Local Live and Loud: March 6-16
Hawksley Workman.
Saturday, March 6 Hawksley Workman, guests Alix Goolden Hall, 7:30 pm, $29.50
Toronto’s prolific and unpredictable musical muse, Hawksley Workman, brings his energetic live show to our whistle-stop. Touring two new albums, Meat and Milk, and with a crack team of musicians at his beck and call, this gig promises pizzazz and punch to spare.
Sunday, March 7 Champion, guests Sugar, 8 pm, $20 Montreal’s Maxime Morin (a.k.a. DJ Champion), known for expanding musical horizons and incorporating them into his energetic live shows, is back in Mile Zero to be our eponymous hero. This cool cat can play a crowd, so get in line and be prepared to let your backbone slide. Mmmhmm, that’s right.
Sunday, March 7 Inner Circle, Natural Flavas, Bacchanal Sound System Element, 9 pm, $26
Whatcha want? Grammy-winning heavyweights from Kingston, Jamaica, Inner Circle, will be bringing their infectious grooves to our nerve centre for a night of celebration. As part of Pepperpot’s ninth year as CFUV’s cutting-edge Caribbean radio show, this gala night also features Vancouver’s Natural Flavas and Bacchanal Sound System (from Van and Seattle). But the real shaking and shouting will surely be when Inner Circle performs their biggest hit, made popular by the TV series Cops, “Bad Boys.” So, whatcha gonna do when they come for you? How about a little bumpin’ and grindin’?
Tuesday, March 9 Soweto Gospel Choir McPherson Playhouse, 7:30 pm, $39.50
This extraordinary choir, hailing from Soweto, Africa, will be making a lovely stop in Lotus Land, and wow—are we ever lucky! Having toured the world extensively and shared the stage with notable luminaries such as Bono, Annie Lennox, Robert Plant, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Soweto Gospel Choir have also been on Oprah and sang for Nelson Mandela on numerous occasions. With proceeds from this event going to World Vision’s Haitian Emergency Relief Fund, these moving, soulful, and vibrant voices will thrill you with the vocal tapestries they weave. Performing in six different languages, their repertoire, and their grandiosity (52 members divided into two choirs of 26!), will have you humming along, guaranteed! Check out sowetogospelchoir.com to find out more about this incredible ensemble.
Friday, March 12 Rorschach, Black Wizard, Hugenelk Logan’s, doors at 9 pm, $10 This triple-bill of BC-bred bands is a gift to lovers of bluesy Skynyrd-esque rock. Victoria’s Rorschach are all about the rock-‘n’-roll regime, New Westminster’s Black Wizard are a stoner-blues buzz band, and the ‘Couve’s Hugenelk is all about the groove. This trifecta of tunes is only 10 bones? That’s no deal, that’s a steal!
Tuesday, March 16 The Red Elvises, the Laundronauts Lucky, 10 pm, $10
The Red Elvises are a Russian re-appropriation of reggae, rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly, surf, lounge, and a slew of traditional ethnic influences and Russkie styles. Healthy on the humour, but no slouches when it comes to rollicking musical revelry, these stylish songsters can boogie it up like it’s going outta style. Opening will be Victoria’s Laundronauts, known for their white-on-white attire and garage-rock prowess, who seal the deal on what will be a great night of cuttin’ loose and shakin’ about.
Tuesday, March 16 Dragonette, guests Sugar, 9 pm, $15
Torontonian expatriates now residing in jolly old England, Dragonette are touring their latest electropop long player, Fixin’ to Thrill. If you like party music with a playful Euro-dance feel, this show is a no-brainer. So, start shakin’ what your mamma gave you and commence with some crunk-ass moves.
Tuesday, March 16 Spirit of the West Element, 8 pm, $29.50
Folk-rock legends from Vancouver Spirit of the West return to Victoria. These rousing, free-wheeling tunesmiths have been a Canadian music staple since the ’80s, and have a rich catalogue of songs to fall back on, like the hard-drinking frosh-week anthem, “Home for a Rest.” With this lithe and lively gig the day before St. Patrick’s Day, you can bet an emphasis will be put on their Celtic-driven material, and pints of Guinness are sure to be guzzled gleefully.
CCSS Nexus promo