The second half of the Live Kicks 2019-2020 season will be underway soon with “Exultation”, a performance based on contemporary life by pianist Sarah Hagen and spoken word artist Brendan McLeod.
The performance is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Golden Civic Centre. It is one of five performances that will be taking place between January and April for the Live Kicks line-up.
“We have a real mix of different kinds of things in the second half which is really cool,” said Bill Usher, executive director at Kicking Horse Culture. “Exultation will provide a fix for our folks who love classical music and poetry as well. It’s very fast and very smart the way [Brendan] puts his words together, and Sarah is an amazing pianist.”
Exultation blends together the music of Rachmaninoff’s Orpus 32 as played by Hagen between readings of poems by McLeod, a former National Slam Poetry champion, walking a dramatic line between the classical and contemporary.
McLeod’s poems deal with the loneliness and depression that can come with living in a modern world, despite the constant connection that exists due to social media. The poems are interwoven with performances from Hagen, whose beautiful stylings on the piano offer a brief interlude, with which to contemplate and fully digest the words from McLeod.
“He’s dealing with stuff that’s pretty deep, and it makes your brain engage and your thoughts engage,” said Usher. “They’ve put together a truly lovely performance.”
Other performers in the Live Kicks series include Coco Love Alcorn on Feb. 22, In the Dark by James & Jamesy on March 6, Irish Mythen on March 21 and will conclude with Cécil Doo-Kingué on April 16.
Coco is someone that Usher has been looking to bring to Golden for some time, and is described as a fine jazz singer. In the Dark, which is a theatre based performance, has a history in Golden, with James & Jamesy having worked with the Amuse Troupe in the past. They will be putting on a free workshop prior to their performance.
Irish Mythen and Cécil Doo-Kingué are both powerful female performers, with big onstage personalities, who have been brought in by popular request.
“I’m really looking forward to all these performances, there’s no duds in this lineup,” said Usher. “There’s a real diversity this season, we’ve got really fine music and great theatre, and lots of women performing as well. I’m really conscious about that when I’m choosing.”
When selecting the acts, Usher says that he tried to find performances that will broaden the audience, which he says he’s grown quite in touch with over the past few seasons of Live Kicks. He is also looking for performances that will move the audience and someone who will give a powerful performance.
It can be a challenge coordinating acts to come for Live Kicks, with Usher describing the process like a “juggling act” of trying to coordinate schedules.
“It might take a few years to bring a performer to town, because they have to be coming down the highway at the same time that we have an opportunity to book them,” said Usher. “I’ve seen all of these shows, and who I bring in is always about quality, I want something to make the audience go ‘wow’.”
Tickets for Live Kicks can be purchased at the box office at the Art Gallery of Golden, or over the phone by calling 250-344-6186.
