Neil Harnett
Well-known White Rock singer-songwriter-guitarist Neil Harnett will be seen further afield in two upcoming restaurant gigs.
On Aug. 24, starting at 7 p.m., he will be playing originals and covers at Cloverdale’s The Vault.
On Sept. 1, he will join forces with talented vocalist Linda Kidder for a session at Dublin Crossing (Fraser Highway and 188 Street in Clayton Heights).
Red Beans & Rice
The danceable sounds of Dixieland jazz continue through the summer at the Royal Canadian Legion, Crescent Branch 240, 2643 128 St., where the house band for the White Rock Traditional Jazz Society, Red Beans & Rice, featuring Rice Honeywell, plays Sunday afternoon sessions.
Next performance is Aug. 28, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Admission is $10 (age 19 and over only) or $8 for society or Legion members.
Crescent showcase
Crescent Beach Moments, a showcase for several local artists, runs to Aug. 30 at the Upstairs Gallery at Seventh Heaven Art & Beauty Salon, at 12185 Beecher Street (the main street into the South Surrey seaside community from Crescent Road).
Featured artists are Judy Jordison, Jim Cowan, Joan McLardy, Ron Glowe, Jackie Neufeld, and Luc Charchuk, plus nature photographer Eric Kehler.
Showcase subjects will include sunsets in local areas such as Crescent Beach and White Rock, other landscapes (including west coast shores and forests, Blackie Spit and paintings inspired by the iconic work of Emily Carr), and figurative compositions.
The show, co-sponsored by Tiggy’s Folk Art Studio and Seventh Heaven, can be seen during open house viewings every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (other times by appointment).
For more information call 778-292-0687 or Charchuk at 604-541-3677.
Flamenco Del Mar
Tickets are on sale now for South Surrey-based flamenco school and company, Flamenco Del Mar’s 10th anniversary of its annual festival, which returns to the Coast Capital Playhouse Friday, Sept. 2 and Saturday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m.
In addition to dances by the company and founder and instructor Jill Tunbridge, the show will also feature performances by cantaor (singer) Farnaz Ohadi, classical flamenco guitarist Peter Mole, well-known local latin pop and nuevo flamenco guitarist Doug Towle and bailoras (dancers) Bev Montovani (Sept. 2 only) and Veronica Stewart (Sept. 3 only).
Tickets are $20 in advance, and $25 at the door.
For tickets and information, call 604-536-7535, visit whiterockplayers.ca, or call 604-542-2096, or email flamencotickets@hotmail.com
Outside The Box
The upcoming Semiahmoo Peninsula celebration of an often overlooked idiom – fibre and textile art – is called Outside The Box.
It’s a very appropriate title, given organizers have put it together in the space of one year with no funding, no society and no arbitrary division between White Rock and South Surrey venues.
What they have done, instead is to forge a partnership with the City of White Rock, White Rock Library, White Rock Museum and Archives and the White Rock BIA, along with Semiahmoo Arts, Surrey Public Library, and Semiahmoo Shopping Centre.
The result will be a series of exciting events and displays throughout the Peninsula from Sept. 1 to Oct. 21, highlighting fibre and textile art and illustrating how practitioners are pushing the boundaries “outside the box.”
These will include Fiber Fusion, a six-by-nine-foot collaborative mural by more than 20 members of the Virtuosi Infraganti Collective (opening Sept. 1) at White Rock Museum and Archives; a main display at White Rock Community Centre (Sept. 10-Oct. 21); demonstrations and ‘fun with fibre’ displays at the White Rock BIA’s Uptown Summersault Festival (Sept. 10); informative wall texts to accompany the displays, by the Women, Art and Society class at Langara College; and an exhibition of art quilts by the Crescent Quilters and the ‘Piece Arch’ Quilters at the White Rock Library, which will also feature the launch of the book Hoopla: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery by ‘yarn bombing” author Leanne Prain (Sept. 19), and a presentation by Anne Kristiansen, Interwoven Stories: A History of Textiles in Fashion and Art (Sept. 26).
