Dazzling vocalist, pianist and songwriter Allison Crowe opens this weekend's Sechelt Festival of the Arts (July 30 to Aug. 7) in an intimate setting at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre in Sechelt as part of her Rolling Wonder Revue tour.
Crowe has an amazing voice, a frenetic stage presence and tons of personality. She will highlight her latest CD, Spiral, full of big and emotional songs. Along with original titles, Crowe sings an intense version of Leonard Cohen's Chelsea Hotel.
Festival co-ordinator Elaine Hunter is a big fan. After attending a Crowe concert in Gibsons in 2008, she kept in touch with the singer who has two homes at opposite sides of the country - Nanaimo and Newfoundland. When Hunter took on organizing the festival, she contacted the singer to tell her: "I dream big. Will you come to the Festival?"
Crowe agreed, and she'll perform tonight (Friday) at 8:15 p.m. For ticket availability, see www.secheltfestivalofthearts.com or phone 604-885-3844.
Definitely Diva will host Saturday night's event at the Rockwood Pavilion at 8 p.m. Fans will recall a past show in that venue that had the audience tapping their feet, singing along and laughing at some of the trio's quick wit. The Divas are Lynne Dickson, Patrice Pollack and Wendy Hibberd, and they have been working hard with their band. They have a new Motown section complete with choreography, and they will dish up the usual tight vocal harmonies with a lot of energy and humour. Expect jazz, swing, pop, rock - and now, rap (no kidding).
Tickets for Definitely Diva can be found at Gaia's Fair Trade, MELOmania, WindSong Gallery and Copper Sky Café.
On July 31, the live band Mindil Beach Markets performs in Hackett Park from 6 to 9 p.m.
The performance is being billed as a youth dance, but band member Daniel Kingsbury hopes that other ages will enjoy their original music as well. All the players grew up on the Sunshine Coast - Kingsbury, Pat Codere, Matt Posnikoff, Rod Campbell and Cam Ainslie - and all but one have left their day jobs for full-time music. They've been busy touring and are about to put the finishing touches to their debut album for release in late September.
"The band is a lot tighter, more organized and more professional," said Kingsbury, who adds he is looking forward to returning to the big fan base they have on the Coast.
And don't miss the fun celebration party on Sunday, Aug. 1, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. also at Rockwood Centre. The musically diverse Carnival Era will be wrapping up the entertaining weekend.
