Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings brings sold out crowd at Victoria’s Alix Goolden Hall to its kneesA cry of “hallelujah” rang out from the back of the packed Alix Gooldin Performance Hall on Saturday, April 5, as Sharon Jones shouted to the crowd that she had to testify. And indeed she did. From the moment Jones and her band, the Dap Kings, entered the room, they were on a mission to […] Continue Reading |
Hear No Evil Vancouver Island comedy tour features trio of Vancouver comediansWhen three Vancouver comics–Jared Borland, Kyle Jones, and Byron Bertram—got together over beers to figure out why they weren’t getting enough work from their agents, the trio decided to make some work for themselves. The result was a self-booked, 10-show tour of Vancouver Island over 14 days, going as north as Port McNeill and stopping […] Continue Reading |
Greg MacPherson visits ghosts of accidents past on BC tourWinnipeg singer/songwriter Greg MacPherson is heading out to the west coast to conclude his tour for his latest album, Fireball. And he’ll visit some bad memories along the way: his last BC tour was cut short after MacPherson and his band were in a car accident on their way to the coast. “We were sitting […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: ElephantElephant Sky Swimming (Memphis Industries) 4/5 Sky Swimming is an excellent debut album from alternative band Elephant, featuring ex-couple Amelia Rivas and Christian Pinchbeck. The disc mimics the up-and-down nature of their relationship (which fell apart during the making of the album), from the upbeat opener “Assembly” to the mellowed-out but still fun “Ants” and […] Continue Reading |
Ska Fest announces majority of 15th anniversary lineupVictoria’s annual Ska Fest recently announced the bulk of its 15th anniversary lineup. Headlining the annual summer music festival, which takes places in downtown Victoria in multiple outdoor and indoor venues July 1-5, are Los Angeles ska/punk/funk legends Fishbone. Led by hyperactive singer Angelo Moore, the band is celebrating its own anniversary this year, having […] Continue Reading |
The Alchemy of Chance brings artists and professionals togetherArt is a tool that has been used for centuries to push boundaries. From Shakespeare, to the Beatles, to urban graffiti, the creative mind has always yearned to try new things. The Alchemy of Chance, the newest project from the Ambiguous Arts Festivals society, is an interesting example of this innovative creativeness. “Basically, it’s an […] Continue Reading |
Kitt & Jane return in cabaret fundraiser Spirit WeekWhat do you do when are a popular stage duo and you need to raise money to buy a van for an upcoming Fringe tour? Well, you host a cabaret show, of course. As we reported in December, the Victoria production of Kitt & Jane was chosen in the Canadian Fringe Festival lottery and organizers […] Continue Reading |
ZZ Top bring timeless rock to VictoriaThe night’s mission was simple: to figure out if ZZ Top guitarist/vocalist Billy Gibbons really is the coolest man alive. All signs pointed to the affirmative, from the pictures of the man I’ve been looking at for the past 30-odd years to the endlessly and effortlessly swingin’ and swaggerin’ licks every ZZ Top album is […] Continue Reading |
The Hanson Brothers bring Punk Rauch beer and hockey schtick to VictoriaOriginally started as a way to unwind from the prog-punk of the legendary Nomeansno, The Hanson Brothers side project could now be the key to get the on-and-off-again Nomeansno back into the studio. Currently on a Canadian tour as a cross-marketing campaign for singer (and Nomeansno drummer) John Wright’s new Punk Rauch beer, being released […] Continue Reading |
Yes come through on promise of lofty prog rockThis week, some 45 years into their career, Yes made their first ever appearance in Victoria. On this current tour, they are promising to perform three of their sprawling progressive rock albums from the ’70s in full. You may wonder how a band can fill arenas worldwide with a promise like this in 2014. The […] Continue Reading |
