This Friday night, March 4th, Five Wheel Drive will be playing live at the Ontario Lacrosse Association SAGM (Semi-Annual General Meeting). The meeting and show is being held at the Delta Meadowvale in Mississauga, Ontario. The band is scheduled to go on between 8:30 – 9:00pm on Friday night and play until after midnight.
It is a bit of a big deal for the band, specifically lead vocalist Gary Mark. “I was absolutely thrilled when I was asked if we could play. It is an unreal honour to play for lacrosse people; there’s none like them.” The OLA SAGM captures representatives from every minor association all across Ontario, as well as all Junior and Major Clubs over the course of the weekend. Various meetings, discussions and training takes place each year.
“I have been involved in lacrosse is some capacity (player, referee, timekeeper, coach, volunteer) almost every year since I was five years old. I owe so much to the game; lifelong friends and relationships, and of course all of the memories from the game that I can share with my family. Ironically, 2016 will be the first year I am not involved with the game in any capacity for as long as I can remember. But I left because I felt it was time, and I now have some other interests (music) that really occupy my time. It will be a little bitter sweet going into this meeting now as an entertainer. Sure I will miss it, but I am so excited to play and share my other passion with so many friends and peers.”
Five Wheel Drive is the band that was put together 4 years ago, and the group started playing live 3 years ago. Since then the group (who focuses on playing those classic rock songs you love but don’t hear very often), have been playing regularly throughout Durham Region and beyond. “We like to be a little different so you won’t hear Brown Eyed Girl, or Mustang Sally”, said keyboardist Fernando Laguardia. “Sure they are great songs but every bar band on the continent plays them. We go for the wow factor, as in wow I cannot believe that they did that one, I have not heard it in so long. ”
Mark says that being in a band is a mirror image of being on a lacrosse team or volunteer executive. “We practice to get better and we all have our certain roles. Individually we are all good at what we do, but when the 5 of us work together, we can really make some amazing things happen. It is just like it is on the floor.”
For more information about Five Wheel Drive you can follow the band on Facebook at www.facebook.com/5wdband, or go to the bands website at 5wheeldrive.ca