Also on offer will be a day of displays and demonstrations by weavers, spinners and quilters at the Zeller’s court area of Semiahmoo Shopping Centre (Sept. 24); plus exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations at Laura’s Fashion Fabrics through September; two evenings of fashion art and flowers presented by Boutique Vasanji and Flowers Chic (Sept. 10, Oct. 2); displays by the Peace Arch Weavers and Spinners at the Semiahmoo and Ocean Park Libraries and displays by the South Surrey and White Rock Art Society at Coast Capital Playhouse.
For more information, visit www.outsidetheboxwhiterock.com
Uptown street festival
The White Rock BIA’s Uptown Street Festival will return Sept. 10, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., featuring everything from arts displays to live entertainment and a chili tasting. Main stage entertainment will feature Red Beans and Rice, Yours Truly and Freedom 95, while the Todd Brewer School of Music will have its own stage featuring talented local students.
The festival’s Performance Stage will presnt dynamic demonstrations of yoga, martial arts and ballroom dancing.
Also included will be the Outside The Box art exhibition, a family fun zone and a chili cook-off. For more information, contact info@whiterockbia.com
Bedfull of Foreigners
There are still a few chances to catch the wacky British bedroom farce A Bedfull of Foreigners – directed by Ellie King for her Royal Canadian Theatre Company – which continues until Aug. 28 in 8 p.m. performances at the Coast Capital Playhouse (1532 Johnston Rd.).
The high-energy door-slammer, set in decaying hotel on the border between France and Germany, features strong farceur Sam Gordon as Stanley, a non-too-bright British holidaymaker who must juggle an unexpected roomate Claude (Walter Ekins, in fine bullying form) plus Claude’s wife Helga (the hilarious Wendy Bollard) and his scantily-clad mistress Simone (played extravagantly by Becky Hachey).
Also contributing to the chaos are Gary Peterman (splendid as slothful handyman Karak) and Brett Harrison (funny as inept and randy manager Heinz) and Nicole Smashnuk as Stanley’s wife Brenda (amusing in her responses to Heinz’ flattery).
For tickets, call 604-536-7535 or visit www.rctheatreco.com
Fathead
The White Rock Blues Society will present Fathead, Sept. 16, 8 p.m. at the Rhumba Room of the Pacific Inn. The ensemble brings together some of the most respected blues musicians in Canada for an energetic blend of funk, soul and rocking blues.
Featured are lead vocalist John Mays, bandleader, harp and saxophonist Al Lerman, bassist Omar Tunnoch, guitarist Teddy Leonard and drummer Bucky Berger. For tickets and information, visit www.whiterockblues.com
Small Ritual
Doing its part to present different music locally is the not-for-profit Small Ritual Coffee Society on Johnston Road (just up from Five Corners).
In addition to Sunday night concerts with such emerging groups as Their There, The Star Captains and Behind Sapphire, booker Rory Hislop has added a Monday night jazz showcase, including some of Vancouver’s best up and coming talents in the idiom, which is currently experiencing a revival of interest.
Among artists that have graced – or will grace this series – are guitarist Tristan Paxton, bassist James Meger, drummer Omar Amlani and trumpeter Steve An.
Both evenings (usually running 5-9 p.m.) offer a rewarding opportunity for local fans to catch up on the music scene of tomorrow in an agreeably intimate, art-friendly venue.
For more information, call 778-294-1237.
Swing dancing
The weekly swing dance session presented by South Surrey’s Marie and Peter Welton, of Jump Joint Swing, has switched days from Sundays to every Wednesday (during August) 7 to 11 p.m. at 110-12332 Pattullo Place (in the back of the Pro Draft warehouse, next to Xcalibur Bowling, in North Surrey). All ages are welcome, and the cost for the live show is $10 (usual session price is $5). Net proceeds benefit the Metro Kids Society. For more information, visit jumpjointswing.com or call 778-867-1457.
Adrian Michael
Adrian Michael, a 16 year-old jazz piano prodigy, plays at Iguana’s on Marine Drive with his trio every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. through the summer.
Currently students of Semiahmoo Secondary’s jazz program, Michael and regular bassist Abby David, who usually work with drummer Matt Skepasts (unavailable for the gigs), will be playing with subs – most likely Natalie Yergatian or Michael’s brother Julian.
Michael, who also composes many of his tunes, will also be doing his first studio recording this summer with David and Skepasts.
