Vancouver Island MusicFest announced Monday that American
experimental performance artist, composer and musician Laurie Anderson will perform during the VI MusicFest July 6-8.
“This is the first time that Laurie has performed at a Canadian festival,” says VIMF artistic director/executive producer Doug Cox. “I have been a huge fan of Laurie’s for … well… forever, and we are thrilled to be able to present her during this year’s festival.”
With a career that has spanned five decades, Anderson has extended her talent to a multitude of different genres. Filmmaker, lecturer, musician, composer, inventor, photographer … the list goes on.
Anderson has released 10 albums and has collaborated with many other artists including singer, songwriter Peter Gabriel, poets John Giorno and William S. Burroughs, saxophonist Colin Stetson, principle innovator of ambient music Brian Eno, comedian Andy Kaufman as well as musician Lou Reed, to name a few.
Described, as a “singer-songwriter of crushing poignancy,” by Rolling Stone Magazine, Anderson is truly one of the seminal artists of our time.
Anderson will perform “DIRTDAY!” at the Vancouver Island MusicFest. In it, Anderson looks at politics, theories of evolution, families, history and animals in this riotous and soulful collection of songs and stories. Set against a detailed and lush sonic landscape, the stories and music create a unique picture of a hallucinatory world made of dreams and reality.
Vancouver Island MusicFest takes place at the Courtenay Exhibition Grounds July 6-8. For a complete list of performers and to buy tickets, go to www.islandmusicfest.com.
In other news concerting VIMF performers, The Sheepdogs were big winners at the Juno Awards on Sunday. The Saskatoon quartet won for New Group of the Year, Rock Album of the Year and Single of the Year.
Other acts gracing the star-studded MusicFest stage this summer include Emmylou Harris, k.d. lang, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Matt Andersen, Animal Nation, Helen Austin, C.R. Avery, Sam Baker, Geoff Berner, The Blackwood Two, The Bobs, Todd Butler, Cuban Fire, Kat Danser, Braden Gates, Steve James, Girlyman, Markus James & Wassonrai, Bill Johnson, Alan Jossul, Laurence Juber, Si Kahn, The Kerplunks, Lorenzo, Linda McRae, Jim Moffatt, New Country Rehab, Peter Prince, Red Chamber, Shakura S’Aida, The Shuffle Demons, Sketch, Joe Stanton, Bob Stark, The State House Girls High School Choir (Nariobi-Kenya), Talavya, The Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, Tricot Machine, Mel Watson & Corbin Keep, and The 24th Street Walkers.
– Vancouver Island MusicFest
