New Year's Eve with Pretty Archie
2021-12-31 21:00 - 23:30 (America/Halifax) | The Frolic’n Folk Pub & Grill, 4115 HWY 223, Iona, Nova Scotia, B2C 1A3, Canada
CANCELLED DUE TO COVID. REFUNDS WILL BE ISSUED. PUB STILL OPEN FOR REGULAR SERVICE

Long time friends Brian Cathcart (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Matt McNeil (Mandolin, Guitar), Colin Gillis (Harmonica, Bass, Vocals), Redmond MacDougall (Banjo, Percussion, Vocals) and Scott MacLean (Guitar, Mandolin) starting performing together in 2012. The band’s name is a nod to a Cape Breton local who embodied the love of playing and performing music. No matter where they tour or travel, Pretty Archie will always be representing their hometown.
Pretty Archie, their sixth studio album, is one of which they are justifiably proud. It represents a quantum leap forward in the evolution of the group’s sound. ”I feel each of our other records was a step ahead of the previous one, but this one is six steps ahead,” declares Colin Gillis. “We are proud of everything we’ve put out, but this is at a different level.”
Pinning down the ‘Pretty Archie sound’ hasn’t always been easy. Their style has incorporated elements of bluegrass, folk, country, and had that ‘East Coast vibe’. Describing the new album, Brian states “it is more focused, even though you still can’t quite put a finger on it. For us it definitely has way more of a country vibe. This is an alternative country or Americana-style…”
Helping the group realize the formidable creative achievement that is Pretty Archie was internationally-acclaimed record producer and engineer Mark Howard, whose star-studded resume includes work with the likes of Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, U2, Tom Waits, The Tragically Hip, Peter Gabriel, and more. Howard’s fortuitous recent relocation to Cape Breton afforded Pretty Archie the opportunity to take advantage of his skills, and the band couldn’t be happier with the results.
“It was all basically recorded live off the floor, with minimal overdubs,” adds Colin. “That’s something we had always wanted, and Mark was able to do that. There’s a certain ambience and energy in recording that way.”
With every record and tour Pretty Archie carries a little piece of home a bit farther afield. Since their 2013 debut album, Steel City, the band have built an ever- larger following on the east coast, across Canada and are now set to continue growing their International audience.
Cathcart explains that “as a band, we wear our East Coast hearts on our sleeves. We are very proud of where we are from, but our focus now is exposing people internationally to our part of the world.” Gillis adds that “if you are genuine and true to yourselves, then people will attach themselves to that, no matter where you are from.”
Pretty Archie have long been regional favourites, with a stack of Music Nova Scotia and East Coast Music Award nominations to their credit. They are now looking globally, and with Pretty Archie they have an album ready for international prime time play.
The upbeat and joyous “Familiar Feeling” and catchy “Reasons” showcase the band’s instrumental prowess, while Brian digs deep vocally on the haunting ballad “Feel It In My Bones.” At Howard’s suggestion, “Someone New” became a duet, featuring Austin-based Maritime honky-tonker Whitney Rose, and the contrasting vocals add real resonance. Brian is especially proud of “Maritime,” a song written right in the studio that features these poignant lyrics – ”If your heart breaks down, we’ll use mine. It is weathered and weary, but it is Maritime.”
Pretty Archie’s genuine, heartfelt writing connects listeners with a saltwater perspective on modern living. Their fun loving and at times heartbreaking music finds common ground in the blurred genres of Country, Folk, Bluegrass and Americana. Their unique sound and energetic shows leave listeners with a lasting memory.
Their latest self titled album will be available everywhere January 21 2022

Trivia Night at The Frolic
2022-02-10 20:00 - 22:00, 2022-02-17 20:00 - 22:00, 2022-02-24 20:00 - 22:00, 2022-03-03 20:00 - 22:00, 2022-03-10 20:00 - 22:00, 2022-03-17 20:00 - 22:00, 2022-03-24 20:00 - 22:00, 2022-03-31 20:00 - 22:00 and 7 more dates
Come test your wits & win prizes!
3 Rounds – 12 general knowledge questions each round.
Play solo, or form a team. Funniest team name gets showered with accolades.
Hosted by your man – Ruarí Aonghas Lonce Murphy, every Thursday Night

Céilidh Matinee
2022-03-12 17:00 - 20:00
Colin Grant and Mike LeLivre
Get a taste of local celtic music & culture with our weekly ceilidhs.
Expect to see world-renowned talent & budding entertainers all from our native Cape Breton.
General admission seating ranging from $5-$10
First come first serve at the pub. No reservations

Céilidh Matinee
2022-03-19 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-05-07 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-05-14 17:00 - 20:00, 2022-05-21 17:00 - 20:00
Musicians TBA
Get a taste of local celtic music & culture with our weekly ceilidhs.
Expect to see world-renowned talent & budding entertainers all from our native Cape Breton.
General admission seating ranging from $5-$10
First come first serve at the pub. No reservations

Céilidh Matinee
2022-03-26 17:00 - 20:00
Woody Woodburn
Get a taste of local celtic music & culture with our weekly ceilidhs.
Expect to see world-renowned talent & budding entertainers all from our native Cape Breton.
General admission seating ranging from $5-$10
First come first serve at the pub. No reservations

