Shaggy disappoints on last night of Ska FestWhen talking to others about Victoria Ska Fest, almost everybody mentioned Shaggy’s slot on the final night. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise that Saturday’s show was packed. I arrived just in time to catch the last few songs from The Ponderosas, a lively band featuring dance moves led by singers Kristie McCracken and […] Continue Reading |
Ska Fest showcases variety of talented performersDespite the overcast weather, Victoria Ska Fest succeeded at drawing a good-sized crowd to their Friday-night show. The beer tent was packed, the crowd was excited, and Fishbone was playing. A full-throttle band that mixed ska, soul, and punk, Fishbone were a hit. And even though there were plenty of kids in the crowd, frontman […] Continue Reading |
Ska Fest makes good first impression on ska concert newbieAlthough I love live music of most genres, I had never been to a concert of just ska music, so I was excited but not quite sure what to expect at Victoria’s annual Ska Fest. When I arrived, the audience sported many a mohawk and shaved head, and it was clear that tattoos weren’t taboo […] Continue Reading |
Heart and Bonham team up for unforgettable performanceRock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart took to an intimate, candlelit stage at Save-on-Foods Memorial Center the night of June 29, where they absolutely killed their tour’s final show in Canada. There’s no denying that many years have passed since the rock duo’s rise to fame in the 1970s, […] Continue Reading |
VIC Fest celebrates Lower Island for fourth yearThe Victoria music fan’s calendar is overflowing with music festival choices as more and more of them pop up every summer. But there’s something a bit more special for those locals who attend VIC Fest, celebrating its fourth year in Victoria on June 14. With a combination of bands, DJs, food, drink, and art, VIC […] Continue Reading |
Jon and Roy return with new album, continue to chillOn their fifth full-length release, By My Side, Victoria-based Jon and Roy continue their highly successful blend of acoustic guitar, smooth vocals, and unique drum beats. The pair of musicians, singer/guitarist Jon Middleton and drummer/percussionist Roy Vizer, has been playing together on the West Coast for years, as is evident in their music. “We’ve definitely […] Continue Reading |
Victoria poetry slam competitors prepare for chance at national finals during Canadian Festival of Spoken WordThose in the growing Victoria poetry slam community know that competition amongst local poets is friendly yet fierce, but in the upcoming Victoria Poetry Slam Finals there is even more on the line. One person will be named Victoria Slam Champion and all five finalists will have the opportunity to represent their city in this […] Continue Reading |
Camosun alumni Ann Eriksson’s novel addresses two types of health issuesCamosun graduate Ann Eriksson has a history in biology, but she’s always had a passion and love for books and writing. After joining a friend’s writing support group she wrote her first novel, fell in love with doing it, and just kept going. Eriksson’s fourth and most recent novel, High Clear Bell of Morning, merges […] Continue Reading |
Victoria author Chad Ganske turns to science fiction for debut novelIdyllic Avenue, the first novel from local author Chad Ganske, is the end result of a life spent in the pursuit of writing. But the strange thing is that the sci-fi book, which follows Stanford “Saturn” Samuels (a man with an eye mutation that makes him “imperfect”) and his life on the distant planet of […] Continue Reading |
Pink Mountaintops’ Stephen McBean returns to Harpo’s stage in VictoriaThanks to an old friend, a familiar face will again grace a familiar stage when Stephen McBean brings his Pink Mountaintops project to a new version of Harpo’s (now known as the Upstairs Cabaret in Bastion Square). Opened in 1974 and closed in 1995, Harpo’s is revered by longtime members of Victoria’s music scene as […] Continue Reading |
