mario vaira

Mario Vaira has been up and down, over and under, and right through this county doing what he does best - playing his heart out. but that’s not to say that his career has ever gone in a straight line... Circa 2001, Mario was heading up the well known university band Flannel Jimmy with some friends from the University of British Columbia. So adept was their band at captivating the college crowd, Macleans Magazine’s esteemed “University Issue” even mentioned them as one of the reasons that young scholars should consider UBC. Flannel Jimmy was quickly signed to Nettwerk Records and released their self-titled debut album on that label. Passionate about local issues, as well as the Canadian music scene, Mario saw to it that Flannel Jimmy was never a lazy band. They played New Music West regularly, Canadian Music Week, the BORN TO BE WILD Concert For Bjossa the killer whale, The Harmony Arts Festival, and so on. As well, Flannel Jimmy started touring with artists like Wide Mouth Mason and The Proclaimers, and shared stages with Jim Byrnes, Bocephus King, and The Be Good Tanyas. The band spent the better part of the following year on the road, and after their fourth trek across... more...