Pulling on The Fretless’ songwriting heartstringsToronto-based string quartet The Fretless has been together for 10 years and counting; they’re currently touring in support of their sixth album, Glasswing. But they met through what many may not know exists: a strong and interconnected national fiddle scene. “There’s a bit of a fiddle community in Canada,” says fiddle and viola player Trent […] Continue Reading |
Carlos Nunez crushes borders with bagpipesWhere do you think of when you think of the bagpipes? Probably not Spain, but Carlos Nunez is here to show why you should. Performing at CeltFest in Victoria, Nunez plays the gaita, a precursor to what we now know as the bagpipes. But despite playing such an ancient instrument, Nunez isn’t bound to ancient […] Continue Reading |
New William Head on Stage play gets personalWilliam Head Correctional Centre has been providing the island with imaginative live theatre for almost 40 years, but Hatched, put on by William Head on Stage (WHoS), might just be giving people the most intimate look inside the performers’ lives yet. WHoS project lead and director Kate Rubin has been working with WHoS for almost […] Continue Reading |
From Alaska gets lost in translationOn Thursday, September 19, The Belfry Theatre premiered the English language premiere of Quebecois play From Alaska, and the results were mixed. The story is ambitious, following the relationship between a lesbian librarian and a local teenage boy who breaks into her house. Both have just experienced a heartbreaking loss, and as their understanding of […] Continue Reading |
Generations exhibit to be remembered for generationsWhen I stepped foot into the exhibit space of Generations: The Sobey Family and Canadian Art, I immediately became immersed in a powerfully emotive and reflective world of cultural exploration. Generations is a curated exhibition of the Sobey family’s personal art collection. Hailing from Nova Scotia, they’re best known as the founders of the Sobeys […] Continue Reading |
Camosun student brings the dreamy noise with Black TreacleLocal band Black Treacle is making an impression in the music scene, and it’s easy to see why. Their sound is dreamy yet heavy, and instantly transports the listener to a time of basement block parties and Sony Walkmans, a time where tapes of The Cure, The Charlatans, and The Smiths lined teenagers’ shelves. Black […] Continue Reading |
Calgary’s No Brainer headlines triple-threat punk showFeeling lucky, punks of Victoria? Then Calgary’s No Brainer, Powell River’s Electric Brains, and locals Pooched are ready for you on September 7. No Brainer vocalist Mike Grant is excited to come back to Victoria—he’s previously played at Logan’s Pub and Phoenix Bar & Grill in his other bands, but this is his first time […] Continue Reading |
Victoria Fringe Festival 2024 review: Jewish-ish earnest perspective on religion and identity in need of a rebalanceJewish-ish is a performance piece by Canadian violinist Laura Nerenberg that combines storytelling with violin playing. Nerenberg describes what it’s been like for her living half a century as a secular Jew in Catholic Montreal. The crux of Jewish-ish—part of this year’s Fringe Fest, with one last performance at 7 pm on Saturday, August 31—is […] Continue Reading |
Victoria Fringe Festival 2024 review: Castle of Glass a shining exemplification of raw, independent theatreWhen I first walked into the Metro Studio to see the Fringe production Castle of Glass, I immediately sensed something was different from the status quo. Usually, before theatre shows, the audience is greeted with the eerie silence of an empty stage, or the sounds of pre-recorded music piped in over the speakers. Instead, a […] Continue Reading |
Victoria Fringe Festival 2024 review: Illusionary Magic of Sitruc James wholesome fun by a talented illusionistThe Illusionary Magic of Sitruc James is a fun venture into sleight-of-hand magic, presented by the Victoria Fringe Festival. This light-hearted show boasts a wide variety of tricks: some we’ve probably seen before, others that seem completely inexplicable. Sitruc James, a comedian with a wry wit, has been practicing magic for over 30 years, since […] Continue Reading |
