Treasures From Byzantine Manuscripts offers rare glimpse of ancient Greek music

Beneath the regal arched ceilings of the Christ Church Cathedral, a small audience gathered on Friday night to witness a select performance of ancient Greek music ranging from the 14th to 18th Century. The seven-member band, featuring members of En Chordais and Constantinople, formed an intimate ensemble, performing acoustically within an enclosed chapel within the […]

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Colin James looks back, moves ahead

Canadian blues man Colin James has done it all. He went platinum in a meteoric rise to rock stardom in the late ’80s, he has eight Junos and 27 Maple Blues Awards to his credit, and he’s widely credited with launching the swing revival with his work with the Little Big Band. “Fortunately, I’ve been […]

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Rifflandia delivers big names, big community in triumphant return

The big festival in our small town came back with a bang last weekend. Rifflandia spanned four nights, two venues, dozens of food trucks and pop-up shops, hosted a few weddings, and celebrated Victorians for the culture-loving people we are. As is common for most larger events, there were some hiccups. Both Black Pumas and […]

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Victoria Fringe Festival roaring success of indie performances yet again

On Sunday, September 4, the 35th annual Victoria Fringe Festival came to a close after 12 days of indie performances. I checked out five of the 28 shows, and I was surprised, engaged, and entertained with what I saw. I started out with Outpost 31’s The Sci-Fi Sampler. This is presented in an interesting format, […]

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One Wave Gathering returns with an eye to climate-change impact

The impact of climate change in South Pacific and Indigenous communities in Canada is a big topic, and it’s what One Wave Gathering is exploring this year. The annual day-long arts and culture celebration, put on by the Pacific Peoples’ Partnership, will also be an open door for community members to learn about South Pacific […]

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Jeremy Dutcher enchants audience at University of Victoria

Jeremy Dutcher is an operatic Indigenous musician from the Wolastoq First Nation. On his 2018 debut album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, Dutcher breathed new life into 1900s wax cylinder recordings from his community, rearranging and combining them with modern jazz to create a synergy of the past and the present. And last weekend, he brought his unique […]

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New Music Revue: Today’s Outfit talkin’ about love, uniquely, on debut EP

Today’s Outfit Your Perfect Self (Independent) 4.5/5 New York-based rock band Today’s Outfit recently released their debut EP, Your Perfect Self. The release offers fresh music that both resonates with its audience and provides them with a touching musical experience. What I really like about this album is its originality. Each track has a deeply […]

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Metric continues evolving and embodying their music

Toronto indie rockers Metric are coming to Victoria as part of their 39-city Doomscroller Tour, promoting their newest album, Formentera. For guitarist Jimmy Shaw, the tour is part of a process where the music starts to have a life of its own. “I think something happens when you start sort of embodying the music night […]

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Nic’s Flicks: Nope gets a big yep

Nope (2022) 3.5/4 Calling all horror/science fiction fans: Oscar-winning horror filmmaker Jordan Peele has released his newest thrill ride, Nope, and I must say that this is one great movie that all horror fans will give a big yep to. What I really like about this film comes down to one word: tension. As he […]

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