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Winter sunshine returns to the Creek Hall

Daniel Wesley
wesley
Daniel Wesley at his 2018 Roberts Creek Hall gig.

Riding on the wave of a new album and a summer tour, Daniel Wesley is bringing his beach music back to Roberts Creek Hall for a Christmas / New Year’s concert and dance on Friday, Dec. 27. 

Creek-based Wesley told Coast Reporter, “I’m calling this one Reggae Dance Party, Volume Two,” as a follow-up to his show at the hall in 2018 that sold out in advance. “We got a lot of good feedback, so we thought we’d try to make it an annual thing, and here we go again. If it goes as well, there should be a volume three.” 

The singer-songwriter released his ninth album, Daniel Wesley: Beach Music, in September. “People seem to really dig it and it’s one of my favourite pieces of music I’ve made,” said Wesley, 37. He writes on an acoustic guitar, and to his surprise, he didn’t add any electric guitar overdubs once he and producer John Rahan finished laying down the basic tracks. “On my second record we didn’t have any electric guitars, but that was on purpose. On this, the music just steered us in that direction.” 

But make no mistake, Wesley added. “When you hear that it’s acoustic you might think it’s a slow and quiet record. It’s not like that at all.” 

Wesley will be slapping on his Fender along with the same band he brought in last year and toured with during the summer in Ontario, Alberta and B.C., including a show at Vancouver’s Commodore.

“I love playing with the guys,” he said of the Vancouver-based unit, with Mike Kenney on lead guitar and keyboards, Darren Parris on bass, and drummer Flavio Cirillo. “I’m so lucky I get to play with this group of guys. They make my music what it is, with a bounce and real life to it. I’m definitely looking forward to having the boys up.” 

As to his move to the Coast two and a half years ago with wife Melisa and their two young sons, Wesley said there are no regrets. “We love it, we like the pace, we wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he said. “We’ve lived in a bunch of places all over Greater Vancouver and it finally feels like home.” 

Tickets for the show are $30 at www.eventbrite.ca