Victoria Ska Fest founder Dane Roberts talks 2013 lineup, reflects on 14 yearsDane Roberts might just be his own festival’s biggest fan. This strong possibility, along with the hard work of over 200 volunteers, is very likely the secret to the success of the Victoria Ska Fest, celebrating its 14th year July 9 to 13. Taking place at a variety of different venues in downtown Victoria, including […] Continue Reading |
KISS hit Victoria, journalist eyes Paul Stanley from audienceWhen KISS played the Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena recently, what I really wanted was to get some time to sit down and talk face to face with singer/guitarist Paul Stanley. I even went so far as to jokingly put together a moderately successful online petition (hey, 57 people signed, not bad, if you’re asking me) to […] Continue Reading |
Concert review: Ziggy Marley brings a Jamaican haze to VictoriaAs I arrived to the Royal Theatre last night, I came to the realization that Vancouver Island and our surrounding areas have way more Rastafarians than I thought. Well, that’s what it seemed like, anyway. Jamaican and reggae colors were in full effect. There were more dreadlocks there than I have ever seen in all […] Continue Reading |
Jimmy Eat World play first time in Victoria at Rock the Shores, look back at beginningsChoosing your own band name can be liberating: musicians have the opportunity to create their own image with what they name their group. In Jimmy Eat World’s case, they didn’t choose their name based on their musical capabilities; they chose it because of a hilarious moment in time, long ago. Some may speculate whether the […] Continue Reading |
Calendar Girls at Langham Court celebrates middle-aged nudityThe latest production at the Langham Court Theatre is the simple story of a group of middle-aged women making a nude calendar. If it sounds familiar, it’s because it is. Calendar Girls, also a major motion picture, is based on the inspiring true story in England. A number of women belonged to the Women Institute […] Continue Reading |
Festivals: Tall Tree, Victoria Ska Fest, Rock the Shores, Rock of the Woods, Shambhala, and RifflandiaDid our Sasquatch feature story get you in a festive mood? Here are a few festival options for this summer that are pretty close to home and a bit more genre-specific. Tall Tree Indie rock, DJs, and hip-hop on outdoor stages. June 28–30, Port Renfrew talltreemusicfestival.com Victoria Ska Fest Ska, reggae, dancehall, and punk on […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Alice in Chains, Chris PiccoAlice In Chains The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (Universal Music) 4/5 I love that odd album title, and I love the fact that these guys are proving, like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, that they’re not just grunge revival (ugh, sorry ‘bout that). Instead, AiC are as heavy as ever, exploring a sound here on their […] Continue Reading |
Are mainstream music festivals like Sasquatch good or bad for music?Everyone has a habit. For many music fans, the one they can’t seem to shake is attending massive festivals. Coachella. Bonnaroo. Bumbershoot. Sasquatch. These are all established music festivals that draw tens of thousands every year. They’re physically and financially taxing and feature countless artists in often-conflicting time slots. The talent play festivals because they […] Continue Reading |
Vancouver’s Rykka embraces her inner animalBefore she was known as Christina Maria (no, not the Kristina Maria who sings “Karma” and “Let’s Play,” so maybe that explains the name change): now she is known, simply, as Rykka. The Vancouver-born musician is touring across Canada to perform songs from her latest album, Kodiak. This disc is completely different compared to her […] Continue Reading |
New exhibit revives forgotten short film about VictoriaLots of crazy stuff was going down in 1983, not the least of which was a film entitled A Post Card from Victoria. The short was made by Montreal artists Lorraine Dufour and Robert Morin, and is now being brought back to life as part of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s 2013-14 LAB series, […] Continue Reading |
