Written by Nikki Solano

Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️

Sam Roberts Band

The other day I came across my old, scratched, and worn-out copy of Sam Roberts’ 2006 release: Chemical City. It still plays without skipping, which is proof that the album is timeless in more ways than one.

Each time I listen to Chemical City, or any other Sam Roberts Band record I own, I learn something new. I also remember why I love the band, and why I feel like protesting or advocating something each time it plays on repeat (thanks, Canadian Dream from We Were Born In A Flame, for S-O-C-I-A-L-I-S-M). It’s a toss-up which excites me more, the music itself or the passion and candidness of the individuals who created it. Without getting too weepy, Sam Roberts’ music is my staple. “Whoever said you can’t be saved by a song?” (hear Uprising Down Under from Chemical City for more.) It’s a support system and drill sergeant all in one, and it even inspired me to take a chance on love with Ricky, my soul mate and husband. A fan from the beginning–when Sam Roberts used to play shows at the University campus I attended–Ricky and I continue to catch their concerts whenever we’re in Canada. Trust me, if you haven’t heard their music or seen them perform live, the Sam Roberts Band (SRB for short) is worth your time and money.

So what does all of this have to do with Costa Rica? Not much, apart from the fact that lead guitarist Dave Nugent once lived in the country and built a music studio here. As a Canadian expat in Costa Rica who craves great Canadian music on the regular, I consistently recommend travelers add a little SRB to their travel playlist. The tunes can help long plane trips feel shorter, can help in-country transportation services pass quicker, can help make beach visits more relaxing, and can certainly add a bit of light rock to fun nights out.

I often wonder if the Sam Roberts Band will ever perform in Costa Rica. I doubt there’s a market here for Canadian rock, but if other international icons such as Iron Maiden and Metallica can sell seats, there may just be a place for additional evolutionary (albeit softer sounding) rock in this tiny corner of the world. I’ve heard that Sam Roberts speaks Spanish, so perhaps he’d feel at home here, where his signature poignant lyrics could continue to grow and in the liberating, soulful land of pura vida.

QUESTION TO COMMENT ON: Have you heard of the Sam Roberts Band? Do you love them as much as we do? Tell us why.

www.samrobertsband.com

Pura vida!

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