Prince George, B.C. – A rock band displaced by the massive Fort McMurray wildfire has scheduled a tour stop in Prince George next month.

L-R: Rob Eustis (Drums), Mackenzie Walas (Vocals and Guitar), Joe Howes (Guitar), Jeremy Connell (Bass) – photo courtesy Meaghan Baxter Photography

‘Sentimental Gentlemen’ will play Nancy O’s June 23 as part of an extended cross-country tour in support of their new album ‘The Devil’s in the Details.’

The band is currently at the halfway point of their tour and have decided to carry on in an effort to help raise funds for their hometown.

“We had literally put our jobs on hold to go and try to pursue this full-time and we left six and a half weeks ago and we’re intending on being back in Fort McMurray July 1^st,” says vocalist/guitarist Mackenzie Walas. “Now we really don’t know, we’re kind of waiting to hear what’s happening.”

He says the band was living in their lead guitarist’s house when they left town and says luckily it’s still standing though they lost a bunch of musical equipment and instruments they were keeping in a friend’s house that burnt down.

And though temporarily homeless they plan to make the best of the situation by encouraging donations at their shows, including at their stop in Prince George.

“It’s another stop on the map of Canada that we’re really excited to go see and it’ll be a high energy show and obviously we’ll be trying to take donations and encouraging people to donate to the Red Cross.”

The tour will also make stops in Wells June 21^st (Jack O Clubs Pub) and Quesnel on June 22^nd (Cariboo Hotel).

As for the current situation in northeastern Alberta, fire conditions remain high to extreme. In fact, according to the Alberta government the Fort McMurray wildfire remains out of control and is now estimated at over 522,000 hectares, including nearly 2,500 hectares in Saskatchewan.

Voluntary, phased-in re-entry of residents is scheduled to start June 1^st. In the meantime, the BC Wildfire Service announced Tuesday it will help by sending five unit crews (98 firefighters), two agency representatives, and nine support personnel to Alberta to assist in the Horse River wildfire near Fort McMurray.