Club 240
Crescent Legion’s Club 240 (2643 128 St.) is the location for regular Live at Club 240 Friday-night dances, along with other special Saturday events throughout the year and a regular Wednesday bluegrass jam.
Coming up Friday, July 12 is a return visit from The Mojo Stars, featuring front man Randy Clarke and guitarist Mark Rankin, who’ve gathered a large following – since the band’s debut performance at the 2006 Vancouver Jazz Festival – for a winning combination of classic blues and soul covers and originals with a rock-driven edge.
Coming up on July 19 is another in the popular series of Club 240 blues jams, and on Aug. 9 – direct from Chicago – Nigel Mack and The Blues Attack. Tickets for Friday night dances ($20) are on sale at www.brownpapertickets.com and at the legion box office (604-535-1043), which is open daily from 4-9 p.m.
True Colours
It’s a demonstration of the colourful vibrant possibilities of the watercolour medium – and also a celebration of a long-time mentoring relationship.
The small community of painting friends presenting the True Colours art Show and Sale on Saturday, July 13 at 15496 Roper Ave. are all students and friends of White Rock watercolourist Marg Hodgins.
The group of artists have been getting together every Thursday morning for the past decade under the tutelage of Hodgins, who has been teaching in White Rock for more than 20 years – and who celebrated her 91st birthday on July 1.
“All (of Marg’s) watercolour students have benefited greatly from her guidance and expertise over the years,” contributing artist Alyson Thorpe said.
Paintings on display will also include works by group members Jane Kline, Mary Sanchez, Susan Perez, Carol Falk, Jean Harger, Lorraine Sandstrom, and Gail Purdy – as well as Hodgins own work, Thorpe said.
The show runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
TD Concerts
The TD Concerts For the Pier series of free outdoor concerts continues until Aug. 15 at White Rock’s waterfront and the Five Corners neighborhood (at the foot of Johnston Rd., at Buena Vista Avenue.
Following a well-attended launch July 4 at Memorial Park – featuring legendary rock band Prism with Stonebolt – the series continues Sunday, July 14 at 8 p.m. at Five Corners with Kalimba (a salute to the ’70s sounds of Earth, Wind & Fire).
Also on the schedule are legendary rock band The Crash Test Dummies, blues and jazz guitarist and vocalist Jim Byrnes, with Babe Gurr; nostalgic tribute acts Eagle Eyes and The Fab Fourever; versatile party band Dr. Strangelove, Dueling Pianos and rising White Rock pop artists Fionn (Brianne and Alanna Finn-Morris).
Remaining dates for the season are July 18, 7 p.m. at Totem Park, East Beach (The Fab Fourever, Eagle Eyes); July 25, 7 p.m. at Memorial Park (Babe Gurr, Jim Byrnes); Aug 8., 7 p.m. at Five Corners (Duelling Pianos, Dr. Strangelove) and Aug. 15, 7 p.m. at Totem Park (Fionn, The Crash Test Dummies).
Blue Frog Studios
It’s a busy summer for music fans at White Rock’s Blue Frog Studios, the city’s intimate venue for up-close concerts by national and international touring acts, as well as local and B.C.-based artists.
Coming up is Holland’s Mr. Boogie Woogie, Eric-Jan Overbeek, and his band in an evening of classic piano pyrotechnics (July 20); The Matlen-Starsley Band, featuring former and current members of the Bryan Adams Band and the Black Moon Riders (July 27) and Byrd Dawg – billed as the ultimate tribute to the Everly Brothers and Simon and Garfunkel (Aug. 16).
Also on the schedule, for Aug. 23, is seven-piece Toronto band Raoul and the Big Time – led by actor/singer/harmonica player Raoul Bhaneja – in a show that also features special guests The Mojo Stars.
Just announced is Outlaw Country, a tribute to the music of longtime friends and musical collaborators Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings by David James and Big River, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 24.
For more on upcoming performances, visit bluefrogstudios.ca or call 604-542-3055.
Summer theatre
Tickets are on sale now – but should be booked early due to limited seating – for three summer theatre productions coming up on the Peninsula in August.
