Don鈥檛 call March Hare a cover band 鈥� to lead singer and guitarist Dan Hare, it鈥檚 a 鈥渟how band.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 usually a pejorative term. People don鈥檛 say cover band in a positive way,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e wanted to broaden our view of music and broaden the music that we could play. So we started playing everything.鈥�

Since forming in 1998, has been playing music as diverse as and to and . For Hare and band members Andy Smyth (keyboard), Ian Paxton (drums) and Georgia Swinton (vocals) it鈥檚 been an opportunity to continue to play music and make a living at it.

That was Hare鈥檚 goal when he decided to get out of his parents鈥� carpet business when he was 21 and head into the music world.

鈥淭he challenge is, you鈥檝e got to take what you love and you鈥檝e got to monetize it in some way,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ost musicians, I hate to say, aren鈥檛 very good at that.鈥�

He had friends who drove in buses around North America, playing shows for a pittance and searching for their one big hit.

Hare went a different route, working with Smyth and playing at corporate events.

鈥淪ome musicians may see that as a sell-out. I just see it as adjusting to the marketplace,鈥� he said.

In that marketplace, March Hare has proven itself a versatile show group, performing at a variety of concerts across North America. Now largely playing in casinos, the band also performs at community events 鈥� like the Canada Day celebration at North Delta鈥檚 Chalmers Park, which they鈥檝e played for the last eight years.

That event, Hare said, is a perfect fit for March Hare.

鈥淓very gig is like a family picnic,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ecause you鈥檝e got everyone there. You鈥檝e got older people and younger people and different musical tastes. So our band fits that perfectly.鈥�

March Hare will once again be participating in the , hitting the stage for their family-oriented show at 8:30 p.m.

Although events like these help pay the bills, it鈥檚 not why the band plays music.

鈥淚 respect that music and I respect my audience,鈥� Hare said. 鈥淔or me, I want to help people relive those memories. You know the saying: songs are hooks to hang memories on.鈥�

To do that, March Hare attempts to do a faithful rendition of each song, no matter how diverse.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to sing from the heart,鈥� Hare said. 鈥淵ou see a lot of bands, and they鈥檙e just basically playing songs and they鈥檙e trying to get through the songs.鈥�

鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to evoke memories and feelings and emotions in people, it鈥檚 here,鈥� he said, holding his hand up to his heart.

鈥淚t鈥檚 more than just music. It鈥檚 how you feel about the music.

鈥淚t sounds a little campy, I guess, when you say it that way,鈥� he added. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 just the way I look at it.鈥