New Music Revue: Kirty lets personality shine on new albumKirty Kirty (Postwar Records) 4.5/5 Canadian singer Kirty was born into a big musical family in Toronto. When she was very young, she learned country, folk, and rock standards, and that diversity is all over this self-titled album. There are many different musical styles here; for example, the first song, “All Broke Up,” is country, […] Continue Reading |
Laura Jane Grace brings trans awareness to ThinklandiaIt’s an eventful year for Against Me! vocalist/guitarist and international trans-rights activist Laura Jane Grace, with the September release of Shape Shift with Me—Against Me!’s seventh studio album—and the November publication of her autobiography, Tranny: Confessions of Punk Rock’s Most Infamous Anarchist Sellout. Grace is also slated to appear at this year’s Thinklandia, where she […] Continue Reading |
Portland actors bring their show to the victoria Fringe FestivalVictoria Fringe Theatre Festival guest producer Katt Campbell’s versatile experience in the theatre industry is a cornerstone to her work. Campbell has worked in the business for the last decade, taking on roles such as improv performer, stage manager, and, now, producer. “It’s actually pretty helpful because I’ve already got a knowledge base on so […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: La Chinga freewheels to rock excellenceLa Chinga Freewheelin’ (Small Stone Recordings) 4/5 La Chinga is a hard-rock trio from Vancouver, and their music has psychedelic power. Fans of classic rock bands will agree that their new album, Freewheelin’, is a success, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, its theme and songs are cohesive, making for a great listening experience. When […] Continue Reading |
What’s Going On: August 10 to September 6, 2016Until Saturday, August 13 Much ado about lame headlines using “much ado” The Vancouver Island Shakespeare Arts Society is performing two Bard plays (one comedy, one tragedy) at various venues until August 13; this year it’s Much Ado About Nothing and Othello. Check out vancouverislandshakespearearts.com for more information. Until Sunday, August 28 Mommy madness Mom’s […] Continue Reading |
The Victoria Free B-Film Festival returns with drive-in moviesAttention moviegoers and theatre regulars: one of Victoria’s more unique festivals is returning. The Free B-Film Festival shows a variety of films—from blockbusters to less-remembered flicks—in outdoor spaces around the city. This year has some new surprises in store, and festival organizer Donovan Aikman is happy to talk about them. “The Victoria Free B-Film Festival […] Continue Reading |
Metal band Necronomicon finds happiness in extremityNecronomicon vocalist/guitarist Rob “The Witch” Tremblay says that there is nothing he hates more about being in a metal band than practicing guitar by himself. The frontman says he feels out of sorts if he is not on stage playing for fans with his fellow band members. “I’m not the kind of guy sitting at […] Continue Reading |
Canadian actress/playwright Kirsten Van Ritzen looks back on all her day jobsKirsten Van Ritzen has had no shortage of dead-end and offbeat jobs. Her play All My Day Jobs details, with a comedic twist, the experience of what it’s like to work the jobs that no one wants to. “At least the first seven jobs in my play, I did while I was a student,” says […] Continue Reading |
German conductor Alexander Weimann finds peace in musicGerman soloist and conductor Alexander Weimann says that Johann Sebastian Bach is the reason why he became a musician, so it makes sense that he’s performing Bach’s Mass in B Minor here in town on August 6 (the piece will be performed on period instruments for greater authenticity). Weimann says that Bach is “the strongest […] Continue Reading |
Seaweed guide revamped and reissued for 2016Talk about cult classic. Pacific Seaweeds: A Guide to Common Seaweeds of the West Coast was originally published 15 years back, to the delight of… one would imagine very few, as this is about as niche as niche gets. But here we are, a decade and a half later, and the book has sold 10,000 […] Continue Reading |
