ROCK
What: Bedouin Soundclash
Where: Capital Ballroom, 858 Yates St.
When: Friday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $34.59 (incl. fees) from eventbrite.ca
Why: A seven-year hiatus meant good things for Mass, the fifth and latest album from Bedouin Soundclash. Recorded in part with New Orleans’ almighty Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the folk, rock and world-music sonics on the October release are made all the more interesting by its range of sounds and collaborators, from King Britt of Digable Planets (who co-produced) to the children of the St. James Music Academy in Vancouver. The band’s gig on Friday at the Capital Ballroom — a hometown show of sorts for singer Jay Malinowski, who now lives in Victoria — is reportedly down to a dozen tickets available, so act quickly.
POP
What: ABBAMANIA
Where: McPherson Playhouse
When: Friday, Feb. 7, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $52 (incl. fees) from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca
Why: The appetite for the music of ABBA never dissipates, so it should come as no surprise that this tribute to the music of the Swedish pop kings and queens is selling very well in its return to Victoria. An added bonus for those in the mood for more jukebox hits, Night Fever (a tribute to the Bee Gees) and a Lady Gaga impersonator (performing the hits from the Oscar-winning movie A Star is Born) will give Abbamaniacs with happy feet yet more reasons to dance during this two-set night of kitschy fun.
REGGAE/SKA
What: The Toasters and Mustard Plug
Where: Distrikt, 919 Douglas St.
When: Saturday, Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $23.35 (incl. fees) from ticketweb.ca
Why: New York ska legends the Toasters have not played Victoria since 2007, so anticipation is high for their co-headlining show with Mustard Plug of Grand Rapids, Michigan, which itself has not played Victoria since 2015. The two titans of American ska have a combined 70 years experience, and their resumés have made them vitals cogs in the third wave of ska in North America. Victoria audiences know both acts well, so expect skanking nonpareil at this early show.
