New Music Revue: Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats move ahead on new LPNathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats The Future (Stax Records) 4/5 It’s been six years since we first heard “S.O.B.” on the radio, and it seems that Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats have lived down the “one-hit wonder” label. After the release of their third LP, The Future, it’s clear that the band is […] Continue Reading |
A Christmas Carol returns to Craigdarroch Castle as solo performanceThis holiday season, viewers will be visited by three spirits at Craigdarroch Castle in a performance of A Christmas Carol by veteran local actor Jason Stevens. Stevens—who is returning for his tenth year telling the story—brings 19 characters to life in his solo performance of the Dickens classic tale of a man beset by greed […] Continue Reading |
Serving Elizabeth shines with beautiful set and intriguing plotCanadian playwright Marcia Johnson’s play Serving Elizabeth has made its way to Victoria’s Belfry Theatre. People may be drawn to seeing this play because Johnson was originally inspired by the popular Netflix series The Crown, in particular, an episode set in Kenya. Johnson had, apparently, seen the episode and believed that the depiction of the […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Julie Doiron album too bland for nine-year waitJulie Doiron I Thought of You (You’ve Changed Records) 3/5 After nine years of keeping fans waiting, Canadian singer/songwriter Julie Doiron is back with another solo album. Her music is often referred to as indie rock, however, it’s softer than that, with a rhythm and base that is reminiscent of folk or country. Themes of […] Continue Reading |
Comedy event brings holiday cheer to townOne of the most challenging jobs in show business is stand-up comedy. This is because of the level of confidence and talent it takes for a comedian to step on stage and successfully deliver a bunch of jokes that make the audience laugh. This month, actress and comedian Kirsten Van Ritzen and her company of […] Continue Reading |
Kímmapiiyipitssini difficult but informative documentaryDocumentaries are not always entertaining—sometimes they just show us a naked truth and give us its discomfort to deal with. Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy, for example, makes the viewer face the problems Indigenous peoples deal with in Canadian society. Kímmapiiyipitssini leaves me in fear and mental agony. It’s a documentary about the opioid crisis […] Continue Reading |
City and Colour owns audience from first chord at first of two Victoria showsWith the momentum of four consecutive number one albums as City and Colour, prolific singer/songwriter Dallas Green stopped at the Royal Theatre for the first of two back to back shows Monday night. This is Green’s first solo tour since November of 2019, but he clearly hasn’t missed a beat. Most Camosun students may be […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: The War on Drugs hit peak feelgood sad-rock on new albumThe War on Drugs I Don’t Live Here Anymore (Atlantic Records) 4/5 Modern masters of melancholy The War on Drugs are back with the very War on Drugs-titled I Don’t Live Here Anymore, 10 more reminders of how this band does sad rock better than anyone else right now. See “Living Proof” for proof of […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Dennis MacKenzie offers powerful, moving musical memoirDennis MacKenzie The Guardian Angel Platoon (Independent) 4.5/5 Dennis MacKenzie is a Canadian veteran who has used musical therapy to cope with the trauma of being deployed in Afghanistan. Through the folk/rock songs on this album, MacKenzie tells the story of how his regiment lost 10 people—six in a single day. MacKenzie lost three of […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Snotty Nose Rez Kids offer emotional hip-hop experienceSnotty Nose Rez Kids Life After (Distorted Muse/Fontana North) 3/5 The Vancouver-based hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids—made up of Darren Metz and Quinton Nyce—are originally from the small northern village of Kitamaat. The duo dropped their self-titled debut in 2017, quickly following it up with their second album, The Average Savage, that same year. […] Continue Reading |
