alex.browne@peacearchnews.com
Sunshine at night
There’s something special about open mic evenings – not only are you likely to hear a variety of music that most venue programmers can’t present, but you might just catch an early performance by a rising star, or a surprise appearance by an established performer trying some new material.
Semiahmoo Peninsula open mic king Dennis Peterson – a man with a good eye for White Rock and South Surrey’s growing pool of experienced and developing talents – is offering a regular show, 6-9 p.m. most Saturdays at The Good Day Sunshine Cafe, 100-2950 King George Blvd.
With dinner, drinks and dessert also on the menu, it’s a good venue to settle in for an evening of unexpected musical treats.
White Rock Trad Jazz
White Rock Traditional Jazz Society’s regular 2 to 5 p.m. sessions of live Dixieland/Swing for listening and dancing each Sunday are back at the Royal Canadian Legion Crescent Branch 240 (2643 128 St.).
Next up are the Crescent City Shakers, on Jan.10.
Other bands this month are Slipped Disc (Jan. 17), Pluckin’ Good Time with Arnt Arntzen (Jan. 24) and the Square Pegs Jazzy Band (Jan. 31).
Admission (19 and up) is $10 for WRTJS and legion members, $12 for everyone else.
For more information on upcoming bands visit www.whiterocktradjazz.com or call 604-560-9215.
Buddy Holly tribute
While early shows have sold out, there’s still a chance to book tickets for the 9:30 p.m. shows in Zachary Stevenson‘s two-night tribute to rock n’ roll legend Buddy Holly, Jan. 15 and 16 at White Rock’s Blue Frog Studios (1328 Johnston Rd.)
Holly, who died at age 22 in the same 1959 light-plane crash that claimed Richie Valens and The Big Bopper, left a legacy of game-changing recordings (including Peggy Sue, That’ll Be The Day, True Love Ways, Rave-on, Everyday, Not Fade Away, Oh Boy and Raining in My Heart) that influenced many subsequent artists including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Elton John.
Stevenson led the cast of the Arts Club’s The Buddy Holly Story which sold out over 100 performances in downtown Vancouver. Equal parts actor and musician, he’s adept in engaging his audience with high-octane renditions of the Holly classics as well as humorous stories about his experience playing the ’50s icon.
Tickets ($45) are available at or 604-542-3055 or through www.bluefrogstudios.ca
Lydia Hol
Peninsula-raised singer-songwriter Lydia Hol is back in town with a brand new recording.
Heading North, her first full-length album, will debut with a release show Jan. 16 at Coast Capital Playhouse, 1532 Johnston Rd.
Doors are at 7 p.m. and show at 8 p.m.
Heading North, which builds on Hol’s smoky, evocative voice, and melodic folk and bluegrass-influenced style – coupled with strong arranging and tight production – was recorded in Vancouver with John Raham, who produced the Be Good Tanyas and all of Frazey Ford’s recordings. Since the 2012 release of her first EP, Boats, Hol has toured across Canada multiple times.
She has been a top-20 finalist in the Peak Performance Project, a regional finalist in the CBC Searchlight contest and has had showcase concerts in several North American cities, including New York and Kansas City.
Tickets ($20) are available at lydiahol.bandcamp.com/merch/tickets-to-album-release-show-white-rock
Rockingbyrds
The Rockingbyrds, a trio of versatile, thoroughly-seasoned performers from the Vancouver music scene – vocalist Rachael Chatoor (leader of Top 40 cover band Hitzone, frequently featured at Peace Arch Hospital Gala fundraisers), and guitarists/vocalists Russell Marsland (R&B Allstars) and Jeff Neill (Streetheart) – will play Blue Frog Studios on Jan. 22, with shows at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Described as an organic acoustic guitar and vocal trio, the Rockingbyrds promise to breathe new fire into classic songs of the `70s, `80s and `90s – in a musical journey from America to Zeppelin – and everything in-between, including an audience-interactive segment featuring requests.
Chatoor – who previously performed at Blue Frog with Roger Fisher, as part of the Heart tribute Barracuda – is known for creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere, as well as for her knockout vocal skills. Marsland cut his guitar chops performing with the likes of Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, James Brown, the Allman Brothers and War, while Neill has earned more than two dozen gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards in a three-decade recording career that has also included working with Loverboy, Joe Cocker, Keith Urban and Australian icon Jimmy Barnes, as well as sharing stages with the Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, ZZ Top and Sting.
