The Joys rock Barrymore's

The Joys joined forces for the first time with local pop-rock sensation The Amanda Rheaume Band for an evening of high-energy rock and roll at Barrymore's Music Hall in Ottawa.

The two headlining acts were supported by opening acoustic soloist Amanda Bentley and roots-pop singer/songwriter George Birchall.

The Joys, a rock foursome led my spunky frontwoman Sarah Smith, marked their spring tour return to Ottawa with this first of five shows in the city between now and mid-April.

According to drummer Glen Gamble, the reason the band returns to the nation's capital so frequently is because of their "love of the city."

"Collectively as a band, it's probably our favourite city in Canada," said Gamble. "The demand is there so we just keep coming back."



Gamble added that the band's fan following in Ottawa is similar to that in their hometown of London, Ont.

"They are the two strongest cities in Canada for us for repeat regular fans. We look out and see a lot of familiar faces and that's a very nice feeling."

The Joys have toured extensively across Ontario and, in the two years since coming together as the current line-up, the band has also played shows in eight of the 10 provinces.

The dedication of the band's fans nationwide has helped The Joys to great success with record sales; currently approaching 10,000 units.

The Amanda Rheaume Band has also seen a lot of positive response to its most recent album, Even When, which was released at Barrymore's last Remembrance Day. According to Rheaume, the band has nearly sold out of its first run of a thousand copies. She added that the album has also landed on charts at numerous college radio stations across Canada.

"We're doing a college radio play campaign and we are on over thirty stations," said Rheaume. "We're now at number nine on the chart in Kamloops and we're also on the chart at CKMS in Waterloo. Plus we're getting massive support from the CBC."

The Amanda Rheaume Band is currently planning its spring and summer tour schedule, which will include the Spring Music Festival in Hamilton as well as dates across Ontario and as far away as Winnipeg.

Related Links
Amanda Rheaume Band - Official Site
The Joys - Official Site