The 2018 TD Concerts at the Pier season wrapped up Saturday on East Beach with a show headlined by long-established Canadian rockers The Northern Pikes.
Also featured in the closing concert of the fourth annual series – which drew an estimated 3,000 people – was the environmentally-inspired folk-rock of South Surrey’s own The Wilds.
The free summer concerts program, presented by the White Rock BIA in partnership with the City of White Rock, and sponsored by TD Canada Trust, was moved to Totem Park in East Beach this year (as well as two concerts at Five Corners) while reconstruction of Memorial Park is still ongoing.
But the relocation didn’t seem to be any disadvantage, BIA president Ernie Klassen told Peace Arch News, noting that the concluding concert was the best attended so far at Totem Park.
“We’ve heard so much positive feedback from residents and merchants (on East Beach) I’d be very surprised if next year we didn’t go to a three-location series, including West Beach, East Beach and Five Corners – spreading the music around the city,” he said.
Starting with a concert by iconic Canadian touring band Honeymoon Suite, the six-concert series also presented a wide range of music styles – including such headliners as the eight-piece Big City Soul band, singer-songwriter Daniel Wesley, tributes to the music of Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash with The Lonely and Big River, and to ABBA, Elton John and Billy Joel with ABRA Cadabra and The Piano Man – as well as highlighting other local musicians.
“Everything ran very smoothly. There’s no way we’re going to stop now – we’ve got something going that White Rock residents absolutely love and support, and it’s doing what the BIA intended it to do, which is to bring business to all of the merchants,” Klassen said.
“The volunteers are so stoked that we go into planning mode (for next year) as soon as the last concert is over – and 2019 is guaranteed to be equally as exciting.”
