Singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc will be in Victoria for two days next week, with a win-to-get-in concert giving fans a rare opportunity to see the Grammy-nominated Wake Me Up hitmaker perform.
Blacc, born Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III, will be in town for two screenings of the Imax documentary America’s Musical Journey, which opens on Friday at Imax Victoria. Blacc stars in the film, which is narrated by Morgan Freeman, and will be at the theatre in the Royal B.C. Museum for preview showings at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles-based star entered the upper echelon of artists in 2013 with his vocal contributions to Wake Me Up, a song he co-wrote with Swedish DJ Avicii. One of the biggest hits of the decade, Wake Me Up has amassed more than 1.4 billion views on YouTube and topped the charts in 22 countries after its release, making Blacc a star. In 2015, he earned a Grammy Award nomination for best R&B album.
For the filming of America’s Musical Journey, Blacc travelled to several U.S. cities to trace the cultural roots of American music, visiting New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Chicago, New York, and Miami along the way.
The promotional tour to support the film has cast an even wider net, he said.
“It’s a huge experience for me because now I’m getting to visit even more cities,” Blacc said Thursday from Mexico City, where he was promoting the film.
“Before, it was just American cities I had already been to, but didn’t really get a chance to spend a whole lot of time in. Now, I’m getting to go to cities around the world.”
Blacc’s visit next week is big news for Victoria residents as he will also perform an acoustic concert at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
There will be no public tickets to the show, but the Times Colonist is offering tickets through a special contest (see below).
The concert, with an opening set by local act the New Souls, will be held in a location to be revealed later, adding an exclusive feel to Blacc’s debut Victoria performance.
How to win tickets
Times Colonist contest prizes include tickets to the film and grand prizes include access to Blacc’s secret live performance.
To enter, email your name and daytime phone number to funandgames@timescolonist.com with “Imax America’s Music Journey” in the subject line.
The contest closes on Sunday at 11:59 p.m. The names of winners will be published in the newspaper on Tuesday.
