Raffi continues to delight crowds of all agesBack in the ’70s, young Raffi Cavoukian, long hair and all, started his career as a children’s singer on the carpet of a nursery school. From this, he sprang into stardom very unexpectedly, and his music, both quirky and fun, gave a rather joyful vibe to the homes of stressed-out parents and energetic children. “When […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Little You, Little Me entice with unique indieLittle You, Little Me I’d Watch the Day Til It Died (Monopolized Records) 3.5/5 The second album from Saint John, New Brunswick indie/garage rockers Little You, Little Me is enticing: no small task, considering it was recorded on a selection of broken or sort-of-broken equipment. With heavy guitar sounds and gritty vocals, I’d Watch the […] Continue Reading |
Victoria’s Torrefy bring thrash metal sounds to the west coastLocal thrash metal band Torrefy started out as many local bands do: they were a bunch of friends jamming (at a house party on New Year’s Eve, to boot). But they kept at it, and now they’re hard at work on their second album. “We went ahead as most bands do, just jamming as colleagues […] Continue Reading |
Snowed In Comedy Tour brings laughs back to VictoriaOne million dollars in ticket sales is not what comedian Dan Quinn had originally set out for when planning a snowboard vacation in 2007. Quinn had just anticipated booking a few gigs along the way to pay for the trip; after mentioning his tour plans to other comedian friends, they all wanted to join in […] Continue Reading |
Soul of Wilderness strikes with nature photographsSoul of Wilderness by John Baldwin and Linda Bily is a delightful book about a couple’s wilderness journeys in western BC and Alaska. Baldwin and Bily spent years exploring the untamed wilderness of the Coast Mountains together and they couldn’t resist sharing their adventures with people any longer. The book is a thorough compilation of […] Continue Reading |
Camosun alumnus Claire Coupland finds her place in the music industryFolk singer/guitarist Claire Coupland is playing her first headlining show in Victoria this Christmas season, celebrating her new EP, For You. It’s a homecoming with a Camosun twist: Claire was in the Applied Communication Program (ACP) here at Camosun. She had a revelation while studying at the college that would impact her music career. “There […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: The Sylvia Platters power-pop teases with ambitionThe Sylvia Platters Make Glad the Day (Independent) 3/5 Langley-based power-pop band The Sylvia Platters’ debut album Make Glad the Day is an admirable first effort for a band doing all their own legwork: the self-produced LP was recorded by the band members in a cabin near Mount Baker. The guitars are the driving force […] Continue Reading |
Alberta Ballet brings the magic of The Nutcracker back to VictoriaThe Nutcracker may be a mainstay of December nowadays, but when it first premiered in 1892 in Russia, it was not well received. However, the performance has come a very long way since then; now, it’s coming back to Victoria, just in time for Christmas. “Every year I see how important and precious it is […] Continue Reading |
Meet Me in St. Louis director helps cast build characterFor Chris Moss, director of Meet Me in St. Louis, rehearsal stands for “re-hear.” It is only after he and the cast re-hear the music and words a number of times, he says, that his cast members can truly “own their character.” The countless hours of collaboration and preparation for a large-scale show like this […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Blue Sky MinersBlue Sky Miners Blue Sky Miners (Independent) 3.5/5 This debut EP from Canadian folk band Blue Sky Miners has an entrancing and mystical sound; the song “Cold Water,” which starts off the EP, is the perfect track to draw listeners in. The band refers to their sound as “Rocky Mountain desert rock,” but “folk rock,” […] Continue Reading |
