Put your glad rags on and get ready to rock around the clock at an interactive, ’50s-themed rock show at Courtenay’s Filberg Centre this New Year’s Eve.
In the tradition of the time-honoured sock hop, the cool cats of the Comox Valley’s newest rock band, Retro Rock Revival, will provide the tunes while revellers ring in the new year and raise money for a great local charity.
Featuring a free jive lesson and prizes for the best ’50s era threads, the sock hop will not only celebrate rock ‘n’ roll’s classiest era and the start of a new year, but will also mark the beginning of a new musical project. Retro Rock Revival is both a production company and a “collective” of accomplished Vancouver Island musicians. For this event, the band’s ebullient front man, Richard Spencer, will be joined by Michael Berman, K.C. Hingley and Terry Marshall.
“New Year’s Eve is the perfect time for fresh new beginnings,” quips Spencer. “And in the spirit of the season, proceeds from this event will benefit You Are Not Alone (YANA).”
Spencer, who created Retro Rock Revival with his wife Jeannie, has a personal connection to YANA, a community organization that helps local families travel to access medical treatment for their children.
“When our oldest daughter was born prematurely, YANA was there for us,” he says. “So many of our close friends have been helped by them as well; they’re an excellent organization that has done so much for local families, and it just felt right to give back to them this way.”
In addition to planning the New Year’s sock hop, the Spencers are in the process of creating a brand new music venue in downtown Courtenay. The plan is to showcase talented local musicians while also offering semi-regular performances by Retro Rock Revival themselves. More details are expected in the new year.
“Back in the ’50s, the music was there for the dancers,” says Spencer. “It was energetic, it was from the soul and it was a whole lot of fun. Retro Rock Revival is about getting back to those freewheeling days of rock and roll, and on New Year’s Eve you can do it all while supporting a great cause.”
Early bird tickets are just $40 (or $280 for a table of eight) and are available at retrorockrevival.com.
Doors open at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve; the free jive lesson starts at 8 p.m. with Keith and Holly of “Steppin’ Out,” and the live music kicks off at 9 p.m. Anyone looking for a rockin’ adult-only event that also features snacks, refreshments and bubbly, plus a safe ride home after midnight from Ambassador Shuttle, should scoop up tickets fast.
For further information about the sock hop, visit retrorockrevival.com; musicians interested in the new venue can contact Richard at rockgodrich@hotmail.com.
