Arts

Solo harpist Josh Layne is no stranger to performing with the Victoria Chamber Orchestra. His first time with them was in 1995, performing Claude Debussy’s harp concerto Danse Sacrée et Danse Profane. It features a powerful use of solo harp, which gave Layne plenty of opportunity to shine. However, working in an orchestral setting involves […]

Not every hobby incorporates this much boob. The members of the Cheesecake Burlesque Revue have been shaking what their mamas gave them for 11 years, and they don’t intend to stop. Originally inspired by a birthday party, the gang has since become a travelling act, bringing their wacky, zany performances to a variety of stages. […]

Ballet Victoria artistic and executive director Paul Destrooper is quick to point out that the gorier side of the 1897 Bram Stoker novel Dracula that Hollywood so lovingly dwells on is not the main focus of Ballet Victoria’s performance of the story. “Dracula is much more than some monster, this vampire—much more than some bad […]

Until Saturday, October 28 Rising to the forefront Antimatter Festival is a week-long showcase of many forms of artistic talent. The festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, with numerous events held across Victoria. For an event schedule and more information, check out antimatter.ca. Until Saturday, October 28 Not the red death! RED […]

A Fellow Ship The Black Sheep (Riverbed Records) 3/5 A Fellow Ship, a Toronto band consisting of seven close friends with a love for folk music, recently released The Black Sheep. Every song on the five-song EP is a great blend of funk and pop with a jazz twist. Smooth and fresh melodies and well-written lyrics […]

Daniel Griffin’s Two Roads Home brings the reader back to 1933, during peaceful pro-environment protests in British Columbia. The fictional story raises a question: what if the protests were not so peaceful? The book follows the trajectory of four people who seek to do justice with their own hands. Armed with courage, a clear goal, […]

Orchestra music doesn’t normally go bump in the night, but that’s about to change. Sean O’Loughlin is conducting the Victoria Symphony this month in Hollywood Thrillers, during which the symphony will perform songs from scary movies such as, among others, Hitchcock films, classics Jaws and Psycho, and the ’90s smash Jurassic Park. “This kind of […]

Vancouver’s Louise Burns says that once she started writing material for what would become her most recent album, she couldn’t stop. The end result is Young Mopes, which came out in February and landed itself on the Polaris Prize long list earlier this year. But Burns admits now that even though it was easy to […]

Propagandhi Victory Lap (Epitaph Records) 4.5/5 Victory Lap, the seventh full-length album from Winnipeg hardcore band Propagandhi, twists my world. I’m not just talking about the full and hearty riffs and drum work, although the music alone would make this album special. Guitarist Sulynn Hago’s debut with the band is full of her fierce playing. […]

Canadian musician Sarah Slean says that downtime helps her realize what she really wants to be doing. And she’s clearly taking some downtime: her 11th album, Metaphysics, came out this April, more than five years after her last album. “I bought a farm and decided I was going to attempt something that was not transient, […]