This part of January in our hemisphere is said to be the emotional nadir of the year, but local venues are doing their bit to make it a brighter blue. Nanaimo-born guitar wizard David Gogo still rocks out with his blazing electronic gigs, but this time he’s bringing his acoustic show to High Beam Dreams in Gibsons, where he’ll be playing tunes from his latest album, Vulture Dreams. The multi-Juno nominee and Maple Blues Award-winning virtuoso will be accompanied on stand-up bass by Marisha Devoin. Saturday, Jan. 26 at the renovated church at 350 Glassford Rd. The show’s at 7 p.m., doors at 6:30 p.m. Adults-only tickets are $40 ahead of time from Laedeli in Gibsons, MELOmania in Roberts Creek, Strait Music in Sechelt or share-there.com. $50 at the door.
Winter Blues Revisited
The Steve Hinton Band and Simon Paradis play Sunnycrest Mall in Gibsons. “Dress in blue and win prizes.” The show’s free on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 2 to 4 p.m., and everyone is asked to bring a non-perishable food item, warm socks, gloves or cash donations for the Sunshine Coast Food Bank.
New Orleans old-timey
Singer-songwriter Ryan McNally’s genre is acoustic traditional blues, jazz and old-time music. He spent a winter in the hothouse warmth of Louisiana writing much of his latest release, “saturated with the sounds and rhythm of New Orleans streets.” Sunday, Jan. 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Gumboot Café in Roberts Creek. Tickets are at the door, $10 to $20 on a sliding scale.
Friday Artesia Coffee House
Finn the Magician, the Coast’s youngest working conjurer, will dazzle the audience prior to an evening of music from David Jones, Back Porch Reunion, and Out of the Bluegrass. Plus treats by Trish. Friday, Jan. 25, from 8 to 10:30 p.m. (Finn does his thing before 8 p.m.) at the SC Arts Centre, at Medusa and Trail, Sechelt. $10 at the door.
Laugh it off
Heritage Playhouse Productions presents An Evening of Stand-Up Comedy with host Toby Hargrave, some special guests, and headliner Erica Sigurdson, a Leo Award winner, comedy festival veteran and a regular on CBC’s The Debaters. The show is presented in support of the Sunshine Coast BCSPCA Toy Drive: “Bring a toy to donate for dogs, cats and little critters!” Saturday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 from Laedeli Gifts, Strait Music and share-there.com.
Pender poetry
George Connell reads some new poetry and might sing a tune or two, all in celebration of Literacy Week in the Harbour. Saturday, Jan. 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at EarthFair Books, Madeira Park.
This Mountain Life
In this “cinematic hymn to the natural world,” mother-daughter team Tania and Martina Halik take a six-month, 2,300-kilometre trek along the Coast Mountain range, from Squamish to Alaska. That’s the backbone of the film This Mountain Life, in which we also meet “a group of nuns inhabiting a mountain retreat to be closer to God; a photographer buried in an avalanche; an impassioned alpinist; a focused snow artist; and a couple who has been living off grid in the mountains for nearly 50 years.” The film will be screened twice this weekend at the Gibsons Heritage Playhouse: on Friday. Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. Admission is by donation at the door (suggested $10) or tickets may be purchased in advance at share-there.com.
Fracked and fractured
In partnership with Hoovie.Movie, “a platform that allows pop-up cinema experiences in unique spaces, anywhere in the world,” Gibsons Public Market presents the film Fractured Land. It’s described as “a coming-of-age story about a young Indigenous leader and lawyer, Caleb Behn, whose territory is at the epicentre of some of the largest fracking operations on earth.” Behn is Dene, and the territory is Northern B.C. Sunday, Jan. 27, doors at 6 p.m., screening starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets $12 or $10 for Gibsons Public Market members. Children are half price. Tickets available online at the market’s website or by cash at the door.
Blind Contour
As part of the current Gibsons Public Art Gallery exhibition States of Art: Play and Process, artist Marlene Lowden discusses her Blind Contour Homage Series, a dedication to Canadian women artists. Thursday, Jan. 31, 7 to 9 p.m. (Lowden also will present a workshop on blind contour technique on Saturday, Feb. 2. Details on the GPAG website.)
Submissions
If you have an event you’d like considered for Art Beat, please let us know by 11 a.m. Tuesday at [email protected]. Space is limited.