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 |
The Best of Adrian Raeside embodies British Columbia attitude, not much fun to readOne thing I noticed in my move from “friendly Manitoba” to “beautiful British Columbia” was the ability of BC residents to act like they live in a whole different country than the rest of Canada. Nowhere else have I met people who have travelled less outside their province or complained about their province while still […] Continue Reading |
Travis Bernhardt’s Unpossible! brings magic and mind-reading to Victoria’s UNO FestivalVancouver magician Travis Bernhardt’s new show, Unpossible!, may stick out on the theatre-rich lineup of the annual UNO Festival, but his one-hour long demonstration of psychological trickery was written in the same spirit of adventure as the rest of the acts in the 17th annual festival of solo stage performers. “I wrote this show to challenge […] Continue Reading |
The Adventures of Superman returns to spirit of 1940s radio playsWhen Rod Peter Jr.’s interest in 1940s and ‘50s radio plays led him to stumble upon a curious bit of American boosterism called The Adventures of Superman, he knew that he wanted to bring it to the stage. And while Peter staged a version of the radio play a couple of years ago, another script […] Continue Reading |
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 |
