Blues By The Sea
Q Sound Productions presents the second annual Blues By The Sea Rhythm and Blues Festival, Saturday, Sept. 1 at the Semiahmoo Park bandshell (courtesy of the Semiahmoo First Nation).
Starting shortly after noon – and stretching into the early evening – an unbeatable line-up of local, national and international talents will demonstrate the many shades of blue in the musical spectrum at the lawnchair-a-must, family-friendly event.
First up (12:30 p.m.) will be the Peninsula’s own 15-year-old ‘Prodigal Son of the Blues’: Sean ‘Blues Puppy’ Riquelme.
Following him, will be popular David ‘Boxcar’ Gates. Then Velvet Bulldozer, featuring ace White Rock guitarist Jim Black, will take the stage at 2:30 p.m.
At 3:30 p.m. it’ll be the turn of ‘White Rock’s Queen of the Blues’ – Ellie Johnson – followed at 4:30 p.m. by Russian-born blues wizard Arsen Shomakhov.
The ever-popular Jason Buie will play his West Coast blues style at 5:30 p.m., leading into a 6:30 p.m. set by internationally-known bluesman, and former Sheryl Crow guitarist, Todd Wolfe.
Rounding off the festival will be Vancouver’s own premier party band (and Yale Hotel house band) Brickhouse, featuring White Rock’s own Ed Johnson on drums.
Admission for the festival, which also features a salmon barbecue and an assortment of vendors and arts and crafts booths, is $15 per person or $40 for a family (kids under 12 get in free).
Tickets are available from Tapestry Music, Surfside Music and the Surrey Arts Centre (and online at surrey.ca/arts)
For more information, call 604-617-8453.
Outside The Box
Outside The Box, the second annual celebration of fibre and textile arts returns to White Rock Sept. 8 to Oct. 5.
A special preview event will be hosted by White Rock Library (15342 Buena Vista Ave.) on Wednesday, Sept. 5.
Dance group The Fusionistas (Stephanie Lafreniere, Katherine Siemens and RosaLee Rundvall) will present an art in motion performance featuring conceptualized fibre and textile designs.
The combination of dance and artistic costuming explores a rich history of dance from around the world, including improvisational tribal style, belly dance, flamenco, folkloric and Kathak, leader Stephanie Lafreniere said.
“Our dance demonstrates the strength, empowerment and beauty of women working together, exploring ideas and being creative,” she said.
“It is a meeting of the three most ancient modes of expression: visual art, dance and music (rhythm).”
All are welcome and and edible fibre art from Rustic Gourmet will be served.
Outside The Box is aimed at promoting awareness of the rich versatility of fibre and textile art – from purely decorative to functional works.
During the festival, White Rock Library will hold a display of quilts by the Piece Arch Quilters and there will be demonstrations and displays by the Peace Arch Weavers and Spinners, the Semiahmoo Guild of Needlearts, ‘yarn bombings’ and The Dance of the Needle, a bookmaking workshop.
Artworks by Christian Geissler will also be on display at the library through the festival and other events, displays and workshops will take place throughout White Rock.
Flamenco del Mar
The 11th annual Flamenco del Mar Festival will bring the passionate Spanish dance and music idiom to the stage of Coast Capital Playhouse (1532 Johnston Rd.) Friday, Sept. 7 and Saturday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m.
Dancers from Jill Tunbridge’s South Surrey-based Flamenco del Mar Spanish Dance Studio will perform with guest artists from the Vancouver flamenco community in what has become well known as an inspirational, family-friendly community event.
Featured guest performers include guitarist Peter Mole, cantaora (singer) Maria Avila and bailaora (dancer) Michelle Harding.
Tickets ($20 in advance and $25 at the door) are available at Christopher’s Gift Gallery, The Party Bazaar (Langley), online at flamencodelmar.com or by calling 604-542-2096.
Lydia Hol
South Surrey-raised singer-songwriter Lydia Hol and her back-up band, The Barefoot Boys, will be launching her debut EP, a six-song bluegrass-inspired folk album, Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. at Ocean Park Community Hall, 1577 128 St.
Hol, who has played with many bands, most recently touring with Fox Seeds 2011 winners Head of the Herd, moved home to South Surrey to concentrate on writing and preparing her debut album, recorded in a marathon session on Galiano Island, co-produced by White Rock’s Ben Brown.
Promised for the show, in addition to a full set of Hol’s authentically home-grown style of roots music, is another bluegrass act and even a comedy act.
Tickets ($15) are available from Live Yoga, or at www.lydiahol.com
Three Pound Cloud
Popular Cloverdale-based music duo Three Pound Cloud will perform Sept. 14 as the next featured act in the continuing series of dinner and concert evenings at the Sunflower Organic Cafe, 12310 Beecher St. in Crescent Beach.
The combination of sweet and soulful vocals by Dolly Fraser and the piano and guitar expertise of husband Mark are winning a growing local fan base with mellow retro covers (Walking After Midnight, Dream A Little Dream) and whimsical pop originals (If Wishes Were Horses, Popcorn, The Zoo, Swimming With Sharks) that blend sensitive, unconventional lyrics and a classically-influenced melodic sound.
Doors and dinner are at 6 p.m., followed by music 8-11 p.m.
Tickets are $7, but seating is limited.
For reservations, call 604-541-8511.
Little Shop of Horrors
Those who missed Little Shop of Horrors during its Coast Capital Playhouse run (which closed Aug. 25) – or those who want a second helping – still have a chance to catch the locally-grown favourite Oct. 9-27 at Vancouver’s Jericho Arts Centre.
Directed by White Rock Players Club board member Ryan Mooney (Nunsense, Lend Me A Tenor) and presented by his Fighting Chance Productions, the popular Alan Menken-Howard Ashman musical concerns a flower shop just off skid-row – and Audrey II, the rapidly-growing, bloodthirsty plant from outer space nurtured by assistant florist Seymour Krelbourn.
White Rock’s Kerry O’Donovan (a noted pianist-singer and musical director for Vancouver professional productions) offers a winning characterization as Seymour, while newcomer Melissa Clark delivers a touching, star-making turn as Audrey, Seymour’s co-worker and major crush.
For tickets, visit www.jerichoartscentre.com or 604-224-8007.
Red Beans & Rice
Vintage jazz is a family affair at the Royal Canadian Legion Crescent Branch 240 (2643 128 St.) where Rice Honeywell Sr.’s Red Beans & Rice continues to play most Sundays (3-6 p.m.) throughout the summer until the return of the White Rock Traditional Jazz Society schedule in the fall.
The leader/trumpeter’s 15 year-old grandson, Ethan Honeywell, is currently taking over the drums from his drum teacher, vacationing Red Beans and Rice sideman Scott Robertson.
Golden Cactus
Chris MacClure and Marilyn Hurst’s Golden Cactus Studio at 15177 Russell Ave. (across from the whale mural) continues to hold a weekly drop-in every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the studio, with a standing invitation to “come by and share ideas, inspiration and camaraderie.”
Together with their studio partner, glass and multi-media artist Trish Pollock, the painters look forward to meeting with the public and fellow artists each week at the new studio, which they’re working at developing as a hub of White Rock’s evolving uptown arts scene.
For more, visit www.chrismacclure.com or www.marilynhurst.com
