 6 and then an open stage is at 7 p.m. for artists interested in performing (email live@thetowne.ca).