Peninsula Productions will present Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1938 drama of small-town life, Our Town, at its newly-revamped ‘black box’ theatre space next to the arena at Centennial Park (14600 North Bluff Rd.), Aug. 9-24.
Directed by Rebecca Walters, the story of a fictional small town, Grover’s Corners between 1901 and 1913, will be told by actors Colleen Byberg, Hailey Conner, Ryan Kniel, Damion LeClair, Michelle Morris, David Underhill, Katie Voravong, and Elliot Wesley.
Tickets, are at brownpapertickets.com; for more information, visit penisulaproductions.org
Beach House Theatre (at Blackie Spit, Aug. 13-18) will present the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet, directed by Candace Radcliffe and Abby Swansburg for evening performances at sunset, with daytime matinees of the family- friendly Love You Forever and More Munsch directed by Ian Harmon.
Helping tell the story of the star-crossed lovers of Verona are such popular Beach House company members as Tom Gage (Romeo), Marika Stanger (Juliet), Janine Guy (Lady Capulet) and Michelle Collier (playing the role of Montague, as revised to Lady Montague).
Playing multiple roles in the dramatization of favourite Robert Munsch tales are Sabrielle McCurdy-Foreman, Ella Storey and Steven Simpson.
Visit beachhousetheatre.org
David Patterson show
South Surrey artist David Patterson‘s solo show Memories is the current feature at the Art Couture Gallery, 14819 Marine Dr.
Patterson, who specializes in colourful, stylized landscapes emphasizing flora in a natural environment, says he feels strongly that it’s important to show the real beauty of life and nature.
“The environment is taken for granted and the beauty seems to be missed,” he says in his artists’ statement.
“We need to remind ourselves of the natural forces out there and the harmony that needs to take place in order for this world to survive.”
For more information, call 604-385-2827.
Art of Colour
The artists group Uptown Art Affair presents The Art of Colour, running until July 27 at the Landmark Pop-Uptown Gallery, 15140 North Bluff Rd. (Central Plaza).
The exhibit features work by acrylic and oil painter Sherron Fairbairn and fibre artist Karen Kroeker, plus jewelry by Jacquie Alexander and music by Ron Fairbairn.
“We’re going to have fun there,” said Fairbairn, noting that she, Kroeker and Alexander were only recently acquainted – even though they live close together and share a similar fascination with colour.
“We’re going to try to work on collaborating with each other – we’ll all be doing demonstrations during the show, so we’re going to try it together.
“Although she works with fibre, Karen’s work is very similar to mine, so we’re going to work on something together, and Jacquie is going to do something with her jewelry to match.”
As well as his more traditionally-structured songs, Fairbairn’s husband Ron is also going to be playing some of his latest, more ambient music in performances at the opening and during the run of the show, she added.
Opening hours are Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more, visit facebook.com/pg/uptownartaffairwhiterock/events/
Golden Cactus
Artist Chris MacClure is back at the White Rock waterfront after a long absence, for the new location of his, and partner Marilyn Hurst‘s, Golden Cactus Studio Gallery, at 14833 Marine Dr.
It’s a combination of gallery, working studio and teaching workshop space.
Also, in combination with fellow West Beach gallery Art Couture, and the White Rock BIA, Golden Cactus is presenting West Beach Art Night Thursday evenings starting July 25, featuring their gallery artists, plus surprise visits and chats with guest artists, and wine sampling from local wineries.
Visit goldencactusstudio.com or call 604-839-3049.
Traditional jazz
White Rock Traditional Jazz Society’s regular series of Sunday dances may be on hiatus at Crescent Legion Branch’s Club 240, but the sounds of live New Orleans and Chicago jazz and small-band swing can still be heard most Sundays, 2-5 p.m., at the venue, thanks to a new summer series by the society’s house band, veteran pianist and vocalist Rice Honeywell Sr.’s Red Beans N’ Rice.
Honeywell’s elegantly rhythmic piano stylings and vocals are usually complemented by all-star sidemen Jim Armstrong on trumpet, Ray Batten on trombone, Gerry Green on clarinet and tenor sax, Don Ogilvie on guitar, Casey Tolhurst on bass and Scott Robertson on drums. The venue is at 2643 128 St.; admission is $10; $12 (non-members) and $6 (students with ID).
