The tradition of the Irish pub night — with its lively music, dancing and a few drinks among friends — isn’t lost on the Okanagan-based band Cod Gone Wild.

In order to promote the band’s sophomore album, guitarist and singer Andrew Mercer, fiddler Anjuli Otter, drummer Chad (Rhino) Carter, and bassist Roy Kawano are embarking on a five-show tour with the pub-night theme.

“It’s just a small tour before the summer,” said Mercer, adding Cod Gone Wild will be busy on the festival circuit during the next few months.

“Kamloops is No. 1 on the list because we haven’t done a whole lot in Kamloops and we wanted to make it up there.”

Given that Mercer hails from Newfoundland, where the pub night tradition is alive and well, sticking with the theme made sense. And he said the music is of a kind one would want to hear while gathered with friends for a pint or two.

Cod Gone Wild plays the Kamloops Curling Club tonight. Tickets are $20 at the door and the show begins at 9 p.m.

The band’s latest album, The Traveler, was released on St. Patrick’s Day; an Irish pub night if ever there was one. The title track, which was written by Mercer and Carter, tells the story of a Newfoundlander who leaves home with guitar in hand. He heads west in search of prosperity, but fails to find it.

The story of The Traveler mirrors that of Mercer himself, who made a similar journey three years ago. But Mercer has found prosperity with his music and Code Gone Wild.

Cod Gone Wild utilizes the diverse backgrounds of the musicians involved, fusing Celtic, folk, jazz, rock and funk into a unique and lively sound.

“It’s very Celtic, traditional east coast. But it’s very modern as well,” said Mercer.

Some of the songs date back hundreds of years and have been played countless times before by various bands. Mercer said the key is to bring something new to each song.

“You always want to make sure you do it in a way that’s never been done before,” he said. “I find there’s a certain amount of originality that goes into each song, but of course the original music is really import to us.”

About half of the 12 songs on The Traveler are new material. The 19 and older crowd who turns out tonight will hear all the tracks and a variety of other songs during the three hours Cod Gone Wild will perform.

The album will be for sale during the show.

“People are going to hear their favourite Irish/Celtic tunes but with a twist,” said Mercer.

Cod Gone Wild released its first album in January 2011 and has received regular airplay on east coast radio stations, Celtic stations worldwide, and the CBC.

But no matter their level of success, Mercer said he and the band will always stick to their roots, which holds the promise of more pub nights to come.

ON STAGE

WHO: Cod Gone Wild

WHEN: Tonight! Doors open at 8 p.m., show starts at 9 p.m.

WHERE: Kamloops Curling Club

TICKETS: $20 at the door.