Tickets ($38.50) are available at 604-542-3055 or through www.bluefrogstudios.ca
Orbison tribute
Another iconic rock n’ roll figure will be saluted at Blue Frog Studios, 7 p.m. Jan. 28, when music veteran Mike Demers leads his company in The Lonely – A Tribute To Roy Orbison (a second show, at 9:15 p.m., has just been added).
Presented by Rock.It Boy Entertainment, the show hits all the highlights of the career of the man with the trademark dark glasses, who landed a string of 22 Billboard Top 40 hits from 1960 to 1964 (including Only The Lonely, Crying and Pretty Woman).
Dark emotional ballads, and Orbison’s impassioned voice, bridging the gap between baritone and tenor, were also the secret of such subsequent successes as Dream Baby, Ooby Dooby, Blue Angel, Blue Bayou, You Got It and In Dreams – and Demers and a talented group of sidemen deliver the goods with a sensitive, dynamic tribute and a sincere desire to recreate the sound and feel of the original recordings.
Tickets ($42.50, plus service charges) are available at 604-542-3055 or through www.bluefrogstudios.ca
Encore concerts
The series of well-received afternoon classical performances presented by Encore Peninsula Concerts and co-sponsored by the City of White Rock continues in January at White Rock’s First United Church, 15385 Semiahmoo Ave. Next in the stellar group of world-class classical touring musicians lined up by artistic director Eugene Skovordnikov – himself an internationally-recognized concert pianist – will be Chinese cellist Yinzi Kong and her life and performing partner, American pianist William Ransom (Jan. 31).
Italian piano duo Sergio Marchegiani and Marco Schiavo, both also noted as soloists, will bring out the excitement of Brahms’ piano duets on Feb. 28, while Polish/Belgian pianist Joanna Trzeciak will present Beethoven and Chopin pieces on April 17.
Rounding out the series will be an extra treat – an orchestral performance by the strings of the West Coast Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Albanian maestro Bujar Llapaj) with Skovorodnikov at the piano, and Canadian-American trumpeter Dan Kocurek.
Featured pieces at this concert will be Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart, surely one of the best-known of all classical compositions, and Shostakovich’s Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet and Strings.
Tickets (season and individual) can be purchased online at tickets.surrey.ca or at White Rock Community Centre, 15154 Russell Ave.
Young actors sought
There’s still a chance for young actors to audition for a highly regarded theatre company’s 18th season.
Susan Pendleton‘s Young People’s Theatre Company of Surrey (SYTCO) has opened up a few spots for boys and girls in Grades 7-10.
Contact sytco@shaw.ca for audition information.
Orchestral recruits
The White Rock Community Orchestra has openings for double bass players and string players – especially violinists and violists. New woodwind and brass players are also welcome. For details, call Don Miller at 604-807-0560 or email papadon1812@hotmail.com, or visit http://whiterockcommunityorchestra.org
Symphonists sought
Now celebrating its 30th concert season, the Fraser Valley Symphony is seeking new members in the violin, viola and percussion sections, but also welcomes inquiries from other interested professional-calibre musicians.
Performing alongside world-class instrumental and vocal soloists, the orchestra provides an opportunity for auditioned musicians to present a variety of music to audiences throughout the region.
Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings, in Abbotsford.
Contact info@fraservalleysymphony.org or call 604-859-3877
Singers wanted
Pacific Showtime Men’s Chorus, based in Ocean Park, rehearses Monday nights at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church, 12953 20 Ave.
The small community chorus of experienced singers is currently seeking new members for all vocal ranges: lead, tenor, baritone and bass.
Offering a big sound in a variety of musical styles, Pacific Showtime has been featured at a many different Lower Mainland events, including show productions, concerts and private functions.
The repertoire is designed to include songs and a singing style that appeal to a wide variety of music preferences, with emphasis on entertainment value and the chance to develop singing skills while having fun and enjoying camaraderie.
Male singers are invited to attend rehearsals to check out the group and, hopefully, join in.
For more information, call 604-536-5292 or email leighand@shaw.ca
