A trio of weekend performance series continues all summer long, in Sechelt, Roberts Creek and Sechelt.
This weekend, at Music in the Landing in Gibsons, the Anagram trio (Anna Lumiere, Graham Ord and James Meger) performs in the gazebo starting on Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. On Saturday in Winegarden Park, the lineup starts at 4:30 p.m. with Celtic trio Two Thistles and a Rose featuring music on fiddle, guitar and bass. The dynamic Mimosa ensemble — playing jazz, Brazilian sambas, French chanson and cabaret music — follows at 6:30 p.m.
In Sechelt on Saturday, Aug. 2, the music starts at noon in Hackett Park. The two-hour performance stars Half Cut & the Slackers, a dynamic four-piece band delivering timeless classic rock hits that span the decades. For the past eight years, the group has been a crowd favorite at local venues and Legions, known for their energetic performances and feel-good vibe.
On Sunday, on the rolling green behind the Roberts Creek Community Library, Slow Sundays in the Creek starts at noon. This weekend, the program includes the Beachcombers Ukulele Group Singers, Matthew Lovegrove performing original folk songs, Heidi Kurz’s Jazz Budz and the Monty Montego Reggae Band.
Forecast for hot summer nights
The Gibsons Landing Heritage Society has announced a lineup of three summertime concerts (“Hot Summer Nights”) that will benefit its ongoing conservation capital campaign for the historic Heritage Playhouse.
On Friday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m., the Vancouver Flamenco group Calle Verde will present Volver (which means “return” in Spanish). This special dance and music performance marks the group’s return — not only to Gibsons, but to the heart of their vision as Flamenco artists. Calle Verde will perform dynamic new works that acknowledge the roots that have shaped them as individual artists and fuelled their collective creativity.
Calle Verde — now in their 11th year of performing heart-pounding traditional flamenco — will also integrate unconventional influences such as contemporary dance, classical music, samba, and jazz. The ensemble features Peter Mole (guitar), Maria Avila (dance, singing, percussion) and Michelle Harding (dance, percussion).
Two more performances in the Hot Summer Nights series are scheduled: Van Django and opening guest Kiki Connelly on Friday, Sept. 5 and the Susana Williams Band on Friday, Sept. 12.
Tickets for all shows are available online via heritageplayhouse.ca.
Boats, beats and community
The beloved Gambier Island tradition “Commotion on the Ocean” will return for its sixth year this Saturday, Aug. 2. The all-day performance event brings music, community spirit, and a flotilla of supporters to the saltchuck off the southwest peninsula of Gambier Island.
The unique floating concert, featuring internationally-acclaimed performer and Gambier Islander Bobby Bruce (best known for his “Nearly Neil” tributes to Neil Diamond) raises essential funds for the Gambier Community Centre, the heart of the island’s community and its only public gathering space.
Performing from atop the Sea Shadow (captained by Andy Harper), Bobby Bruce will deliver three high-energy sets, blending Neil Diamond favourites with a wide range of classic hits. Audiences are invited to join by boat, kayak, paddleboard, or from the dock or shoreline at any of the event’s three waterfront stops: West Bay (3:30 p.m.), Gambier Harbour (5:00 p.m.), and New Brighton (6:30 p.m.).
The Gambier Community Centre serves as the only public building for workshops, medical visits, celebrations, and community events for roughly 200 homes on the south-west peninsula of Gambier Island. All proceeds from Commotion on the Ocean support the maintenance and operation of this donation-funded, volunteer-run essential hub for residents.
Event details and safety instructions are online at www.gambierisland.org/Events.htm.
