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Scene and Heard: Classic rock at the Ranch

This was one of the busier weeks in recent memory as far as concert announcements are concerned, so you’ll need a calendar and writing materials to take stock of what follows. Many of these are don’t-miss engagements.
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Sam Roberts, right, and the Sam Roberts Band will perform at The Laketown Rock Festival, held May 19-21 at Laketown Ranch.

This was one of the busier weeks in recent memory as far as concert announcements are concerned, so you’ll need a calendar and writing materials to take stock of what follows. Many of these are don’t-miss engagements.

After a winter of great gigs that fell short in the star-power department, concert promoters have put together a run of dates through the summer that impress, with several Grammy Award winners and more than a few living legends on tap.

 

One of the biggest surprises of the week was news of a festival making its debut in the Lake Cowichan area during the Victoria Day long weekend.

The Laketown Rock Festival will be held May 19-21 at Laketown Ranch, the camping-friendly site near Youbou that also hosts the annual Sunfest Country Music Festival. With a roster of rockers led by the Sam Roberts Band and Loverboy, the three-day throwdown gives Vancouver Island its first official classic rock festival.

Other acts scheduled to appear include Trooper, Honeymoon Suite, Matt Mays, Prism and the Headpins. New acts will be added in the coming weeks, according to organizers.

Early bird tickets (at discounted prices) are on sale now, starting at $50.

For more information, visit laketownrock.com.

 

The TD Victoria International Jazz Festival announced another wave of headliners to join previously announced performers Mavis Staples (June 23) and Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox (June 29) for the Marquee Series at the Royal Theatre.

Reggae favourite Ziggy Markey and roots performers Tommy Emmanuel and Jack Broadbent are scheduled perform at the festival on June 25 and June 27, respectively. Tickets for both shows go on sale March 3 through the Royal & McPherson Box Office (250-386-6121) and rmts.bc.ca.

More headliners will be announced in the coming weeks, according to organizers. The complete festival lineup will be available mid-April.

For more information, visit jazzvictoria.ca.

 

Following her triumphant turn alongside Neko Case and Laura Veirs during last year’s Jazzfest, k.d. lang will swing back through the Royal Theatre for a pair of performances in August.

Lang will be mounting her Ingénue Redux tour in Victoria with shows Aug. 12 and 13, the first of 17 dates in Canada for the singer. The tour is in honour of the 25th anniversary of her Ingénue album, which produced the hit Constant Craving.

Tickets go on sale March 3 at 11 a.m. through AEGLive.com.

 

News that Ryan Adams was returning to Victoria trickled out last week and shortly after tickets went on sale Friday morning, they were gone.

Adams, who is enjoying a career resurgence, will perform at the Alix Goolden Performance Hall on June 25. And while face-value tickets are no longer an option, you’ll want to track down options on the secondary market — the singer-songwriter’s Victoria debut in 2015 is still discussed with reverence.

Interesting note: While his previous appearance (which also sold out) was held at the 1,400-seat Royal Theatre, his return will be held at a venue with just 800 seats. It would appear fans who were on the ball early will be rewarded with an intimate experience.

 

Ottawa-bred YouTube favourites Hollerado have developed a strong and supportive fanbase on Vancouver Island, so fans should expect tickets to their pair of June performances to disappear in short order.

The Juno Award-nominated group will perform June 8 at The Queens in Nanaimo — a modestly sized venue for a band of this reputation — and June 9 at Sugar in Victoria. Tickets are $22.50 at ticketfly.com and Lyle’s Place.

The band is currently on a sold-out tour of Europe as the opening act for Sum 41.

 

Skratch Bastid, the Halifax-bred, Toronto-based DJ whose inventive live routines have elevated him to the upper echelon of performance DJs, will return to Victoria next month.

His shows feature rapid-cut interpolations of everything from Aretha Franklin and David Bowie to Scott Joplin and John Williams. For entertainment value, few provide a better return on your investment.

Bastid will perform at Upstairs Cabaret on March 23. Opening act is Victoria’s Liam Low.

Tickets are on sale now for $15 at Lyle’s Place (770 Yates St.) and Ticketzone.com.

 

The Hip Replacement, a cheekily titled tribute to The Tragically Hip, will perform March 24 at The Duke Saloon. A group composed of several well-known mid-Island rockers, The Hip Replacement will be making its Victoria debut with what is expected to be an extremely well-attended event.

Tickets are on sale now for $15 through Ticketzone.com.

The Duke is located at 502 Discovery St.