Céilidh Matinee
2022-04-02 17:00 - 20:00
Rachel Davis
Get a taste of local celtic music & culture with our weekly ceilidhs.
Expect to see world-renowned talent & budding entertainers all from our native Cape Breton.
General admission seating ranging from $5-$10
First come first serve at the pub. No reservations

Céilidh Matinee
2022-04-09 17:00 - 20:00
Darrell Keigan
Get a taste of local celtic music & culture with our weekly ceilidhs.
Expect to see world-renowned talent & budding entertainers all from our native Cape Breton.
General admission seating ranging from $5-$10
First come first serve at the pub. No reservations

Céilidh Matinee
2022-04-16 17:00 - 20:00
Jon Hines
Get a taste of local celtic music & culture with our weekly ceilidhs.
Expect to see world-renowned talent & budding entertainers all from our native Cape Breton.
General admission seating ranging from $5-$10
First come first serve at the pub. No reservations

The Town Heroes
2022-04-22 20:00 - 22:00
Whether a sweaty rock show or an intimate acoustic environment, The Town Heroes want you to be entertained.
Born and raised in small town Nova Scotia, Mike Ryan and Bruce Gillis have played together for the past 10 years — touring the world, releasing 5 critically acclaimed albums and winning an array of industry awards. Anthemic choruses, danceable arrangements, and tender falsettos highlight their catchy yet thoughtful songs. At heart, a perfect soundtrack for contemplating life with a bounce in your step.
Musically, the band blends their 90’s alt-rock influences with singer-songwriter stylings in the vein of Neil Young or Ryan Adams. On stage they move like intense caricatures – soaked in sweat, pushing every chord, note and beat to the limit. A structured wall of sound emerges; familiar yet distinctive. Camaraderie shows in their musicianship, their song-writing highlights what they are: friends playing music for the love of it, in it for the long haul.
The band released their sixth full length album Home during the summer of 2021.
Home is a concept album. The entirety of the storyline takes place over a two week period during a summer in Cape Breton. The 9 songs, told from 3 different perspectives, tell the chronological tale of coming home, youth, summer love, and ultimately lost love. A father — longing for what he left behind — returns to his hometown after moving to San Francisco for work. A young “local” boy falls for his daughter, a short romance ensues, and the romance dies upon her inevitable return home. The album captures the energy and spirit of a youthful summer and coming of age. It’s a soundtrack for the summer, relatable and, most importantly during the current locked down world we live in: FUN.
Open in Spotify
Open in Spotify
Open in Spotify

Céilidh Matinee
2022-04-23 17:00 - 20:00
Brent Aucoin
Get a taste of local celtic music & culture with our weekly ceilidhs.
Expect to see world-renowned talent & budding entertainers all from our native Cape Breton.
General admission seating ranging from $5-$10
First come first serve at the pub. No reservations

Russ Mathews
2022-04-29 20:00 - 22:00
Super talented Russ Mathews plays The Frolic this Friday.
8PM.
No Cover

Céilidh Matinee
2022-04-30 17:00 - 20:00
Buddy MacDonald
Get a taste of local celtic music & culture with our weekly ceilidhs.
Expect to see world-renowned talent & budding entertainers all from our native Cape Breton.
General admission seating ranging from $5-$10
First come first serve at the pub. No reservations

Songwriters Circle
2022-05-20 20:00 - 22:00
An evening of storytelling and songs, featuring Carmen Townsend, Ian MacDougall, & Victor Tomiczek

Carmen Townsend is known for her gunning riffs, soaring vocals, and empowering live shows, Cape Breton’s Carmen Townsend has been performing since the age of 15 and has wowed audiences all over the world with an incomparable sound that is undeniably her own. She is a multi-award winning rock artist in a male dominated genre. In a world full of singer/songwriters, it is her birth right to rock. Carmen’s award winning debut album was named Album of the Year at Nova Scotia Music Week and landed her on stage in front of thousands supporting female rock legends, Heart, all over Canada. She has lent her voice to many projects including Matt Mays’ Juno winning Album, Coyote. Carmen continues to perform regularly and is currently working on a new release.

Ian MacDougall holds a strange and unassuming presence on the East Coast musical landscape. Fronting his internationally acclaimed, musically obese, Cape Breton institution The Tom Fun Orchestra, Ian has spent years touring around the world bringing epic anthems and odes to packed clubs, massive festivals and empty taverns. He has shared the stage with a curious array of musicians ranging from Primus to Fred Eaglesmith; Julie Doiron to The Men of the Deeps. Outside of the successes and excesses of Tom Fun, Ian has developed a catalogue of songs that read like a hazy surrealist commentary of life and lure on Cape Breton Island. By himself, these songs stand truly engaging. His complicated musical lulls of ennui and frustration find solace in triumphant melodies of reckless elation. Sometimes. Sometimes it’s something else all together.

Victor Tomiczek is a singer-songwriter from Dominion, Cape Breton. He plays banjo and guitar in The Tom Fun Orchestra and leads the Sydney-based rock group Ladyslippers. Victor’s songs range from tales of working class strife to whimsical flights of fancy and all the high, low, and in between. Victor is currently working on his first solo album. He lives in Sydney with his wife, daughters, kitties, and dog.

Full Bar till 11PM & Kitchen Service till 9PM
Ages 19+
