We all dream of rocking out on stage with the musicians we listened to in high school, but few are as lucky as the music teacher at Penticton Secondary, Justin Glibbery, who gets to do just that in February.
Glibbery is set to share the stage with Juno-winner Alfie Zappacosta, who is coming to the Shatford Centre on Feb. 6.
“For me this is a really cool gig personally, to play with this guy, like I was listening to him in high school,” said Glibbery, who will be playing piano with Zappacosta, joined by local musicians Stefan Bienz on bass and Michael Treadway on drums.
Grade 9 and 10 students from Glibbery’s class will be providing the music prior to the start of the show, which also acts as a fundraiser for the Pen High music department.
“It will certainly be their first gig like that. We’ve played kind of regular band concerts, but my mandate with fundraising is it’s got to involve music somehow,” Glibbery said.
“He’s the headliner of course, but it’s a chance for them to play in the 45 minutes before the show. I think that’s really nice because it’s a benefit for the department so I think it’s appropriate for us to be involved somehow.”
Last summer Glibbery met Zappacosta for the first time through a mother of one of his students who had a connection.
“When they were here having a holiday in the summer we hooked up and I met them and had a great conversation and kind of hit it off,” Glibbery said.
Zappacosta’s 40-year career spans from the hit Overload on the multi-platinum Dirty Dancing soundtrack to portraying Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar.
He made a big impact on Glibbery, who is trying to extend that to a new generation.
“I have played his music for a lot of the kids and some say ‘I’ve heard that before.’ The kids parents are getting closer to my age, I was a kid in the ‘80s, that was his big heyday. I had his tapes and I was a big fan,” Glibbery said.
I love his tunes, especially now. His tunes are little more stripped down in terms of them not getting rocked out on on ‘80s production like some of them were. They are sounding really good.”
Tickets are $25 and are available at the Shatford Centre, online at www.offrampjazz.com, at the door or from a Pen High music student.
